When We Were Orphans CD

Rating:
Summary: an intriguing story without any sparkle...
Review: Kazuo Ishiguro is known for his superior prose and very subtle portrayals of emotional dysfunctional individuals. Words like 'elegent' are used to describe his novels. Sad to say, 'When We Were Orphans' falls short compared to his other works.

From a 10,000 ft view the story is interesting enough. A young British man reflects upon his childhood in 1920s Shanghai. During his childhood his parents mysteriously disappeared. So as fate would have it, he uses his professional skills (he is a private investigator) to unravel the mystery by returning to Shanghai right before WW II. The mystery is unraveled in the end (..and it is a surprise).

But where the story fails, and fails miserably, is the failure to engage the reader. The narrative is told without any emotion; at times it is like reading a newspaper. In the end I lost all sense of compassion despite the rather surprising end to the mystery.

Beyond the main story there are some interesting aspects to this novel. Ishiguro expertly captures the feel on 1930s Shanghai, especially for those (wealthy) foreigners living there. And some of the minor characters are rather memorable.

Bottom line: a disappointment overall, but probably merits a look by Ishiguro fans and/or those interested in 1930s China.

Rating:
Summary: I only can say: READ IT!
Review: Reminiscent in many ways to "The Remains of the Day", "When We Were Orphans" is a fascinating novel. I am beginning to think that Ishiguro is one of the best English novelists around, and I can't wait to get hold of his other works. The story revolves around Christopher Banks, a brooding well-known detective who has garnered a reputation among the high society of London. Very soon we discover that Banks is obsessed with his childhood, which ended abruptly when his parents were kidnapped in the English colonialised Shangai.

The book is divided in two sections. In the first, the story moves back and forth between Christopher's present life in London and his childhood recollections in Shangai. I love how Ishiguro uses scenes to illustrate a certain feeling or point that Christopher wants to make, this is something that he used already in "Remains of the Day". The family memories are particularly poignant and of course the language is crisp, beautiful and precise. In the second part of the story Banks sets off to Shangai to discover the fate of his parents. Ishiguro here takes more risks as we soon realise the implausibility of the plotline. Is everything in Banks' imagination, or is he just embelleshing his discoveries? It is painful to discover how deluded from reality Banks is (and always was), and the extent to which his childhood traumatised him. The atmosphere of the Shangai section is dreamy and oppressive, and the pace in this part of the novel is much quicker, turning it into a real page turner.

I won't give away any more of the plot. The great thing about this novel is that it can be read on different levels, and interpreted in different ways. I give it a solid five stars rating and urge you to read it at all costs.

Rating:
Summary: Difficult, but well worth the effort
Review: This book begins as a charming and compelling view of one's man's somewhat distorted views of his life. By the end, you are caught up in bizarre events that tie to reality only via the main characters strangled connection to the past. It is not an easy book, but it is well worth it. Once I realized fully what was going on, I couldn't help but wonder at the mastery required to pull this off the way the author did. Unique and special.