The genius of Kazuo Ishiguro's wintery novel is his ability to draw you into an all too well lit story and then destroy your perception of all you once held true.
He builds this story around a series of flashbacks narrated by the mysterious carer Kathy H., who as a student attended an English private school called Hailsham. What is Hailsham? Who are these "doners"? And what exactly does a "carer" do? All these questions permeate the pages of each and every flashback. Each flashback is wonderfully detailed, yet another of Ishiguro's tricks, and each character is a small puzzle box supplying just the right piece to the story when nessecary.
There are three main characters. Characters that form a sort of love triangle. Kathy, her best friend Ruth, and Ruth's boyfriend and slightly-off Tommy. To not be pulled into their lives is impossible as the author's prose is smooth and calculated. You feel as if each step you take has already been thought out but it doesn't matter, because the scenery along the walk is amazing.
As we are lead through story after story of this girl and her triangle (first young then growing older) we are lead to believe she leads a happy, if naieve life.It is through this naievete that Ishiguro achieves his greatest feat. And to say anymore would spoil it. Know this though, come for his beautifully written story. Stay for the horrific secrets and perceptive insight hidden within.
No comments:
Post a Comment