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savvylit's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The atmosphere in The Memory Police is palpably unsettling. Not only are the members of the unnamed island community forced to rid themselves of "disappeared" items but they also lose all memory or concept of the items. For instance, the narrator recounts how at one point, all hats are disappeared. Later on, she notes a person wearing an odd object on their head while struggling to recognize it as a hat.
At its core, this novel is a terrifying parable about the extreme duress and gaslighting inherent in police states. The citizens of the island are constantly surveilled by the titular memory police. Folks who have retained memories of the disappeared items are forcibly taken away from the community to meet unknown fates. Such scenes are all too accurately reminiscent of the treatment of radicals during extreme fascist regimes. Perhaps that's the scariest aspect of this novel - the way that Ogawa's dystopian world closely mirrors our own reality.
At its core, this novel is a terrifying parable about the extreme duress and gaslighting inherent in police states. The citizens of the island are constantly surveilled by the titular memory police. Folks who have retained memories of the disappeared items are forcibly taken away from the community to meet unknown fates. Such scenes are all too accurately reminiscent of the treatment of radicals during extreme fascist regimes. Perhaps that's the scariest aspect of this novel - the way that Ogawa's dystopian world closely mirrors our own reality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Grief, Gaslighting, and Police brutality
bonnienoire's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Ableism
Moderate: Dementia and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault and Infidelity
tiennguyen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Police brutality, and Death
Minor: Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
nila's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
My feelings on the book hasn't quite landed yet. On one hand, it's an original and interesting story, but on the other hand there's a vagueness to the plot that I'm not sure I like... The whole book is beautifully written as well, so it's still a joy to read it, but I just wanted more answers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual content
pclairx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
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