Never Let Me Go
13 journalers for this copy...
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. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is another classic by the author of The Remains of the Day."
Snagged this copy at a library sale because I know it's been popular & on lots of wishlists. I read it a while back via a bookring. You can see my review HERE.
I wanted to bookray this before I read this, but now I'm not so sure. Should I bookray a book I didn't really like even though a ton of other people love it and there are a ton of Bookcrossers that would like to read it? I think I'll go post in the forums.
Rules:
+ US only for now.
+ Please journal when you get the book, what you thought of the book, and when you send the book to the next person.
+ Usual bookray rules apply. Please don't keep the book for a long time. I know that life (and other books) sometimes get in the way but I think a reasonable time frame would be a month or month and a half tops, but use your own judgement! This isn't strict I just don't want someone holding onto the book for years. :D
Shipping order:
angeeaustin - Texas
ciloma - Idaho
missprisy - Oklahoma
Ilios - Florida
mrsboknows - South Carolina
cyber-librarian - North Carolina
tabby90 - North Carolina
algoan - Indiana
esq228 - New Jersey
neuilly - New York
danadoodle - New York
scootergirl1974 - New Hampshire (moved to the end - slow to get a response and was skipped, but replied back later saying still interested)
jsara
Released 15 yrs ago (2/19/2009 UTC) at Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
FINALLY sent to angeeaustin today to start this bookray! Sorry it took so long.
I plan to spend most of my vacation on the beach, soaking up the sun, and catching up on my reading, so if I don't finish it before leaving, I will send it back on its way when I return next Tuesday (03/10). I already have ciloma's address, so I should be able to ship it as soon as I finish.
I am on the fence about how I feel about this book. Sometimes, while I was reading it, my mind would drift off, and I would realize I had read a full page, without "really" reading the page. At this point, I would usually put the book down, because I figured if I wasn't giving it my full attention- I should be doing something else. Of course, as soon as I put it down, I wondered what the characters were doing, and I had to pick it back up again. I am not a sci-fi reader, and I had no idea that there was any type of sci-fi edge to the book- you would never know it by reading the back cover. It is not too sci-fi that it will throw off a non-sci-fi-reader like myself. I liked the way Ishiguro did not come straight out and give some things away. He hints to them, and you think you know for sure what is going on, but there is always that little edge of excitment, because "what if you're wrong?" Maybe I am just a knucklehead, but I liked that. I don't think that the blurb on the back cover does any real justice to the book. There is so much that could have been written- after reading the book, I am confused as to why that was the blurb chosen.
Thanks for including me in your bookray! I am sending this out to ciloma in the morning!
Happy Reading!
I have PM'd the next reader for mailing info and am waiting a response.
Released 15 yrs ago (4/2/2009 UTC) at Spirit Lake, RAY IT FORWARD -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On its way to missprisy.
Mailed 5/15/09 Release #2 for 2009 Keep Them Moving Challenge.
Thanks for sharing!
UPDATE 6/22/09
I just finished reading this book earlier today and I am still "digesting" the story and the ending. I will write more later on. In the meantime, I already contacted mrsboknows to get an address and keep this book moving.
LAST UPDATE
First of all, sorry for the delay in sending this book out. I had "one of those months" at work and the book was in a tote in my car, patiently waiting to be taken to the post office to no avail. I am glad it got to the next bookcrosser safely. Thanks to cynnicat for checking on it!
I had heard great things about this author and I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed and it didn't touch me as much as I had hoped. The author's style is very subdued and discreet, almost as if he was trying to deliver his story without leaving imprints. He lets his narrator, Kathy, peel the story layer by layer, until we discover the astonishing truth behind the lives of the 3 main characters.
Although the topic is intriguing and the prose is beautiful, I couldn't buy into the passivity of the characters when confronted with their fates. Just like someone else mentioned before, I couldn't help thinking "why don't they run away?".
Anyway, maybe this book wasn't the best introduction to this author, so I'll try something else before forming a definite opinion.
I hate to keep books for longer than 3 weeks, just hate it. I apologize for keeping it so long. I am a teacher and have had a rough (in a good way) start to the new school year. It's kept me busier than it usually does and is tiring me out more quickly. The good news is it's Labor Day weekend and I have nothing to do but read! If all goes well, this book will be moving again within the week. :)
I appreciate the opportunity to read. I'll have it moving this week.
Off to cyber librarian in NC. My apologies again for keeping the book so long.
c. 2005 -- 288 pages -- Trade Paperback -- Women -- England -- Cloning -- Organ donors -- Donation of organs, tissues, etc. -- #96 on BookCrossing 2006 Favorites list
Released 14 yrs ago (9/25/2009 UTC) at a RABCK, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
I'm mailing this book today to tabby90 in NC ... as part of this bookray.
DC# 0306-1070-0000-8356-1303
PMing algoan for an address. algoan asked to be skipped, PMing esq228
I'm not sure what to think of this book. On one hand -- at some points I couldn't put it down because I needed to know what was going on. On the other hand -- it seems as though the story should have been more emotional. TIME said the book was "a heartbreaker" but I didn't get that. True, what happens to these poor kids is insidious, and that sort of ominous feeling is present from the beginning, and it is awful to think about, but being a crier, I would have though I'd have shed at least one tear along the way, which I didn't. That said, I would recommend this book. Even though I can't really explain why.
Thanks for sharing. Will get this out as soon as I have an address.
11/30/09 UPDATE: still no response from the next reader despite multiple PMs. Will give them another 5 days or so and then will move on to the next person in line.
12/8/09 UPDATE: still no response from the next reader. Will skip on to the one after that.
12/27/09 UPDATE: no response from the second-in-line reader (neuilly). Will try once more and then will move on to the last reader on the list.
**SOME SPOILERS AHEAD - BEST READ AFTER READING THE BOOK**
The book is definitely supremely depressing, and I was starting to get rather claustrophobic near the end, but I just had to keep reading. There's a real sense of inevitability. I know a lot of people question why the characters are in a way so passive, but can you really expect more. It makes us think about where we get our independent rebellious spirit from. We are raised being told that our independence is one of our greatest attributes, we study independent thinkers and rebels in school - but none of this applies to this group. They are taught to be creative, but not rebellious. They have dreams, but are never taught to really act on them. In fact, it takes nearly the entire book for any of them to take one step into trying to change or at least delay their path. And then what would they do? They don't have the same education or skill sets to survive in the world - they don't even have identities! Beyond the science issues, the book definitely made me reflect on the true "nature" of people. Are people really what we think or do we grow up that way because it's what our society seems to value?
**END OF SPOILERS**
I think Ishiguro's writing shines in this book as I in so many ways went through the same things as the main characters- at least at the start. They're never really told (well up until almost page 100), why they are so "special" but they start to piece things together on their own. Like them, I pretty much knew what was going on before I was told, and it didn't feel so much like a revelation as a ominous confirmation of my thoughts. Everything felt a bit distant, even the characters have trouble (for obvious reasons) with creating permanent attachments...and so I still felt rather distant from them, although still moved (though not to tears). I did rather completely dislike one of the characters which didn't help too much...kept wanting to smack her over the head.
A thoughtful and haunting book...not one of my favorites, and I wouldn't go so far as to call it brilliant, but it's definitely made me reflect a lot on life in general.
2.05.10 - Trying danadoodle for a second time, if I get no response after a few days then I will move on to the last person on the list.
I'm last on the list, so I will try to find a good home for it (another bookray? RABCK?).
Released 12 yrs ago (8/25/2011 UTC) at Department Of Environmental Services in Concord, New Hampshire USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
enjoy!