Author Information—Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go
Reading Guide
Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan in 1954. Each of his understated, finely wrought novels has been published to international acclaim. He won the Booker Prize for The Remains of the Day, which was adapted into a major motion picture starring Anthony Hopkins. His work has been translated into twenty­ eight languages. In 1995, he received an Order of the British Empire for service to literature and in 1998 was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. He lives in London with his wife and daughter. Never Let Me Go ­ Awards and Distinctions Man Booker Prize Finalist ALA Alex Award New York Times Notable Book (Top 100) Publishers Weekly Top Ten Best Books of 2005 Seattle Times Top Ten Best Books of 2005 National Book Critic Circle Award TIME 100 Best Novels (1923­Present) The UNCW Common Reading Experience supports the university mission of integration of teaching, research, and service and the stimulation of intellectual curiosity, imagination, critical thinking, and thoughtful expression. The program supports goal one of the strategic plan: Create the most pow­ erful learning experience possible for our students. Synergy: UNCW’s Common Reading
Experience
The Fall 2008 Common Reading selection addresses
important issues such as friendship, identity, free will,
creativity, morality, and bioethics. Read along with other
students, faculty, staff, and members of the community
and participate in events and discussions throughout the
Fall 2008 semester.
Be a part of this exciting experience!
Visit
For more information on Synergy or Never Let Me Go, visit www.uncw.edu/commonreading www.uncw.edu/commonreading
for more reading resources, event schedule, and program information.
What is Critical Thinking and Critical Reading? Why Should I Care? As a college student, you will be asked to think critically in all of your classes. You will be faced with new information, challenging issues, and difficult decisions in which critical thinking skills will be helpful. The Common Reading program offers your first opportunity to engage in critical thinking and critical reading. In the Fall, you will be asked to respond to Never Let Me Go and its topics in a critical way ­ but what does that mean? As you read . . . Think about how Never Let Me Go applies to your life. Consider, but don’t limit yourself to, the following themes and questions: Friendship ­ How would you describe the relationships of the characters? How loyal and supportive are the friends to each other? Free Will ­ Who or what determines the fate of the characters? Are they in control? Are you in control of your destiny or are there obstacles out of your control? Critical Thinking is:
· RATIONAL: Critical thinkers rely on reason over emotion (though emotional responses are valid and worthy of consideration). They also rely on facts and evidence.
· SELF­AWARE: Critical thinkers are more interested in the best explanation rather than being “right.” This means they are aware of what influences them, including bias, assumption, and prejudice.
· OPEN MINDED: Critical thinkers consider a variety of perspec­ tives and remain open to alternate or conflicting interpretations.
· CAREFUL: Critical thinkers avoid snap judgments. They are precise, cautious, and comprehensive in their thinking. Truth ­ How does truth (and dishonesty) affect the story and the characters? How important is telling the truth? Overall, critical thinkers are active, not passive; they question, analyze, and investigate. They are skeptical and interested. Art and Creativity ­ What can/does art tell us about humanity? What value do you place on creativity? “To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.” ~Edmund Burke Critical Reading is:
· ACTIVE: Critical readers question the text as they read, often writing those questions and notes in the margins. They use a dictionary if necessary and use context clues (Note: Never Let Me Go is set in England and some words may be unfamiliar).
· AWARE OF CONTEXT: Critical readers don’t just read for facts. They know that all texts exist in contexts: cultural, historical, etc.
· SOPHISTICATED: Critical readers consider how a text is written, not just what it says. They think about choices the author makes and how the writing choices affect the reader and meaning.
· MEANINGFUL: Critical readers work on making sense of a text by synthesizing what they know about the subject, the context it was written in, and the writing style. They go beyond the surface and work towards their own critical, insightful interpretation of the text. Coming of Age ­ Consider how the characters learn about them­ selves and become more self­aware. What factors influence some­ one’s “coming of age”? What about your’s? Bioethics and Cloning ­ What statement does the book make about cloning? Do you feel cloning is ethical? How do you feel about genetic engineering or organ harvesting? The “Other” ­ How are the characters different? Who are the “others” (second­class citizens) in our world? Literary terms every reader should know: Plot: the events of the story. The plot frames the story and contributes directly to the reader’s understanding of the meaning. Setting: the location, in space and time, that the story takes place. The setting can represent some deeper meaning in the story. Characters: the beings within a story. They can represent certain aspects of human nature. Main characters are central to the story’s purpose. Narrator: who is telling the story. May be a character or an external voice. The narrator’s perspective is central to understanding the story. Flashback: a scene from the past, which predates but impacts the current plot of story. Writers often use flashback to reveal essential information about an event or a character. Theme: a topic or subject that evolves from the story. It may be direct or indirect and there may be several themes in one book.
More reading resources are available at www.uncw.edu/commonreading