A review by outoftheofficeagain
When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro

3.0

What is it about Kazuo Ishiguro’s writing that even when I’m not loving a book I can’t stop reading it?! This is a kind of literary-detective novel that plays off the kind of Sherlock or Poirot type protagonist with obsessive tendencies, wild success in his field and isn’t the best at his interpersonal relationships. The mystery at the core of it is SO compelling; a boy is orphaned when both of his parents go missing and in response he becomes an incredibly skilled detective and he never gives up the hope of finding them and uncovering where they’re being held. It’s set in Shanghai and deals heavily with the reality of a war torn country. There are prevalent themes of memory and perspective and it’s explore through a very unreliable narrator (a favorite of the author — I think).

Sounds good, huh!

…well, unfortunately I didn’t love it. I think I’d have a pretty hard time recommending this one. BUT it is an early work and you can see a lot of the groundwork that would evolve into something quite masterfully done in Remains of the Day, later on. It’s a bit clunky and unbelievable, even outside the unreliable narrator. It felt long despite being pretty action-packed. I found the conclusion tidy but rushed and the overall impact pretty non-existent even though I am definitely moved by the specifics of characters and their circumstances. 

Not sorry I read this but also — could have been okay without it, haha.