The Connell Guide to Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go

by David Isaacs

Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, first published in 2005, has sold more than a million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages. In 2010 Time magazine called it “the best novel of the decade”, while James Wood, one of the most influential of modern critics, has described it as “a miraculous novel”. But, as its admirers concede, it is also very strange. So why has it been so successful? And why does it cause what has been called “existential distress” among so many readers? In this short guide, David Isaacs examines the novel and critical reactions to it – and explains what Never Let Me Go is really about.

Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2016