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I've read three novels from Ishiguro now and each one (tagged, Remains of the Day, and The Buried Giant) have been so different that they don't even seem to me like they're from the same author. For this one, it seemed like he was doing a Margaret Atwood impression - not in a copycat way, just the themes and style of storytelling. And even though it's my least favorite of the three, that has more to do about the strength of the other two 👇

Showing you the back, because the front shows a person and that‘s a kind of no no. There are no physical descriptions in this 1980‘s-1990‘s setting with one mysterious dystopian element. Ishi‘s prose is so simple, and yet… i felt the mystery. I carried it around with me between readings. I finished midnight before the Booker longlist was announced, which five days later feels like some distant past. But the feeling lingers still. Recommended!

“Never Let Me Go,” a special song of Kathy‘s, also refers to the fleeting nature of our memories. They go, too. When those fade, we are left with art or objects like old cassette tapes to remind us that we are not clones, that we have thoughtful souls deserving love and a search for life‘s full offerings.

So pretty. Love a cut out cover

#sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern

Yes, several+, one of these is Never Let Me Go, I'm so glad I gave that a second chance, what a haunting read.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

8/20
Join if you would like!

#20Covers

I watched the film before reading this which I think took a little of the surprise out, but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I think I wanted to rocket through the big reveal despite knowing what it was anyway. This books takes place in an alternative past in 90s England and follows special school children as they grow in to adulthood and learn about their future ‘donations‘. (Cont. in comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻)

The author truly makes the reader feel what the characters feel (even that which is not said out aloud). I would really recommend this short but powerful read!

😒

What a disturbing, sad little book 😳. The cold, simple style contributed to the atmosphere. Cannot say that I enjoyed it, but I was affected by it. Creepy.

#SchoolSpirit #BoardingSchool

One of the best boarding school novels that doesn‘t have witches, wizards or magic.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Got book mail the other day from @ElizaMarie! Thank you so much, Eliza! It was an unexpected surprise.

Another afternoon in the sunshine. I‘ve no idea why I requested this book from the library! However I really enjoyed it . Yesterday I rewatched Remains of The Day based on another of his books. When it‘s gloomy outside again I‘ll watch the movie made from the tagged book. I always try to read the book before seeing the movie.

#AboutABook

I feel like you either really love this book or you don‘t & I really do despite its bleakness & that it is #WithSadEnding 🥺😢😭

I picked it up at Borders (also a sad ending RIP Borders) 😰because of the cover & blurb & knew nothing about it going in & it struck a chord with me. I reread it after seeing the movie & still felt it in my heart & gut. 💔

I'm not on Twitter anymore, so I'm sure I'm not the first to do this but I couldn't resist. The tagged book (a favorite) is Reader Top 100 Best Books of the 21st Century & NY Times Best Books of the 21st Century at the same spot. The more that I have looked at the NY Times list while it does seem to be more representative of prize winners etc I am tempted to buy a subscription to get behind the paywall & see the additional recommendations (CONT)

I‘m very glad to finish this book. It was a page turner of sorts. But , I found it way too sad and hopeless , a frightening vision. I read this randomly because it popped up on the recent 100 Best Books list. I would have bailed at times , but wanted to see how it all turned out. A strange one.

I‘d never even heard of half of them 🤷🏽‍♀️ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html

This book was slow and the plot felt thin even though it was a really interesting concept. I still really enjoyed the story and characters in this. Fun read and can‘t wait to watch the movie

Kazuo Ishiguro is one of my favorite authors, I‘ve read three of his books and they are all so profound. He is also probably the best male author writing female characters that I‘ve read. This book is explores childhood and friendship in such a true and searing way. There is an overarching story/mystery that is fairly science fiction (similar to Klara and the Sun) but the heart of the book is really focused on the children and their relationships.

Okay, so I picked it up again this morning (with my morning coffee) and it felt like a chore. So… I'm safely putting this #BookSpin pick in the #DNF category.

@TheAromaofBooks

I'm having such a hard time getting into this one. I'm on 61/288 and I am “this close” to #DNF. It's just... I don't know. I saw the trailer (#BookToScreen) and it looked compelling but…. I don't know...

#HyggeHour going to be this book, two fur babies cuddling with me under the heated blanket, some chocolates, fuzzy socks, and a nice warm tea. What more could I want?

@AllDeBooks
@TheBookHippie
@Chrissyreadit
@jenniferw88

Figured out my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin books 🩵💜🩵💜

I‘m curious to know how I would have responded to this book if I hadn‘t first seen the movie (which was quite some time ago). I found certain aspects of the story compelling but feel like it unfolded agonizingly slowly. I just didn‘t love it.

