How to Be Book Club - "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Existential crises are like a persistent rash. There's no cure, but if you're suffering from the Big Questions, maybe the How To Be Book Club can be a salve. Come hang out in Book Club Bar's back garden one Saturday each month, and join us in discussing works of philosophical fiction from across different eras and parts of the globe. We'll read the book beforehand (and do us a solid, if you can—get your book from our store), and then gather for casual conversation over drinks. No preparation needed; just bring your book and your curious mind!

This August, our philosophical quagmire lives somewhere downstream of last month's discussion about AI. We’ll read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, paired with The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, to discuss conciousness, sentience, and the distinct condition of being human (as compared to animal, machine?). On the surface, Ishiguro’s novel is a melancholic story about a group of children growing up in a secluded English boarding school — but beneath its calm prose is a chilling meditation on personhood, mortality, and the ethics of using human beings as means to an end.

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, one of the foundational texts of Western moral philosophy, asks: What does it mean to live a good life? How do we become virtuous? And how should we treat others in pursuit of that life? Read alongside Never Let Me Go, his work sheds light on the vacancies in the lives of Ishiguro’s characters — and invites us to ask whether a life constrained by fate or exploitation can still be considered good, or even fully human.

This month's picks: by Kazuo Ishiguro

& by Aristotle

What your ticket includes:

• $8 off any drink at the bar

Grab a brunch cocktail at the bar and tell us what you thought of the book! Our informal discussion will be led by BCB bookseller Keri Kelly.

Registration is capped, so please register early if you are planning on attending. Please note: gratuity for the bartenders is not included. Please use your tickets at the beginning of the event.

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