Katsuo Ishiguru - Never Let Me Go

[suzywong]

Haunting
Absolutely haunting and wonderful

With the same themes as the others (Remains of the Day, Artist of the Floating World and Orphans); mico-cosmic mundaneites of lives of people tragically deceived on a grander scale.

I love him

just wanted to share (dont' do cyber hugs as you probably know)

Bum, spelled his name incorrectly, that should of course be IshigurO

I just finished Never Let Me Go and to be honest I didn't think much of it. It reminded me of some of the crap ideas I got when I was doing 6th form english and was trying to be all deep and meaningful, I didn't care what happened to any of the characters and just wanted to get to the end so I could read something else.

well I can see what you mean, I am dying to get the end and for something to happen but I guess I am just enchanted by his style and I keep dreaming about the characters which as you can imagine is a bit dull as nothing really happens

Have you read any of his others?

oooh I've just read it as well, and thought it was absolutely fab. have read the others as well. I really couldn't stand the Unconsoled - it just went on and on forever, but enjoyed the rest of his stuff.

was on Jermey Vine's 'Page Turners' on BBC1 - reviewed by Ulrika Johnson and some woman who does the National Lottery - they deemed it not to be a page turner - however audience commentors gave it the thumbs up!

this is the one about cloning?

gah - you've spoilt the surprise now JT

have I? sorry - that's what they were saying on the programme - oops!

so is The Unconsoled the least good of his lot then?

Just as a footnote, I recently read some Mishima short stories, said to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the 20th C and it really gave me an insight into the pace and tempo of Ishiguro's writing style, the volume was called Death In Midsummer, not the cheeriest of reads but worth it