Never Let Me Go is highly impressive with its levels of intentionality involved in the method of narration--("Kathy is telling us about when she was thirteen and remembered a time when she was ten when Tommy told her something that reminded of herself at eight--all the while being aware of the outcome and the mindsets of other people, through her experiences as a carer")--but this is the most boring Sci-fi novel ever. (Yes, I'm aware this is not a work of science fiction, but stick with me here, I'm trying to make a point.)
Science fiction, in theory, is orchestrated around our present concerns using thrills to achieve a catharsis from its audience. Never Let Me Go is concerned with current class-relation issues but fails to make me feel anything. Kazuo Ishiguru builds these beautifully constructed works of art--cathedrals to architecture, but they lack the power of religion. (Whatever you happen to worship. I won't judge you. My religion involves watching episodes of M*A*S*H repeatedly.) That's where Ishiguro fails, in my mind. He makes these very nice, intellectual books, but when I put them down I just think they're nice.
(I think Tougaw hates when I refer to Ishiguro as Sulu, which is what makes it so much fun.)