Never Let Me Go

Book Details & Major Themes

Never Let Me Go is a 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro set in a dystopian version of Great Britain in the 1990s in which cloning technology allows for the mass proliferation of organ donation. Medical problems like cancer are cured because organs are harvested from clones through a state-sanctioned program. The cloned “donors” have their organs taken one at a time until they die. The novel is narrated by Kathy H., a clone who works as a “carer” for donors across the country, as she looks back at her upbringing and friendships. Key themes include The Meaning of Life, Fate and Love, and The Cost of Progress.

Film Adaptation

Never Let Me Go was made into a film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield in 2010 and won numerous awards, including a British Independent Film Award for Best Actress (Mulligan) and a Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Breakthrough Performance (Garfield).

Author Highlights

Ishiguro is a Japanese British author who has received numerous accolades, including the 1989 Booker Prize in Fiction and the

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