Second book for #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville Let me justify myself, there are some authors that just don‘t work for some readers even when they are amazing writers with awards and admirers. Well, sorry to say that the three books I read by this amazing author, didn‘t work for me. Again, I see a great story, interesting characters but the story per se, is just a narrative of events. This one has an unexpected twist but it was so at the end⬇️

So I read a few books by November‘s #AuthorAMonth author. I didn‘t hate them but I didn‘t like them either. But, I read things I wouldn‘t have if not for this fun challenge.
@Soubhiville

Kathy describes her life at a secluded school for children with no parents along with two students who impacted her the most, Ruth and Tommy, and their lives after leaving the school. Their futures are predestined and mostly mysterious until the truth is slowly revealed. I wonder the most why they accept their fate almost without question, seemingly only to want to prolong their fate rather than thwart it. I expected to be impacted more than I ⬇️

Reading for #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Unfortunately, I was really frustrated by this one. I was so focused on getting at the truth behind Halisham that I couldn‘t enjoy the relationship dynamics among Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy. I feel if it had been constructed a bit differently it would‘ve been an all-time favorite book for me. I‘m thinking about doing a reread in a couple of years now that I understand many of the parts that distracted me. #AuthorAMonth

Haunting, poignant, melancholy--Ishiguro is the master of understatement. Muted language both conveys and conceals depth of feeling.

I've never read Never Let Me Go, but I'm a big fan of Ishiguro's entrancing, elegiac, minimalist prose.

Catching up, this is my August #wrapup
4.5 ⭐
Giovanni's Room
Swimming in the Dark
All Systems Red
Never Let me Go

4 ⭐
Painted Vail
Sea Elephants
Hijab Butch Blues
Romantic Comedy
Parable of Talents
Old Enough
Artificial Conditioning
My Dark Vanessa
Rogue Protocol

3 ⭐
Emily Encyclopedia
Bunny

2.5 ⭐
Wool
Earl Takes All
The Memory of Animals
What The Wind Knows

2023 Reread
This is one of my favorite books. If you have not read it, it is best to go in completely blind.
There is so much depth to this book. Kathy H is a standard protagonist which works so well in this world. Each time I reread I am shocked at how much of a mean girl Ruth is. The dichotomy of them makes the relationships fascinating. And the entire story itself, who the children are is so subtly creepy it is perfect.

Ebook on sale right now. This is our author of the month in November. #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Would I have continued to live if I, too, knew the ending of my life to be like this? How would it feel to know that even the action of ending my own life would not alter the ending to my existence; that I would remain to be a donor, implying that my life had no meaning? Could I ever miss something, like the ability to divert from a set pathway, I never knew? Then again, having this ability now myself, how much of it have I exercised anyway?

#TemptingTitles
Day 25. With me or my
#WithMeOrMy

This is an odd one. I can see exactly how NEVER LET ME GO wants me to feel about itself, but as of Part I‘s end I don‘t think it‘s generated a strong enough connection between myself and the characters that I can produce the desired response. Maybe it‘s because the book is older and famous and I knew what was going on from page 1; maybe Ishiguro‘s prose is too understated for my current mood.

I might drift away. We‘ll see how Part II goes.

I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

3.5/5 🌟

Kazuo Ishiguru has a great talent for drip-feeding information to the reader and leaving us with lots of questions. This is a book about friendship, love, forgiveness and humanity.

I wanted so badly to love this book. It‘s my friend‘s favourite book and I‘ve heard excellent things for years. However, I found that for me, nothing really happened. It was slow and then when I realized what the insidious element was, it kind of fell flat to be honest.

While not a lot happens story wise, emotionally this is a tender and endearing story about childhood, memories and perception. There is a sci-fi element to it, which is quite horrifying when you think about it, but the less you know going in, the better.

“It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed. If I‘d known, maybe I‘d have kept tighter hold of them, and not let unseen tides pull us apart.”

#TBT

Well, I almost missed it!

🍂I usually have between two and four going. I love Chapter a day buddy reads because that throws in an extra.

🍂My favorite is tagged. I don‘t remember how I rated it when I read it, but it‘s stayed with me and I find myself wanted to read it again already. There‘ve been a couple that I‘ve read a few pages and then decided not right now but no real stinkers!
#WondrousWednesday

#manicmonday #lettern @CBee @Librariana

📚 Never Let Me Go (Ishiguro)
✍️ Celeste Ng
🍿 North by Northwest 📺 Never Have I Ever
🎤 Nirvana
🎶 Numb (Dotan)

It‘s easy to see, in terms of tone and style, that this is the same author who wrote Klara And The Sun. They‘re like two halves of the same whole. If you liked one, you‘ll enjoy the other. I can‘t speak to the 2010 film adaptation – I haven‘t seen it yet – but this is an intense, smart, compelling read with a lot to say about the reality we live in. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/never-let-me-go-kazuo-ishiguro/

I have yet to be disappointed by Ishiguro; his novels are masterful. In Never Let Me Go, he builds this alternate world, yet grounds it so solidly in our own as if he has seen something that we always tend to overlook. And I suppose that‘s the point: the idea that we will turn our heads when we are faced with something that disturbs us. Yet, here, we are forced to look, and to think, and Ishiguro dares us to turn away, knowing we can‘t this time.

Incredible, moving, tragic, beautiful.