... But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading." Memories serve as the basis for Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, Never Let Me Go. The book is divided into three parts, representing distinct periods in the life of narrator Kathy H., who reflects on her recollections as she gets ready to transition to another part of her life.
Kathy attended a British boarding school called Hailsham, where she becomes closely acquainted with two students: headstrong Ruth and misfit Tommy D. There's an undercurrent of mystery: This is not an ordinary school, and the students who attend are quite special. I'm going to avoid getting into great detail about the plot because it's difficult to do so without revealing some potential spoilers. Just as the students of Hailsham are "told but not told" about what is really going on and the purpose of their lives, readers are similarly treated by the author. Things slowly unfold and are subtly revealed over time. Patience is definitely key when reading this book.
This novel has elements of science-fiction, but these aspects are not in-your-face. In fact, their world seems strangely familiar to our own. Instead, the story is a drama that poses philosophical questions, such as, "What does it mean to be human?" It can be heartbreaking -- by the last few paragraphs of the tome, I had tears in my eyes.
I first heard about this book when I visited Internet Movie Database, and one of the trailers that was featured on the homepage that day was for this story. It looked intriguing, and it got me interested in reading the book. Now that I have read the book, just judging from the trailer, it seems like a pretty accurate adaptation. However, I can appreciate film adaptations on their individual merits that capture the spirit of the book, instead of being a word-for-word representation, and I'm curious to see how the film turns out.
By the way, the poster for the film "Never Let Go" debuted earlier this week. The film itself is suppose to be released in the United States on September 15 (that's the day after my birthday):
"Never Let Me Go" trailer:
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