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

Stunning - it will never let go of you

This is a novel that you will listen to once over a period of a few days, and then find that your thoughts keep returning to it. Nearly two years later, I still find myself thinking over the last line.

As with all of Ishiguro's works, the theme is never directly stated. The story is instead relayed as a series of musing flashbacks which coalesce only at the end - when they crystallize into a question of what it means to have love and purpose in life.

The narrator does a phenomenal job of capturing the tone of the work. This is one of the few books I think is substantially improved by being an audiobook.

Solid book

It has an interesting plot and concept. The way it is written is incredibly unique.

Loved

Even with so many great books out there my heart and head wants to listen again to this amazingly beautiful story.

Betty, Archie & Veronica’s Worst Life Ever

Never Let Me Go is truly the beautiful novel many say it is and worthy of such praise. It is not only beautifully written heartbreaking story of a love triangle and an exploration of modernity’s affect upon our humanity but also an exquisite reflection upon friendship and intimacy.

Draggie, without a "punch" ending.

The book didn't live up to the hype. I expect more and kept waiting for a big "reveal" and it just didn't happen.

Not a bad story but…

I had the most difficult time getting into this story and my mind kept wandering like no other book I gave listened to thus far. The first half of the book was very slow and it took FOREVER to understand what the whole book was about - so much so that I had to watch the movie just to get the characters/plot down before I gave up. I really think the problem was the narrator. While she had a beautiful voice and wonderful English accent, her voice was so monotone and boring with little change of her voice between characters. While I’m nearly finished, it was very difficult to get through it.

Unsatisfactory in the Best Way

A beautifully written book, crafted so wisely as to be believable as the reflections and thoughts of an individual on her life and experiences while also being exquisite prose. The world of this story is set up so that no questions are left unanswered about the why and how this reality exists, without boring explanations. The characters are similar to those we might know in our own lives, and the fact that nothing goes quite how we are rooting for mimics real life brilliantly. I enjoyed every minute, though you end this book with a sense of sadness, loss, and pining for what could have been- but in the best way.

slow BUT

It's worth it in the end. At first I didn't like this slow read with Kathy constantly going back oh I should tell you this story to understand that story, but in the end there are some worthwhile lessons and a perspective that make this story special and make it all worthwhile. I also highly recommend watching the movie after listening to this!

Ending

Against all odds, against reason and propriety I hoped for a miraculous “never let go” ending.

Lovely and Haunting

This was a lovely and haunting story about childhood, adulthood, love and loss. I loved listening to the narrator and was never bored.