Who Would Like This Book:
If you love beautifully constructed prose and unreliable narrators, this book is a treat. Ishiguro weaves a dreamy, ambiguous detective story across London and war-torn Shanghai, mixing atmospheric historical drama with deep dives into memory and identity. Fans of character-driven novels, literary mysteries, and books that make you question reality versus perception will be hooked. If you appreciate stories that are as much about what's left unsaid as what's revealed, this is right up your alley.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers get frustrated by the surreal, sometimes implausible plot twists and the protagonist’s blinkered self-absorption. If you prefer stories with neat resolutions or deeply fleshed-out side characters, or if you like your mysteries straightforward, you might find this one disjointed or even maddening. The second half, in particular, veers into surreal territory that can leave you scratching your head.
About:
'When We Were Orphans' by Kazuo Ishiguro follows the story of Christopher Banks, a famous detective who embarks on a journey to Shanghai to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearance when he was a child. The narrative delves into Christopher's childhood in Shanghai, his friendship with a Japanese boy, and his relentless pursuit of the truth despite the backdrop of war and uncertainty. The book is praised for its portrayal of 1930s Shanghai, the colonial life, and the intricate exploration of memory and reality.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of child abandonment, trauma, and elements of war, specifically the Sino-Japanese conflict.
From The Publisher:
*Kazuo Ishiguro's new novel Klara and the Sun is now available*
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize
England, 1930s. Christopher Banks has become the country's most celebrated detective, his cases the talk of London society. Yet one unsolved crime has always haunted him: the mysterious disappearance of his parents, in old Shanghai, when he was a small boy. Moving between London and Shanghai of the interwar years, When We Were Orphans is a remarkable story of memory, intrigue and the need to return.
'You seldom read a novel that so convinces you it is extending the possibilities of fiction.' John Carey, Sunday Times
'Ishiguro is the best and most original novelist of his generation and When We Were Orphans could be by no other writer. It haunts the mind. It moves to tears.' Susan Hill, Mail on Sunday
'Discloses a writer not only near the height of his powers but in a league all of his own.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent
Ratings (9)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (5) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (1) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (26):
Read It (9) | |
Want To Read (16) | |
Not Interested (1) |
What can you read after
When We Were Orphans?
About the Author:
Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His nine works of fiction have earned him many awards and honours around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been trans-lated into over fifty languages. The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go were made into acclaimed films. Ishiguro also writes screenplays and song lyrics. He was given a knight-hood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.
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