Never let me go

Kazuo Ishiguro are cu siguranta un stil unic si pot intelege de ce cartile lui sunt atat de apreciate. Am mai citit "A pale view of hills" si "When we where orphans" dar "Never let me go" este clar preferata mea.
Actiunea se petrece la sfarsitul anilor 90 dintr-un univers paralel.
Cartea este scrisa la persoana intai din prisma unei femei care la 31 de ani incearca sa se impace cu destinul care ia fost decis la nastere prin evocarea unei copilari aparent idilice petrecuta in tr-un orfelinat din Anglia. Tonul este totusi bizar de detasat si lipsit de emotie. Am avut senzatia ca personajul principal Kathy H. nu are cu adevarat sentimente, sperante, dorinte...

 Dupa al doilea razboi mondial doctorii au reusit sa realizeze clone si prin asta s-a ajuns la o revoluie in medicina.
Actiunea se petrece in anii  70- 90 si ne descrie viata unei generatii de clone. Personajele principale sunt clone crescute intr-un orfelinat special care trebuie sa le pregateasca pentru rolul lor in viata, acela de donatori.
Concluzia finala este ca ritmul evolutiei tehnologice trebuie sa fie sustinut de un ritm de evolutie al societatii.
"Decorul" suna cunoscut din multe filme SF americane dar romanul nu ne duce pe calea celor care se revolta impotriva sistemului ci pe calea celor care isi traiesc viata in anonimat.

Dupa ce implinesc varsta 16 ani personajele trec printr-o perioada de instruire pentru a deveni ingrijitori pentru alti donatori.
Personajele sunt propriu zis trimise in lume dar nu interactioneaza cu nimeni si nimic. Traiesc in propria bula de realitate. In intreaga carte interactiunile dintre cele doua universuri sunt reduse la tutori (in orfelinat) si doctori respectiv  asistente (in spitale).
Clonele sunt create in asa fel incat nu pot sa procreeze dar ce este si mai interesant este ca nu par cu adevarat capabile de dragoste. Sau cel putin asta este sentimentul pe care l-am avut eu.Kathy pare sa-l iubeasca pe Tommy dar desi cartea este narata la persoana intai ea nu-si exprima sentimentele clar nici un moment.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy Book 1)

 

The main storyline focuses on the journalist Mikael Blomkvist who is accused of libel and decides not to challenge the charge and offers no defence, preferring to get the sentence over with in the face of enormous publicity. He is asked to investigate the disappearance of a rich magnate's favourite niece, who vanished almost 40 years before. The investigation has been a “pet project” for the magnate who is dying, and wants to give it one last try. 

Helping Blomkvist in his research is Lizbeth Salander, a young woman thought to have Asperger's syndrome, who is under the guardianship of the state. Salander has suffered enormous sexual and emotional abuse and she trusts no one. 

Salander is an incredible character, one minute dysfunctional, one minute a amazing hacker, socially awkward and a fragile introvert one minute, the next a dominatrix......

The book has a number of weaknesses:

- the serial killer who leaves cryptic biblical clues,

- the powerful family business empire everyone hates everyone else,

- Salander's experience with her new guardian is sadistic and I found the situation difficult to believe

- there are lots of short sections inserted to break up the action but serving no real purpose eg describing how Blomkvist has a shower, buys a paper and then goes out for a walk.....and let’s not forget the food: sandwiches, sausages, pizzas, cheese....... The book is long enough without this.

- the old missing person supposed murdered but whose body has never been found plot was a bit obvious

- the sadistic serial killer with a normal life and respectable profession is always a bit implausible.

Having said that…

I loved the book. I somehow found myself in love with Salander and really eager to read the next two books.