Never Let Me Go 2 (spoiler caution!)

Don't read on if you are planning on reading the book!!!
I am giving my impression as I read the book, so will be giving away plot details.


So. Finally what I suspected. In Ch. 7 he comes right out and says it. These children are being raised for their organs. To outsiders like us it is a horrific realization. But Kazuo tries, and I think succeeds in presenting the idea so naturally, (like a Frost Poem) that it is not horrific (which makes it more so). He reveals the idea slowly from the view of one of the child being raised for this purpose, Kathy.

I am only about a third thru the book, and that means the rest will continue to explore the ramification of this idea; raising human beings to harvest their organs. (probably for the more affluent)

It will be interesting to see how Kazuo will continue Kathy's narrative. We now know she will be donating soon too (after 12 long years as a carer). She will be dead like her friend Ruth, and probably Tommy. I think she will next tell the story of how she cared for Tommy as he gives away his organs and dies.

Another interesting story line will be the psychological effect on people who aren’t donors. (1) People who don’t think about it, and push it away to the back of their consciousness. People like Madame, who are actively involved in administrating this program, but somehow can justify to themselves the morality of it all. Probably by viewing these children as repulsive cattle. Or people like Miss Lucy, (2) who have genuine doubts about the ethics of this harvest program. People who realize their involvement in this immoral, horrific perversion of humanity. Kazuo already hints at what happens to this second set of people; They go crazy!

How will he also get us to believe that a society would accept these programs in general. A good sci-fi book has to be realistic in some manner. But maybe he won't try. He will just tell the story as naturally as he can and let the telling convince us.

Till next time.