If the author wrote the title for Never Let Me Go, there is a possibility that he meant for the main meaning of the book to involve the idea that Madam expresses toward the end of the book, that a new scientific order is encroaching on our humanity. If the editor wrote the title, it was probably to emphasize the reader's feeling a bit sorry for the children in the book, who grow up with no hope of much of a life. Our book discussion last week covered these ideas and many more!
On polling, approximately half of the members present "liked" the book. Criticisms included an inability to care about any of the characters and a dull, plodding story. Praise included a page-turner that unfolded with lots of surprises.
We had what I considered to be an interesting difference in interpretation, which showed how insightful our book discussions are. Dennis thought that the kids in the book were clones of probably wealthy people who had paid money and would use the clones' organs for themselves as needed. I disagreed, citing the adventure the kids in the book had when they went to look for Ruth's "similar," and there was discussion among them about their probably being clones of people who were failing in society. Someone else (sorry, I didn't remember who) suggested that the discussion among the kids in the book might have indicated their interpretation but that the author could have been implying that the kids were wrong. Then Pam piped up with a suggestion that we may have been analyzing the book in more detail than the author did!
We have great discussions, don't we! We discuss books that a lot of us don't like, but I think everyone occasionally is very pleasantly surprised by how much they do like or gain from one of our choices. And I also think that sometimes there are some changes of opinion after the discussion as to the likability of a book.
No comments:
Post a Comment