Never Let Me Go- Book Review

“Then he said: “I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And, these two people in the water, trying to hold on to each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it’s just too much. The current’s too strong. They’ve got to let go, drift apart. That’s how I think it is with us.It’s a shame, (spoiler) because we’ve loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can’t stay together forever. “Pg. 282

 

I hate saying I’m busy. I think we have  a tendency to glorify busy. Just think about the last time you asked someone how they were doing. I’m pretty sure they didn’t tell you they were getting 8 hours sleep a night, eating nutrient rich foods, drinking 8 glasses of water and just generally caught up in all areas of their life. I’m willing to bet their response was some version of, “Oh you know I’m just trying to hang in there” or “I don’t know if I’m coming or going.” So, it is with great displeasure that I admit that these past months I’ve not had enough day for my to do(s). I had an appointment that cancelled this afternoon so I decided to prolong the life of the candle I had been burning at both ends by getting some reading in. I finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Now, what is the book about? On the surface it’s about the relationship between the three main characters Ruth, Kathy and Tommy who we meet at a specialized school and follow through adulthood during an unspecified time period in Britain. A closer inspection reveals that in 288 pages the story is about mortality. How everything has a beginning and an ending because “life” in all its forms is finite. The choices we make in terms of love and friendship and to do what we think is expected of us. And, how we feel about those choices as we are closer to the end than the beginning of our lives. All the things that went unsaid. All the things you might have done differently. Did any of it even matter? What does it mean to accept your fate?

Now reader I don’t know if you are the type that believes that when the student is ready the teacher will appear or certain books come into your life at certain times for a reason and all that jazz. But this book left me gutted. It was not the self-care break I thought it was going to be because I don’t consider the ugly Oprah crying I did at the end of the book self-care. (No disrespect to those who enjoy a good cry. This is a judgment free zone.) However, it was probably what I needed. For me it was a good reminder that all of us have a limited number of days. And so tonight this poor creature is going to be grateful that she made it through this day and get some rest.

 

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