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

Good mainstream novel

The book itself became quite cheesy three quarters in, but overall we enjoyed it. The performer however really took away from it all, with her use of theatrical voices for Ruth and Tommy, making her demonstrative and him a total dolt. Would've been more enjoyable to read or with a different performer.

Anti capitalism subtext?

Sad story. Wonder if anyone else equated the indifference to modern economics. Reply here please.

A beautiful read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this book! I loved this book, and will now count it amongst my favorites. A lot of people seem unhappy with how the story is, for a long time, engulfed in mystery and only very slowly unraveled, but I think this is one of the beautiful things about this narrative. The reader's journey mirrors the journey of the main character. The main character, Kathy, is shrouded within a mysterious, unusual environment for most of the book, as is the reader. This slow uncovering builds a strong connection between the reader and the narrator, and I believe that this aspect is what makes this book a stunning work of fiction. If you, like me, read a book to build a relationship with a complex, well-developed character, this is is the perfect book for you! However, if you prefer to read books that are fast paced and action packed, this would not be the best download choice.

Interesting unique story

Without giving anything away, this story tells an interesting story of students of a unique Hailsham school that holds many secrets about their origins and their destiny.

Profoundly moving

It took me a bit to really connect with the story but this is one of the best books I've ever read.

The book is amazing but not the audible integration

The chapters in the book to not map one to one to audible chapters. Chapter 2 in the audiobook starts with chapter 4 of the book. Makes it difficult to read the print book and audiobook at the same time

profound made plain

Fascinating premise. Ishiguro with such startling economy of language bids us thought. I am marvelously perturbed & beckoned to consider basic moral issues in every piece he writes. He can create a unforgettable scenario in a single sentence.
A gentle but unforgettable journey he provides the reader every time, & turn.
Must mention the talent of Landor the narrator. Cadence & multiple voices are exquisite.

devastating

No other words for it. Beautiful and devastating cant wait to read more by this author.

intriging

Well read very interesting story .. Will stay in your mind for a long time.

Heartbreaker

This is one of those stories that hypnotizes you, makes you so desperate for answers that you can't even get up to go to the bathroom, then it rips your heart out and makes you sit there in agony as you endure the last third of the book. One of the most painful reading experiences I've had since The Book Thief. 10/10, would recommend to everyone.
My advice would be to read it first, if that's an option for you (because it's fun forming Kathy's voice yourself) but if you can't, this narrator does a very good job :)