Renata Kamenická Livres

Irsko je zemí hrdinů. Někteří z nich jsou slavní a vypráví se o nich v mýtech a legendách, jiní téměř upadli v zapomnění. Začněme ale příběhem o narození prvního ze slavných irských hrdinů. Byl synem jednoho z božských Tuatha de Danann a sám se časem také stal bohem. Prý byl i otcem Cuchulainovým. Jmenoval se Lugh a byl vnukem strašného démona Balora... (z přebalu knihy)

First published in 1996, this is a collection of entertaining and thought-provoking essays on the relationship between creative writing, the teaching of the same and the task of dramatizing literary works for television and the stage.

When 9-year-old Christopher Banks's father, a British businessman in the opium trade, vanishes from their Shanghai home, he and his friend Akira play at being detectives. Their imaginative adventures culminate in a grand ceremony in Jessfield Park, where they envision themselves as heroes. However, when Christopher's mother also disappears, he is sent to England, growing up between the world wars and claiming to be a famous detective. The haunting memories of his family's fate linger, prompting him to return to Shanghai in the late 1930s to solve the most crucial case of his life. As he investigates, the lines between reality and fantasy blur. Is the Japanese soldier he encounters truly Akira? Are his parents imprisoned in a Chinese district? And who is Mr. Grayson, the British official planning a significant celebration? Ishiguro employs crime fiction conventions to depict a troubled mind grappling with childhood trauma. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, who deduces from tangible clues, Christopher relies on fading memories, making the truth elusive. The first-person narrative reveals cracks in Christopher's perspective, compelling readers to become detectives themselves, piecing together his fragmented recollections. Ishiguro's controlled prose enhances the emotional depth of this haunting novel, showcasing Christopher Banks as one of his most memorable characters.