This is one of those books that I wish I were reading in English class or with a reading group because I just want to discuss it so badly. In fact, I had to make notes about it before I finished because I was so engaged. I picked this up solely because it was on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list, so I wasn't aware of the main plot. I just thought it was a book about adults looking back at their time in an English boarding school. Early on, a few things stand out as not being quite right, ways people behave, comments made, etc. I basically found myself reading eagerly to fill in what I thought were a few minor blanks and discrepancies, only to find they were the most important part of the book. I suppose it's also a testament to Ishiguro's subtlety and how well the book is put together that I didn't realize exactly how significant one point was until the very end (though I did have a few suspicions).
The plot is pretty simple. The narrator is Kathy H., who works as a carer and deals with various donors. She, and the other major characters in the novel attended a boarding school called Hailsham where they were watched over by guardians. The different terms are the first hint that something is off and even that is fairly subtle. As the novel progresses, the character's lives progress as well and the reader follows them through school, into their transition years, and finally into their chosen...vocation. The reader follows their journey of both self-discovery, discovering the truth about their existence, and their eventual decision on whether to accept their fates or fight against them.
I'm not sure what was so engrossing about the novel. The writing style was amazing, but very easy to read. Watching the development of the characters is fascinating, mostly because the characters are amazingly easy to relate to, despite their extraordinary situation. Finally, in addition to everything else, there's the search for answers throughout the book that just keeps the reader absorbed. Even after the book is over, the moral and ethical dilemmas that the novel raises stay with you. Overall, the book is amazing on every front.
The plot is pretty simple. The narrator is Kathy H., who works as a carer and deals with various donors. She, and the other major characters in the novel attended a boarding school called Hailsham where they were watched over by guardians. The different terms are the first hint that something is off and even that is fairly subtle. As the novel progresses, the character's lives progress as well and the reader follows them through school, into their transition years, and finally into their chosen...vocation. The reader follows their journey of both self-discovery, discovering the truth about their existence, and their eventual decision on whether to accept their fates or fight against them.
I'm not sure what was so engrossing about the novel. The writing style was amazing, but very easy to read. Watching the development of the characters is fascinating, mostly because the characters are amazingly easy to relate to, despite their extraordinary situation. Finally, in addition to everything else, there's the search for answers throughout the book that just keeps the reader absorbed. Even after the book is over, the moral and ethical dilemmas that the novel raises stay with you. Overall, the book is amazing on every front.
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