Justin's Notes
Sep. 9, 2026
This story follows Christopher Banks, a man who grew up in Shanghai in the early 20th century. After experiencing the kidnappings of his parents as a child, he makes his way to England and becomes a famous detective, inspired by the case of his parents. As an adult, he makes his way back to Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese War, sorting through the current state of the city and his memories of what once was in hopes of solving the mystery of his parents' disappearance.
I loved this book. The writing is incredible. There are some authors whose books I read, and it feels different from anything else I have read. I feel this way with Haruki Murakami, and I feel this way with Kazuo Ishiguro. I don't know how to explain it, but reading this book felt pleasant. Every sentence feels purposeful: the way the characters interact, the way the memories are told. It's atmospheric and unique, and I loved it.
I also love how Ishiguro focused on telling the story through the memories of Christopher. The way that Bank's character is developed through his memories of his childhood and how those memories formed him into how he is as an adult was relatable. I also enjoyed that Ishiguro touched on how our memories can stray, how what we think we experienced can vary from what actually happened. And that those perceptions of what happened to us can cause us to have beliefs and opinions as adults that may stray from the reality we actually experienced. The resolution of Christopher's memories and the truth made the conclusion of the novel quite satisfying to me.
I feel comfortable recommending this book to anyone. I haven't read many mystery novels, but this didn't feel like what I assume something like Sherlock Holmes would be. I would encourage anyone remotely interested in mysteries to give it a try. The blend of memory and mystery was accomplished very well in this story.
