Reviews

El libro de la forma y el vacío by Ruth Ozeki, Laura Vidal Sanz

chotchki's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

mitskacir's review against another edition

4.0

As usual, Ozeki’s writing is engrossing, unpredictable, and a bit didactic. I have to give her huge credit for writing a book about books that I actually really liked. In particular I don’t like books that talk about how magical books are, but this one got me - I bought into it for sure. I particularly was invested in the mother’s story, but found myself a bit bored with Benny’s sometimes, even though his was the more exciting and fantastical. Maybe it’s because the mother was more relatable with her more real-to-my-life problems. This solidified my desire to read anything Ozeki writes.

patchworkculture's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm and Death of parent

thejenny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

bhnmt61's review against another edition

4.0

I don’t know what to say about this book. It has some interesting ideas, and some characters that I was fully involved with, but the pacing is waaay off, and it felt like it just never came together—even though it resolves pretty well at the end. Benny is a 14-year-old who is struggling to hold it together in the wake of his father’s death several years before. His mother adores him but she has problems with hoarding and depression, and she hasn’t made the transition from being the mom of a kid to the mom of a teen, so often isn’t helpful. He is adopted by a pair of homeless artists, and the best parts of the book are their interactions. Well, that and the crows.

Honestly, it was kind of a slog at various points. I almost only gave it three stars, but her explanation in the acknowledgements about her interest in the research about people who hear voices helped me understand her intentions. I really loved A Tale for the Time Being, her last book, so this was a bit disappointing.

soapyseafloors's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

rholzh's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.25

roxyc's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief and Mental illness

Minor: Death and Death of parent

lizzie_buckland's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

clare_tan_wenhui's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

While the prose of this book is highly accessible for readers, the characterisations of the book is caricaturistic, affecting the book's effectiveness in delivering its core plot about trauma of grief and the struggles of mental conditions. The incorporation of the element of Zen Buddhism also smacks of cheap orientalism which does little to add any substantial philosophical element to the book.