Literature and Film: "Never Let Me Go"

Class Description

This class offers a three-part discussion of Never Let Me Go (2005), Kazuo Ishiguro’s poignant and mysterious coming-of-age story, followed by a detailed discussion of the lyrical film adaptation directed by Mark Romanek (2010). The novel and film invite distinct yet complementary paths for exploring Ishiguro’s deeply moving meditations on friendship, art, memory, and mortality.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

Steven J. Venturino, PhD, the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, has taught classes at the Newberry Library since 2015 and is a former Adjunct Professor of English at Loyola University Chicago.

What to Expect

Format: Virtual

Class Capacity: 30

Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged

Materials List

Required

• Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go. Vintage, 2006. ISBN: 978-1400078776
• Dir. Mark Romanek, Never Let Me Go, Fox Searchlight, 2010. Available to rent from Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
• Other Instructor-Distributed Materials

First Reading

• For the first session, please read only Part One of the novel (pages 3-111).

A Brief Syllabus

1. Part One
2. Part Two
3. Part Three
4. Never Let Me Go Film Adaptation

Cost and Registration

4 Sessions, $220 ($198 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($220), Community Supported ($205), and Sponsor ($235). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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