“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro.
I’m not going to say too much about this book because I really think you should read it. Everybody should read it. Older generations should read it, teenagers should read it and discuss it in school.
Beautiful. Powerful. Chilling.
The writing is measured and perfectly poised, but don’t let the ‘softness’ trick you… it hits you like a soccer punch when you list expect it. It never strays into melodrama or hyperbole which makes the story even more hard hitting. It’s basically about the relationship between three teenagers in a contemporary world that is totally normal to ours… but it’s not really… but could be… and that’s what is so so scary. Maybe we live in a dystopian world too and we just don’t know it.
I’m pretty sure they made a movie out of this, with Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightly… but don’t watch the movie, read the book. Promise me?
The list so far (I need more suggestions people! The crossed out titles are the books I’ve already read, the one in Italics are your suggestions, the other ones are the ones by my bed, the one underlined is the current read):
2018 – The mermaid and Mrs Hancock (Imogen Hermes Gowar)
2017 – Magari domain resto (Lorenzo Maroni)
2016 – Upstream (Mary Oliver)
2015 – La tentazione di essere felici
2014 – Storia della bambina perduta (Elena Ferrante)
2013 – Careless people (Sarah Churchwell)
2012 – Wonder
2011 – The Paris Wife (Paula McLain)
2010 – Salar the Salmon (Henry Williamson)
2009 – Let the great world spin (Colum McCann)
2008 – The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga)
2007 – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
2006
2005 – Never let me go (Kazuo Ishiguro)
2004 – The Sunday Philosophy Club (Alexander McCall Smith)
2003
2002 – Everything is illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer)
2001 – American Gods (Nail Gainman)
2000 – Coram Boy (Jamila Gavin)
1999
1998
1997 – Paradise (Toni Morrison)
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991- Regeneration (Pat Barker)
1990
1989 – The Joy luck club (Amy Tan)
1988
1987 – Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami)
1986
1985 – Always Coming Home (Ursula Le Guin)
1984
1983
1982
1981 – The colour purple (Alice Walker)
1980 –
1979 – Sophie’s Choice (William Styron)
1978 – Beauty: a retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast (R McGinley
1977 – A morbid taste for Bones (Ellis Peters)
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
while you're ahead... 