Have you ever read the reviews for a book and been
absolutely astounded by all the amazing things that have been said about it? I
have. I recently finished a novel that was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
back in 2005 and that novel was Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. And if I’m
being honest (which I love to do), I don’t get all the hype that surrounded it
at all.
We are
being told the story by the protagonist, Kathy H., a carer living in a world
where organ donors are reared from childhood. Kathy will one day become a donor
too after her career as a carer comes to an end. The story Kathy tells us is her
own, from her days at a school known as Hailsham to the turbulent life she
leads after leaving. Her friends and love interest play a huge part in her
story but that is where the problem lies with this novel.
One of
Kathy’s friends is Ruth, a ridiculously annoying character that will most
likely emulate somebody you knew in school. She’s the leader of her group of
friends and acts like she’s a bigger deal than she really is, pretending to be
a teacher’s favourite student and acting like she’s in-the-know about
everything. In an ideal world, Ishiguro’s ability to write so well about a
person shouldn’t be a negative but Ruth has a huge role to play in the novel
and so much time is dedicated to her that I couldn’t enjoy it because hate
whiney teenage girls with bitchy attitudes. It took a very long time to warm to
any character for the same reason; they were all whiney children for most of
the story.
There’s not
a huge amount I can say about the good aspects of this novel without spoiling
the end but despite how much I didn’t like the characters, I did find myself
wishing for Kathy to succeed in the end because of a certain character
redeeming herself and another character’s development over the course of the
passing years. The idea behind it is interesting; a world where organ donors
are raised for the job but the moral and political side of the story is pushed
aside to make room for the characters going about their lives for the most
part.
Chances are
I will not read this novel again and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who is
looking for a book with a dollop of oomph! It would be more of interest to
those who like Young Adult novels, dealing with the tribulations of growing up
in a boarding school but again, why this book received so much adulation is
beyond my comprehension.
