Reviews with content warning for Confinement - The Memory Police

Kehilangan menjadi satu hal yang paling aku takuti. Jika aku menjadi salah satu karakter dalam buku ini atau paling tidak berada di universe-nya, aku rasa gak akan sanggup. Barang, orang, suara, dan diri - perlahan menghilang dan entah apa yang akan terjadi.

Bagiku bacaan ini terasa suram, kelam, dan gelisah. Aku juga dibuat penasaran dengan asal muasal Polisi Kenangan. Tindakan bengis mereka juga membuatku muak. Satu hal yang aku sadari saat membaca ini adalah bagaimana "distopia" menjadi genre yang aku hindari.

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kalyaniwarrier's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Reflective of modern-day dictatorships and much aligned themes of 1984, The Memory Police dives into the world of tyranny and oppression by a government that wipes away things (and words) as time progresses.

In the novel, the unnamed protagonist fights in silence against the cruel regime by hiding the missing objects that her mother left in her basement, and by hiding a fugitive (someone the government is trying to get a hold of) in her house.

A classic case of dystopian literature, where the plot revolves around the oppressive rules of the government as people throw away their priced belongings as they are ordered to disappear.

As people of the island lose their body parts, they soon come to cope with their missing anatomy and eventually disappear into nothingness.

The novel is postmodern in nature as it features metafiction; story within a story that reflects themes of the novel itself. The novel reflects the reality of power and control to manipulate citizens to intimidate and garner fear among people.

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carolined314's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

This is a novel-sized lament, and has some gorgeous writing. It simply didn't hold me.

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cat_is_turning_pages's review

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dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A hauntingly written novel with a terrifying ending, The Memory Police is not a traditional book with an obvious story arc. More of an allegory than a story, the novel opens a window to a handful of years of the life of a young woman who lives on an island where random things are “disappearing,” meaning the island citizens are forced to forget and compelled to dispose of the items which “disappear.”

Though the prose is quite simple, the author’s mysterious emphasis on what seem to be carefully chosen elements left me slightly puzzled. I found the characters’ tendency toward inaction frustrating, the lack of explanations boring, and I finished the novel acutely unsatisfied. I had the immediate impulse to slap a one-star rating and annoyed review on what seemed to me to be an over-hyped book. Yes, it’s different from most novels. But different doesn’t necessarily mean good.

However, after sitting with this story for half an hour or so, while reading reviews from other readers, I’ve made peace with The Memory Police. I was struck by just how widely varied the interpretations and explanations I read were. For some, the allegory was clearly political. For others, metaphysical. Others derived a distinctly religious overtone from the book. But my first impression led me to assign a psychological theme to the book’s message.

It struck me then that The Memory Police as a novel is like an enchanted mirror that shows the reader their deepest fear. The story had to be terrifying to unearth this fear. The plot had to be simple to adapt itself to every reader’s unique psyche. The explanations for events had to be sparse so the reader could fill in the gaps.

I didn’t enjoy this book, but I do recommend it.

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amsswim's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

I really liked this one, almost 5 stars from me. The world is very interesting, and it leaves me wanting more to understand how it all works. That is not the point though; the author leans into the human reaction to the circumstances and it is devastating. Would recommend to dystopian fans and emotional people looking to get into their feelings.

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prickly_plant's review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

A very melancholy read that explores the meaning of memory and grief. I wanted to add that this book contains content that might be difficult to read if you struggle with dissociation.

The writing style and the characters kept me reading (as well as the main character’s novel).

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mariavdl's review

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challenging mysterious sad

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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vague_ideals's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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