NEVER LET ME GO: Never let us down

Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the most acclaimed writers of the late XX Century. With his latest novel, “Never Let Me Go”, he proves he can deal with contemporary (and futuristic) subjects with wit and charm and certainly never letting his readers down. The book seems to be a version of the movie “The Island” for those who can read, concerning with the pathos of his characters rather than dull action and explosion.

A girl named Kathy is the narrator, and she tells about her infancy in a school where they didn’t have much contact with the outside world. She meets some friends whose friendship will last forever. They will have to deal with the same situation in the future and that’s why so important to have them around — although it is not an easy task.

Every now and then there are strange words that don’t seem to fit the narrative, such as carers and donors. Who are they? What are they? This is the point of the whole novel to explain who they are and what they do. Once we find out what is happening, the result can be heartbreaking.

Ishiguro is a master of both the narrative and the language. With his skills, he is able to create memorable and unforgettable scenes that are more powerful alone than in the whole. But that is not a problem, even if at some points the book seems to be so calculated. These are minor flaws that are easily forgivable once the final result is a strong book, that both is both moving and alerting.