When We Were Orphans - Kazuo Ishiguro
Synopsis from Reading Group Guides.com:
'From the Booker Prize-winning, bestselling author of Remains of the Day comes this stunning work of soaring imagination.
Born in early-twentieth-century Shanghai, Banks was orphaned at the age of nine after the separate disappearances of his parents. Now, more than twenty years later, he is a celebrated figure in London society; yet the investigative expertise that has garnered him fame has done little to illuminate the circumstances of his parents' alleged kidnappings. Banks travels to the seething, labyrinthine city of his memory in hopes of solving the mystery of his own, painful past, only to find that war is ravaging Shanghai beyond recognition-and that his own recollections are proving as difficult to trust as the people around him.
Masterful, suspenseful and psychologically acute, When We Were Orphans offers a profound meditation on the shifting quality of memory, and the possibility of avenging one’s past.'
The other books put up for voting by Ruth were:
- 'The bookseller of Kabul' by Asne Seierstad
- 'The red tent' by Anita Diamant
- 'The line of beauty' by Alan Hollinghurst
The first book club meeting was held in Kevin's and Ruth's place at the beginning of June (8th??). Please comment on this book.
The overall score for this book was 4.8/10 (within 5 readers)!!
Individual scores: CP: 4; AS: 2; CE: 6; RB: 7 and KL: 5
posted by dragontree @ 11:00 pm
4 comments
4 Comments:
Very easy to read book, but lets face it the main character is a tosser! It is hard to identify with or feel sorry for anything that happens to him, I find it hard to belive that amongst dead bodies he would still adress people as "old chap"......
4 out of 10 - readable(last minute I admit, but read it in one day and evening) but the plot is simply not very credible and the main character is uttterly annoying.
10 out of 10 for the hosts - Ruth and Kev - Fab stuff! I reckon we should have more varied venues, it is quite nice to go to soemone's house - and have them slave over the stove for you!
Cris x
here! here!. more sausages please!!!. (as i write this I am surrounded by post-mortem tissue) .... Entirely believable then.
I have to agree with cris's entry. if fact i think i rate it even less. 2/10 if i recall... I hope i dont turn out to be the most critical of the bunch...
I have to say that i was very disappointed with the tone of this novel. I had heard good things about this author. in fact as i write this he was nominated for the mann-bokker prize again this year (2005). Sould i persevere? or perhaps i don't get what all the fiss is about.
His new novel seems very pertinant to our time.. contextualising the growing phenomenon of organ sales to a morbid conclusion.. however, as i have been stung by 'orphans'. it will take a lot of courage to begin another of his tomes..
Not sure my memory stretches back this far. Seem to remember the story being a bit odd and badly explained mostly. Agreed, the main character was not very likeable which never helps. Think this got 6/10.
Was great hospitality on the night!
I think I gave it a 6 out of 10, but maybe I should bump it up to a 7 due to the fantastic cuisine!
Ruth x
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