Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I first came across this book through the film, which is itself excellent. The book however, takes the themes of humanity’s capacity for turning a blind eye to terrible things (especially for reasons of self-interest) to further, if still rather subtle, extremes.

The book is packed with horrible themes, all of which become clear as plot unfolds, but it’s the matter-of-fact accepting tone of the protagonist that makes the horror seem all the worse. As the truth of the world she lives in becomes clearer through her journey from school to young adulthood, she accepts everything with barely a cross word.

An excellent novel, beautifully written, and well worth reading, whether you’ve seen last year’s film or not.

(Never Let Me Go (book) on Amazon)

(Never Let Me Go (film) on Amazon)