Just finished "Never Let Me Go" and would like to discuss (spoiler alert)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you all liked this one, he has a more recent book (Klara and the Sun) that explores some similar themes.

Worth reading, but nowhere near as good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did the book inspire you to go vegan?

What? No. Why would it?

It could be argued that it’s an allegory for the idyllic vision of pasture-raised animals who live a good life and then have “one bad day”…

No. I don’t think that can be argued at all. You must not have read the book very carefully.

Interesting rebuttal. Lesser beings (the clones) raised for their organs to be harvested by the superior beings (the non clones)… raised in lovely conditions until their parts have grown sufficiently to be useful… there is no chance the superior beings would ever consider the value of the clones lives because their own health/convenience takes precedence…

Am I thinking of the wrong book?

Yes, because it's pretty clear in the book that the clones aren't lesser beings.

They are *treated* as lesser beings… no wonder you are struggling with this obvious connection to animal agriculture (regardless of what the author may or may not have intended) when you read at such a surface level.

NP. Yes they are treated as lesser beings, but I agree with the PP who said that the book shows that the clones aren’t “lesser”. Or shouldn’t be considered as lesser. They have the same complex feelings, emotions, they can do art… And yeah, I admit I didn’t see any connection to animal agriculture at all. Perhaps it was a surface level read, but I also didn’t like the book (rather slow and tedious, lots of mundane descriptions that didn’t lead anywhere) so I read it quickly to get it over with. Frankly, if the author weren’t a Nobel laureate, it would’ve been a DNF.

To be clear, the poster who was so quick to point out “but the clones AREN’T lesser beings, that’s why you’re WRONG!” was also reading the very comment to which they replied at a surface level.

With all due respect, no sh!t they weren’t actually lesser beings. (The “treated as” was implied. Or perhaps the original comment should have said “lesser beings” and “superior beings” to make it even more obvious…).

This is the same debate ethical vegans have with non-vegans, BTW. Are cows and pigs and chickens “lesser beings” than us in the first place? And if they are, does that give us the right to make them suffer for our own desires?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought the way sex was discussed was fascinating. And the boat allegory. It would have been good to read in book club.

What was the boat allegory? That it couldn't go anywhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where would they go? They have no family or friends to hide them. They are placed in jobs where they are monitored. And they are raised with the belief that this is their purpose.

I think the book speaks to how strongly your environment can condition your behavior. Loved this book when I read it a long time ago.

Fair enough. But our human instincts are to fight for our survival. So it is strange to me that out of thousands and thousands of these clones, all of them just blindly accept this horrible faith.

But that's the major subtext of the book - are they even human?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where would they go? They have no family or friends to hide them. They are placed in jobs where they are monitored. And they are raised with the belief that this is their purpose.

I think the book speaks to how strongly your environment can condition your behavior. Loved this book when I read it a long time ago.

Fair enough. But our human instincts are to fight for our survival. So it is strange to me that out of thousands and thousands of these clones, all of them just blindly accept this horrible faith.

But that's the major subtext of the book - are they even human?

Fair enough. I think we are certainly meant to see them as human going through all of the human emotions, suffering, etc.