Banks and twines | Book Shelf

Shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Booker Prize for Fiction in 2000, When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro is the story of a successful English detective named Christopher Banks. But Banks becomes a victim of the underground war between Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists while trying to uncover the mystery behind his well-to-do parents' disappearance in Old Shanghai some 20 years ago.

Banks is a confident fellow who holds on even when the world around him disintegrates as he journeys to his past. The novel, divided into seven parts develops chronologically from 1930 to 1937 and is set between London and Shanghai. Even as he recounts what happened, he talks of the certainty of his calling to be a detective.

Like Banks, Sarah and Jennifer too, are orphans. Ishiguro illustrates the trio's relationship with skilful subtlety. In China, Banks talks of Akira, a Japanese boy who was his childhood friend. And Banks makes this interesting observation: "Children are like the twines that keep slates of a blind held together...who bind not only a family, but the whole world together."

Finally, Banks does find the answers to his questions but with it, the world he'd dreamt up dissolves. The novel ends 20 years later, giving Banks time to accept what had happened. Ishiguro, who won the Booker Prize for Remains of the Day has done a fantastic job weaving the tale of When We Were Orphans with unexpected twists. Banks does find out what happened to his parents. And if you want to know too, grab a copy and find out for yourself.

NOTICE
The WAVE Book Club will meet on 25 March at the British Council to discuss God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. bookclub@wavemag.com.np