Mar 08, 2024MCC55 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I came to this from Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun, which I thought was wonderful, I was disappointed. Banks' actions and observations are almost surreal at times; is he simply a caricature of a bigotted not-too-bright British colonialist,…
Aug 09, 2023rab1953 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Ironically, this is a radically different approach to being an orphan from the last book I read, John Irving’s The Cider House Rules. In Cider House, an orphan protagonist follows his principles, compromises but eventually makes it through…
Aug 24, 2022tfassett88 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. Mysteries are not my typical read but the way this story was presented was entertaining. I enjoyed how blase the protagonist was with most things, especially in the first half of the book. *SPOILER* I think what…
Dec 13, 2021Markesh rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book kind of lost me in several spots. Perhaps the most unrealistic element was the "search" for his parents which seemed totally ridiculous given the narrators pride in his own scientific and deductive thinking. I mean...he's a…
Oct 18, 2021leki7658 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
When We Were Orphans is told from the perspective of a self-proclaimed (and supported by evidence of his own mental recall) famous detective. Like with many of Kazuo Ishiguro’s works, we are given this sometimes unstable and unreliable…
Jun 06, 2020Huntsville1 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Odd book: takes place in Shanghai China & London England between 1931 & 1958
Sometimes disjointed. Narrator seems to be "disturbed", but subtely so that the reader can't be quite certain about that.
There's an unreal scene where the…
Jun 12, 2018BostonPL_Communications rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This seemingly straight-forward detective novel turns out to be an introspective look at imagination, memory, and how the mental and emotional landscape of childhood seeps into the present.
Feb 09, 2018laphampeak rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A very British narration with the main character Christopher Banks whose instrospection and reflection describe the intent of Ishiguro's story. Thus said, "I suppose it was, at least in part, my attempt as an adult to grasp the nature of…
A awkward book about an awkward man and some key elements of his life. About two thirds of the book is slow, sensitive, and highly introspective, and the last third is odd: suspenseful and the naivety of Banks is crystal clear. The…
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LoganLib_Central
Nov 26, 2015
Selected for the Logan Central Monday Book Club in 2016. For a full list of 2016 selections, see the Logan Central Monday Book Club list.
Jan 30, 2015theorbys rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Revisiting many of the themes of Unconsoled, and despite his obvious writing skills, this novel falls flat. I thought Unconsoled was a good 200 pages too long, and that this novel, 200 pages shorter than the Unconsoled, might be just…
Apr 14, 2014vcc rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Another masterpiece from Ishiguro. This time his main character is Christopher Banks, a Shanghai-born man of British desendant, who fashions himself as a Sherlock Holmes to rescue his long-disappeared parents and save the world from war.…
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Don27
Sep 01, 2013Don27 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A gripping, perceptive wonderful story. Ishiguro takes us seamlessly from Shanghai to England and back again. I felt for the narrator. Ishiguro has an interesting writing style. He keeps us away a little, but that works here. A rewarding…
Jul 07, 2012Maupertuis rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The book has its classic tone and rhythm Ishiguro has excelled in "The Remains of the Day". It has even been shortlisted for a book prize. It includes, however, the historical episode of the English selling opium to the Chinese, and this…
Feb 12, 2012LazyNeko rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
A Sherlock Holmes wannabe goes to Shanghai to work on a personal cold case while the Japanese are invading China. And yes, this detective has the worst sense of timing ever. Ishiguro's style totally doesn't work here. Instead, it bungles a…
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When We Were Orphans