I read this book in english. So I try to write review in english too. Nowadays, I do volunteer work at library. I categorized returned books and put books on the shelves. When I got some rest, I looked around library. There are many english books at fifth floors. I choose the giver because the title of book sounds interesting. Also I knew film about the book. At first, understanding story fully was hard, because of word I don’t know and background of the novel.

Novel suggest ideal world. Everything is under control. From birth to die, there are guideline that poeple must follow. If they violate the rules, they released from the community where they live. I thought it will be go to mystery place or dead. Elders who govern the community choose job for people when they became Twelve. After they were selected, they can’t change their job before release. Elder observe what activity they do at Eleven and check their interest to choose job. For example, there are birthmother who have children only. Main character Jonas don’t know which job he will be get. His friend Asher and Fiona already have known job they will get, because their interest was certain, Asher was very humorous and fiona was interested in nuturing kids. Finally Jonas was selected as Receiver. Receiver is the most important job maintained community. If this community is available in real world too, why don’t you bring in? Receiver shows flaw of this system. This system get rid of emotion, memory of the past, color, songs which can make people confuse. But at least one have to get past memory to persist system and the one who have memory of the past is Receiver. Only Jonas and previous Receiver and know the truth that release means dead and we have colors, emotions. During Receiver training, Jonas received past memory such as snow, war, sunshine. There are not only happy memories but also sad memories. As he know the truth, he want to change this system. So he broke rule and planed to get out from the community. While he escaping, some searcher tried to catch him. So he used his ability and moved far away from community. He can experience real world which he only saw in memories. It’s the end.

This is the first part of the Lois Lowry’s SF novel. I think there are more stories about the giver. I can’t understand why this system is bad. If everyone is satisfied with this system except Jonas, It doesn’t look like so bad. But for Jonas and the receiver will be very hard to tolerate truth. I think they need some more welfare, because they do nessesary work for the system. This novel has common thing with “1984”. Two novel also show Distopia and try to control society. I hoped we make better world than those two novel.

2024.3.24