3.77k reviews for:

The Book of Form and Emptiness

Ruth Ozeki

4.05 AVERAGE

thumbetina's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring reflective 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

summerjarsky's review against another edition

2.0

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It was super meh. No where near the quality I've come to expect from this author.

evanikolaidou's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad slow-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

librarycat901's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

cdegan's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

mobyd676's review against another edition

3.0

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Kinda conflicted about this since there were some really beautiful moments and I really do love Ruth Ozeki’s writing…It just felt longer than it needed to be

Update: upped my rating a bit because it’s been a while since I read it but I can’t stop thinking about this book…

sarahcurl's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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: Complicated

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“Every person is trapped in their own particular bubble of delusion, and it's every person's task in life to break free. Books can help. We can make the past into the present, take you back in time and help you remember. We can show you things, shift your realities and widen your world, but the work of waking up is up to you.”

The author endorsement on the cover describes this book as heartbreaking and heart-filling, and that sums it up for me, too. An inventive story about grief, libraries, family, and mental illness, I hurt for both Benny and Annabelle after Kenji's unexpected death. I found Benny's voices, the book's living perspective, and Annabelle's anxieties and hoarding to feel so raw, sad, and eloquent. 

kdonk308's review against another edition

3.75

medium-paced

limelime_'s review against another edition

4.5

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

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Slow to begin with, but the unravelling of the main story is beautifully written and really really engaging

rimidn's review against another edition

4.25

emotional 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