Never Let Me Go follows three characters as they grow up in an institution akin to boarding school and enter the real world. Slowly they begin to discover the reason for their existence and the details of their future lives. Above all though they are children and then teenagers and their personalities and behaviour towards each other is the focus of the novel. As is redemption and closure which all the characters are ultimately given, and seems to be a theme for Ishiguro.
Maybe because I knew the story before I read this, it took away from the emotional impact of the novel. Though I think Ishiguro creates intellectual impact through the behaviour of his characters, their 'normal' lives and acceptance of their fate. The chilling backdrop is only a backdrop and whilst it creates drama and intrigue, it and the moral questions are not the focus of the story. I enjoyed it, and it is easy to read, so I finished it within a few days, but it doesn't compare to The Remains of the Day.
