'We didn't have to look into your souls. We had to see if you had souls at all.' - Miss Emily
COVER
The book has more than one cover. The latest cover of the book has the movie still where Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan are photographed running towards Clevedon Pier. The wood - like walkway has lamps on both the sides.RELEASED : 2005
AUTHOR
Man Booker Prize winner, Kazuo Ishiguro, a British author and screenwriter, was born on 8th November 1954 in Nagasaki Japan. His family later shifted its base to England when he was very young. He Graduated with Honors degree in English and Philosophy from University of Kent and did his Master’s from the University of East Anglia creative writing course.Besides winning the Man Booker for his noted novel, ‘The Remains of the Day’, he was also 4 times nominated for Man Booker Prize.
He was awarded Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize in 1982 for ‘A Pale View of Hills’, OBE in 1995 and Chevalier de l’Orde des Arts et des Lettres in 1998.
Some of his notable works are ‘The Remains of the Day’, ‘Never Let Me Go’, ‘A Pale View of Hills’ and ‘When We Were Orphans’.
GENRE
Sci-fi, Dystopia, drama
WRITING STYLE
Ishiguro uses a descriptive and narrative style of writing. In the book, he tells the story through the protagonist, Kathy.
NOVEL - SUMMARY
Set in 1980’s in utopic Hailsham, an imaginary Residential school based in England, is a story about three friends - Ruth, Tommy and Kathy H.
The book begins in 1990’s with Kathy narrating the story from the time gone by (1980’s) and recollecting the days she spent with Ruth and Tommy simultaneously. The story deals with love, friendship, uncertainties, loss and grief.
The school is situated away from the hustle bustle of the city. The school has an art gallery where the paintings made by students are taken to. The students do not know the reason behind their paintings being taken to the gallery.
The students of Hailsham are told that they are special but aren’t told why. They are all kept in dark until they reach their adulthood. After their 18th birthday, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy move out of the school and start an independent life. They eventually feel shattered and lost once they are confronted with reality.
They all ‘complete’. They, at Hailsham, unlike the students of other schools, are trained to become organ donors. While Kathy goes on to become a ‘carer’, Ruth and Tommy become ‘donors’.
What does the store have for them?
CHARACTERS
KATHY : A protagonist, Kathy H. is a sensible and a reserved lady who enjoys her own company.
RUTH : Ruth, contrary to Kathy, is a dominating and extroverted person likes to be surrounded by people. She comes across as haughty and selfish. She tries too hard to be like her seniors, Chrissy and Rodney.
TOMMY : Tommy is a shy kid who is bullied for his short temperament.
MY STAND
Worth a read
