Never Let Me Go

By: Kazuo Ishiguro

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER • From the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Remains of the Day comes “a Gothic tour de force" (The New York Times) with an extraordinary twist—a moving, suspenseful, beautifully atmospheric modern classic.

As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were.

Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special—and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.

©2005 Kazuo Ishiguro (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee, 2005, Fiction
• Alex Award Winner, 2006

"Stunningly brilliant fiction....A masterpiece of craftsmanship that offers an unparalleled emotional experience." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Ishiguro's elegant prose and masterly ways with characterization make for a lovely tale of memory, self-understanding, and love." (Library Journal)

"So exquisitely observed that even the most workaday objects and interactions are infused with a luminous, humming otherworldliness.....Ishiguro spins a stinging cautionary tale of science outpacing ethics." (Publishers Weekly)

"So exquisitely observed that even the most workaday objects and interactions are infused with a luminous, humming otherworldliness. . . . An epic ethical horror story, told in devastatingly poignant miniature. . . . Ishiguro spins a stinging cautionary tale of science outpacing ethics." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Perfect pacing and infinite subtlety. . . . That this stunningly brilliant fiction echoes Caryl Churchill’s superb play A Number and Margaret Atwood’ s celebrated dystopian novels in no way diminishes its originality and power. A masterpiece of craftsmanship that offers an unparalleled emotional experience. Send a copy to the Swedish Academy." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Ishiguro’s provocative subject matter and taut, potent prose have earned him multiple literary decorations, including the French government’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and an Order of the British Empire for service to literature. . . . In this luminous offering, he nimbly navigates the landscape of emotion—the inevitable link between present and past and the fine line between compassion and cruelty, pleasure and pain." —Booklist

A bit let down

From the beginning I found the storyline a but confusing. Yet it was engrossing enough to want to finish. I never did fully understand the "donor" role and found the ending a let down.

The story really grabs you

I loved the constant payoffs with the numerous information reveals. And also, the way the author explains why a storyline tangent is important was different, but enjoyable.

I would have given 5 stars except for one thing. Sounds strange, but the ending wasn't sad enough. Should have circled around again to the title theme where young Cath was singing "never let me go." When this was brought up again near the end of the book, it was actually the most powerful point in the story. Everything after seemed almost "meh." However I understand that this is part of what is so sad... That these people are so conditioned to go along with the status quo and expect this from their lives that you don't see much from them in the way of expressive emotion. But I would have enjoyed a much more heart wrenching close to the book. Something that really drives home that point of appreciating small things in our life that we take for granted. But overall, very much enjoyed.

Pretty good, not amazing

Can't put a finger on it, but never got super attached to any of the characters. Maybe it's just me. Overall a good read though.

Dull, unbelievable, well written

Mr. Ishiguro is a fine writer, but this novel's pace is quite slow and the story is utterly unbelievable in the setting. I don't want to ruin the story for those who will listen to the book. So I won't explain why. I would never have bothered to finish it had I not read another reader's review saying that it would be all become worthwhile in the end. Unfortunately it did not. The story is predictable, and I could not suspend enough disbelief to buy into it. That said, the writing is first class, the characters are well developed, and the narrator did an excellent job. Those earn the three stars. The story itself rates just one star.

A quietly devastating story.

A quietly devastating story. The first few chapters feel like the beginning of a dystopian nightmare, but eventually you yourself wishing that‘s all there was to it. This book is for anyone who‘s ever experienced illness, or aging, or any who have lost the people they feel closest to.

good character study

for some reason I wasn't at all sure what I thought about this book after one listen so I listened to it again. I very seldom do this. after the second listen I do not understand what made me do that. I like it ok. a very scary premise, but the book is really about human relationships. nothing astounding.

Sad

This is one of the saddest, most hopeless books I can remember reading. The thing is, I can see something like this happening.
The narrator was superb.

ok

it was kind of hard to follow, but I think that's just me. it was still a great story to listen to!

Sickening dystopia!

Dystopias were never on top of my preferences, but this one beats them all. I’m not sure why the author received a Nobel for this book other than the fact that the Nobel committee lost their senses as they have proven it with Bob Dylan and the Nobel price for Peace! There is enough negativity around us, why go to such lengths to invent such horrible scenario!

Does anyone in this world have a backbone

A book full of sheep being herded to where ever they are told to go.
No fight no rebellion no arguing against the system.
These people have no soul and I do not feel bad for them