What Is Imme Reading?

imme

I has just read Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.

Never heard of it before, happened to see it in a bookshop in Seoul and decided to buy it.
Maybe I was aware of the movie that came from the novel, but not the novel itself.

It's the first of Ishiguro that I've read, but was previously aware of the acclaimed Remains Of The Day, which won him a Booker.

Never Let Me Go is described as science fiction and dystopian.

Ishiguro is a master of human situations, his characterisations are so well worked. He's a tremendous reader of people.

Even if issues with the story line leave questions, inconsistencies and the like.
Also, why don't the characters run away with each other.

Why do they accept their fate?

Why doesn't his novel have any section of society other than middle class reasonably educated white people. Maybe because the novel isn't about contemporary England, let alone Britain, that's why he doesn't have any minorities or other than recognisably English characters.

The story is about characterisation, not who they are.

emeraldstar

And what did you think of it?

imme

emeraldstar wrote: »

And what did you think of it?

I enjoyed it but read it over too long a period.

Elmidena

Kazuo Ishiguro is a bloody amazing writer IMO; I advise books over film versions anyway! The simplest answer to not running away together is they've been institutionalised since birth; they come from the gutters, don't know how to interact with the outside world pretty much and have known from what was it, six or so that they're going to be harvested?

That fate kicked in before they hit an age where they could decide for themselves, and to start a brand new life away from it all could have been the deaths of them in a whole other manner through their ignorance etc. If I remember correctly, the book is set in the 80s/90s when they're "of age" but it's been a while since I read it or saw it, so I'd class that as contemporary. Being "white" isn't a big deal; the orphanage had airs and graces and wanted to produce the best of the best as such and a white background in that era most likely would be more healthy than mixed races, even if they're born of junkies or whatever. To anyone looking in on the school, it was an elite boarding school which wouldn't come cheaply...hardly where mixed races'd go with the school's overall attitude towards the healthiest and best students etc. I mean, they were scared to get a ball that went out of bounds I believe! And I'm not meaning to sound racist, but the fact is there wasn't that much of an immigration population where it was set at the time IMO.

Regarding Remains Of The Day, it takes a Japanese writer to really get into the heads of English culture! Amazing book...I've read others of his but those two stick out the best. There was one about suicide but I forget the name, also a good read

imme

interesting post sunshine,

regarding the institutionalisation of the kids, we're only given a view of their upbringing since early schooldays, not any nursery or whatever.

I still think it's unreasonable for any of the so called clones (they're not real clones in the sci fi sense, as they're given lives) to think about running away, having a life.

I think there's more to the lack of other races to the story, maybe Ishiguro wants to write about a homogeneously English England, like Remains.... except for the pesky foreigners, the Germans who bring their war and the American who gives the butler 'notions'.

They'd all be better off if it was just their kind.

Maybe the lack of other races is unintentional on Ishiguro's behalf, I don't know.

There's been an immigrant population in the UK since post WW2, Caribbeans, later African and Indian etc; an Irish one since the Famine.


I know that these immigrants sometimes don't make it out of a certain class into the one above, so won't usually make it into the boarding school setting, but it's not reasonable for a picture of England to just include English characters with names like Kate, Robert and Harry etc etc or whatever.

The whole thing of educating 'people' that you've engineered to die is perverse as well, but it makes a book I guess.:D

I'll read more of Ishiguro in the future.

brianbrangan

not sure what that is mine is different

imme

I have almost finished re reading In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin, it's travel writing, a particular favourite of mine.

Before I visited Patagonia I read the book. I don't feel that having visited Patagonia and now having re read the book that I get any more from the book. Having gone there hasn't enhanced the book.

The writing is the people more than the place.
At times cynical, cutting and prescient Chatwin is always funny.

There are some passages that go off track or too far into a subject that doesn't deal with the place but overall it's an interesting read.



Here's a bit from it:

"The night was hot and it was getting late
and the owner of the shop in Epuyen was swabbing down the counter which also served as a bar.

Senor Naitane was a small creased man with unusually white skin. He eyed his customers nervously and wished they would go. His wife was waiting for him in bed.

....

Senor Naitane, in whose house I had hoped to pass the night, pushed me out onto the street and bolted the door. The generator cut out. From all directions I heard the sound of hooves dwindling into the night. I slept behind a bush."


-Bruce Chatin, In Patagonia, Vintage Books.