Rating: 
Summary: A Typical Ishiguro Read...
Review: "When We Were Orphans" is a typical Kazuo Ishiguro read. It may not be a "Remains of the Day" (in fact it really isn't...) but the unmistakable stamp of the author is present all over this book. The immaculate usage of the English language, the complex scenarios of presenting thoughts within thoughts, the sarcasm in the tone of the main characters and above all the ability to hold the reader's attention, even when things seem like they are getting out of hand...this book has it all !!
Even though the author attempts to stretch his (and as a result, the reader's !!) imagination a bit in the latter part of the novel, one cannot help admiring his usage of words, and that's what keeps one going. The ending of the book seems a little too cinematic, but it also brings in a sense of relief and closure for someone who wants answers to questions that the narrator has been searching for, for so many years.
As said before, this book may not be a classic, but it is definitely one that will stay in front, in my library. Definitely recommended for readers of good literature.
Rating:
Summary: Is the narrator psychotic?
Review: A boy grows up in Shanghai between the world wars. Then his parents are apparently murdered for running afoul of the establishment and its involvement in the opium trade. The boy fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming a great detective, returning to Shanghai, and re-opening the case. Having recently seen "A Beautiful Mind", I was sure that the narrator was psychotic, which was the only way the book really made sense. Unfortunately, in the last chapter, which has a very different feel than the rest of the book, ends are tied together and it becomes impossible to maintain the psychotic theory. Absent the last chapter, I thought the book was extremely well written, and therefore quite readable despite the absence of any characters you can relate to. A chapter on Japanese/Chinese fighting in the slums of Shanghai reads like a nightmare - literally.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasurable prose...
Review: Ishiguro's prose is sweet stuff. It's too bad that this plot is somewhat thin and unrealistic. The story abounds with interesting characters, some fully realized, some hollow. His obvious study of period history serves him well, and his descriptions of British colonial attitudes rings true. What a treasure trove of novel material exists in the China between the world wars! We are given a glimpse of it in this story. Ishiguro is developing his craft and has a way to go yet, but his book is still an enjoyable reading experience. I look forward to seeing how he develops his plots. When he gets that aspect together, he's going to be in the big leagues.
Rating: 
Summary: Snore
Review: We read this book for book club, with high expectatations. 6 out of 6 women agreed that they had never met a character more unlikeable than that of Christopher Banks - self involved, conceited, and lacked any self perception!!Additionally, the characters did not tie together at all. What was the point of Jennifer? How absurd was it that Christopher stumbles across his long lost friend Akira just in time to force him on to a house where he honestly believes his parents were being held captive for something like 30 years? The most interesting character was Sarah, who was also the only figure with any character development along the way. Skip this book. A big waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Great writing but Disappointing plot
Review: I started this book with great expectations. I loved Remains of the Day and here the first half of Orphans was beautifully written and absorbing. So many elements were set up so effectively in this part -- the characterisation, the evocations of childhood and friendship, the foreshadowing of the devastating events to come when the narrator loses his parents under mysterious circumstances at the age of 9. The last third had some effective chapters, with the narrator entering into a confrontation of his own flawed and denying psyche, in a sense, with the horrific search of finding his parents in the midst of wartorn Shanghei. Where Ishiguro I think fell apart, in the second half, was by not really tying his characters together; the characters actions and thoughts seem very fragmented from the situation that propels the novel - the disappearance of his parents, and particularly his 'love' situation with a socialite which abruptly ends, and then the absolutely implausible encountering of his childhood friend. I would have liked it if the situations the narrator found himself in was more a direct result of the narrators' OWN actions (or lack thereof). The plot unwinds at the end with a tie-up by his uncle that's again passive and has nothing to do with the narrator's actions throughout the bulk of the book. So, this book was a disappointment. I still think Ishiguro is a very talented writer, and will definitely dive into his other books.
Rating:
Summary: In a hurry?
Review: Having read Remains and Artist (though the last one didn't exactly blow me away), I was curious about this one; the storyline sounded rather interesting. But for all of Mr Ishiguro's mastery of English (makes one think of Joseph Conrad) he simply doesn't pull this one off. So his Christopher Banks seems to be a couple of cans short of a six-pack, still his delusions have to face up to reality. Why do the other characters play along (believing his parents to be trapped in the same house for 18 years, or his pompous allusions about defusing the global crisis in the thirties that are never taken up)? For all the original idea, never comes even close to Remains - so read that one.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 Stars for the first half, one for the second
Review: A major disappointment. Ishiguro has so much talent, as evidenced by his first two books. That's what makes something like this so enfuriating - it seems he's not even trying. Yes, he has a great command of prose. But after a so-so start, the narrative breaks down completely after Christopher returns to Shanghai. I fully understand that Christopher is deliberately cast as an unreliable narrator. That works as far as it goes, but it's no excuse for nonsensical, unbelieveable narrative threads. The second half of this book is a total joke. One gets the impression that Ishiguro either didn't know how to end the book, or just lost interest and decided to wrap it up to keep his publishers happy.
And no, it's not an extended metaphor -- sic satire -- for "England". The earlier review made a mighty effort to try to find some value in this book through the sort of deconstruction that today's graduate departments force down people's throats, but it doesn't work. Witness the fact that not even that reviewer could explain the roles many of the characters and plot developments played in the supposed "satire".
In sum: avoid this one. Read a Pale View of Hills or Remains.
Rating:
Summary: This is a good book!
Review: I was surprised to read many readers' reviews that said that they did not enjoy this book. Although it's not the best book I have ever read, I definitely thought it was one of the best that I've read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and found myself not being able to put this book down. It's not that long of a book, so I say, if it sounds interesting to you, I bet that you'll like it. Just give it a try. I'm really glad that I did!
Rating:
Summary: What am I missing?
Review: A couple of years ago when this novel was first published in England, I purchased it at Heathrow Airport before getting on my flight home. Unfortunately, it was the only book I had on the plane. Otherwise, I could not have gotten past the first 20 pages. This is one of the worst novels I have ever read. The plot is implausible. The prose is strained. The characters are wooden. It insults the reader's intelligence over and over. Ever put a joke in the middle of a college term paper to test whether your professor would really read what you wrote? I wonder if Ishiguro let someone ghost-write this novel to test the integrity of book reviewers.
Rating:
Summary: Jarring and Bitter
Review: _When We Were Orphans_ is the little detective story that wasn't. A sort of literary equivalent of _Chinatown_, the book questions the wisdom and reliability of the detective narrator and turns most of the familiar tropes on their head. The resulting novel has a very strange and at times an almost awkward feel as the reader keeps reaching for devices that she's sure are there, but slip just out of grasp. Dark and in the end very disturbing-- I found myself thinking about this novel long after I closed the book.
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