From the Bookshelf of EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club…

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro

Start date: August 1, 2024

Finish date: August 31, 2024

Discussion: MODERN / POPULAR READS

Why we're reading this: August 2024 - Bookshelf Catch-Up
Group Pick for Jan '18 - Modern Classic/Popular…more
[close] August 2024 - Bookshelf Catch-Up
Group Pick for Jan '18 - Modern Classic/Popular

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MODERN / POPULAR READS

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - *SPOILERS*
By spoko · 8 posts · 49 views

last updated Aug 26, 2025 11:57AM

The Alchemist — *SPOILERS*
By Joanna Loves … · 105 posts · 507 views

last updated Aug 25, 2025 02:19PM

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What Members Thought

May 16, 2013 spoko rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi

I picked this up based entirely upon vague recommendations I’d heard. I hadn’t ever read anything by Ishiguro—or really even wanted to, though I knew his reputation as a good writer. And here’s a little confession: I pick books based at least partially (sometimes largely) based on their covers. It’s something I discovered when I was working at a bookstore: You may not be able to actually judge a book by its cover, but you can frequently pick them based on that. Covers are designed to appeal to t I picked this up based entirely upon vague recommendations I’d heard. I hadn’t ever read anything by Ishiguro—or really even wanted to, though I knew his reputation as a good writer. And here’s a little confession: I pick books based at least partially (sometimes largely) based on their covers. It’s something I discovered when I was working at a bookstore: You may not be able to actually judge a book by its cover, but you can frequently pick them based on that. Covers are designed to appeal to the same target market that the book itself would appeal to. It’s not a perfect approach, but I’ve found that it yields a lot more hits than misses. Anyway, the cover of this book is not the type of cover you’d see on a book that I would read. I like covers (and books) with warmth and texture. This cover is cold and ironically impersonal, and even the irony itself was on display. I’m honestly not sure why I went ahead and got the book.

The thing is that while I didn’t misjudge it—it’s pretty much the type of book I expected, based on that cover—still I’m glad I read it. After the first couple of chapters I wasn’t sure I’d like it, and I flirted with putting it down. But it was so well written that I decided to stick with it. Ishiguro deserves his reputation, I have to say. The writing is very good; good enough, in fact, that you can read the entire book and not even realize how well written it is. It doesn’t stand out, but it’s very effective. It’s also a very thoughtful book, and gives you quite a bit to work out in your head.

The first half of this novel is all very mysterious, and you’re trying to figure out who these people are and what makes them so special and what the hell these “donations” are they keep talking about. To really discuss the book as a whole, I’m going to have to spoil it, so here goes with that.

(view spoiler)

In which sense, it was a pretty good book. I’m definitely glad I finished it. ...more

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