I just finished a book called, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I don't know why, but I feel so depressed, emotional drained and in serious need of a hug. Don't get me wrong, I thought the book was excellent, I even gave it 5 stars on goodreads. But I just feel so sad for the characters. I rarely feel this way after reading a fictional book. I guess it's kind of silly. I can already tell that this story will always stay with me. Has anyone ever felt like this after reading a book? I hope I'm not the only one..
The movie will probably make me feel even more sad..
BTW..THIS THREAD CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Last edited by Shopaholic1204; 10-09-2010 at 09:37 PM.
I read that a couple of years ago. I know what you mean, it did leave me feeling kind of empty and depressed but I didn't feel as affected by it as I have by some other books.
I think books usually affect us according to what's going on in our own lives at the time of reading them, or 'where we are in our head'. For me, it's not so much the story that dictates how I feel about a book, but the atmosphere and 'Never Let Me Go' had a pretty heavy atmosphere. 'Twas good though!
I was that way after I read Wasted. I was in the middle of some pretty serious stuff when I read it. My son had just turned 1, I was very unhappy with my weight and I was starting to slip back into ED behaviors. I confided in my husband, saying, "You know, I feel bad for even having this little bit of food. I hate myself for it and want to throw it back up." He just looked at me funny and told me it was "ridiculous" to feel that way about a half-cup of spaghetti. I cried and cried that night, and then bought Wasted the next day. It really left me in a funk and VERY confused for a while.
I've actually thought about this book quite a bit since I read it (so, I guess it affected me too?). Originally, I was just so angry that the clones and society just passively let this happen. It seemed so...unreal? If such a thing were happening in our society, there would be protests, the clones would fight back, they surely wouldn't passively turn themselves in to a center to be harvested.
On further reflection, I wonder if the author was using their passivity and acceptance to say they were soulless beings, not "real people" at all. there are hints in the book that they may/may not be human. They were just sheep bred to do this thing (not that it makes it right of course, just trying to see if there were any deeper meaning to the story).
Maybe that is what is bothering me so much. They just accepted their fate. They just said oh well, and went on doing what they were made to do. You're probably right though...
Last edited by Shopaholic1204; 10-06-2010 at 02:48 PM.
Yeah, because I know if someone said "hey, you're a clone and btw you will eventually have to give up organs one by one until you die" I'd be like "oh yeah, sure." Then, I would disappear. (it's not like they were even locked up or overly monitored!). The chances of me just waltzing up to get my spleen removed - that would NEVER happen!
I just had to stop reading 'Mothers and other Liars' (can't remember the author)
I couldn't stop crying and feeling sad, and kept reading one night to see if things would let up on the main character, and I was up late and then too disturbed to sleep.
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Shopaholic1204: On the book Never Let Me GO, there acceptance of there fate is based on the idea of Japanese honor and duty. They are going through with donating there organs even though it means they will die young because this is there duty in society, this is what was assigned to them, and this is how they will bring honor to themselves.
In the west the idea of just accepting ones fate and placement in life goes aganst our cultural mores. In the west we like to see the underdog triumph over his adversaries but eastern culture supports the idea that you accept your placement in life and make the best of it.
You should read To Live, by Yu Hua. Really great book.
That's exactly what every author wants to hear: that their book affected you so much that you couldn't get it out of your head. That's an amazing compliment to the author.
BTW, my friend said Wuthering Heights left her feeling the same way.
A mother with a 9 year old daughter who found her when she was a newborn. Thinking she was discarded She decided to keep her and got away with it until she was 9, when she found out through a news report that the baby was really discarded because of a carjacking (this is not a spoiler) So, the part of the book I was in was when the "mother" decided to turn herself in and that meant her "daughter" would be taken from her and given to virtual strangers. It was sad to me because it was so well written, and I have a 10 year old DD who I am very close to, and can't even imagine losing her The daughter was taken, and I stopped reading in the long pages while they were spending their last time together.
PLUS, I am a huge sap, and cry easily. I sniffled well into the night.
Too late now, but for the benefit of those who haven't yet read the book or seen the film (Never Let Me Go) and want to, there should have been a warning about spoilers. I don't know if there's a spoiler code on this site (Straight Dope has one), but you can do the same thing by typing the information you want spoiler-ized in white boldface, it becomes visible by highlighting
Kinda crazy to be feeling like this about a book
