In 'When We Were Orphans', acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro weaves a haunting tale of memory and loss through the eyes of Christopher Banks, a brilliant detective from London. Set against the backdrop of 1930s Shanghai, Christopher embarks on a gripping quest to uncover the truth behind his parents' mysterious disappearance. As he delves deeper into the shadows of his past, he grapples with the blurred lines between reality and imagination. This evocative narrative raises profound questions about identity, nostalgia, and the cost of seeking closure. What will Christopher discover when the past and present collide, and can he truly find his way home?
By Kazuo Ishiguro
Published: 2001
"In the end, the stories we tell about ourselves are what define us, even if the past is shrouded in a fog of memory."
From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize–winning novel The 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.
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“In the end, the stories we tell about ourselves are what define us, even if the past is shrouded in a fog of memory.”
When We Were Orphans
By Kazuo Ishiguro
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Kazuo Ishiguro is a Nobel Prize-winning British author, acclaimed for his profound narratives and subtle exploration of the human condition. Born on November 8, 1954, in Nagasaki, Japan, Ishiguro moved to the UK at the age of five. He is renowned for his notable works, including "Never Let Me Go," "The Remains of the Day," and "Klara and the Sun." His writing is characterized by its elegant prose and a focus on themes of memory, loss, and identity, often blurring the lines between reality and perception. Ishiguro's unique narrative style invites readers to reflect on the fragility of human experiences.
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