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A review by amyvl93
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
challenging
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was really intrigued by The Book of Form & Emptiness when it was longlisted for the Women's Prize. The novel follows Benny, whose Dad dies in a slightly ridiculous accident when he is 12, and during his grief he begins to hear inanimate objects speaking; as his mother Annabelle hides her feelings by beginning to hoard objects, starting with things she needs for work and expanding to snowglobes, craft supplies and much more.
I really liked the narrative voice within this novel - with an actual book narrating Benny and Annabelle's stories at times, and Ozeki really focused on the magic of storytelling and libraries as places of relative safety. I also felt really moved by Annabelle's story, the way her buying of things slides from something relatively benign and familiar into much more of a worry was excellent. Benny was also a really well drawn character - he felt like a realistic teenage boy grappling with extraordinary events.
I started by totally loving this novel, but will say my love waned as the book progressed as there is simply so much happening here - as Benny's voices progress we also have commentary on mental health treatment, as well as philosophy and some meta use of Borges, how we treat those outside of the norm of society (and I'm not sure I was sold on how sympathetically we were supposed to see some of those characters), how the overwhelm of information can impact on us, and a satire on Marie Kondo. I found Ozeki's writing generally engaging, but as the plot threads increased I will admit that my interest in picking up the novel waned. However, I'm very excited to revisit Ozeki's back catalogue now I've got a taste for her writing.
I really liked the narrative voice within this novel - with an actual book narrating Benny and Annabelle's stories at times, and Ozeki really focused on the magic of storytelling and libraries as places of relative safety. I also felt really moved by Annabelle's story, the way her buying of things slides from something relatively benign and familiar into much more of a worry was excellent. Benny was also a really well drawn character - he felt like a realistic teenage boy grappling with extraordinary events.
I started by totally loving this novel, but will say my love waned as the book progressed as there is simply so much happening here - as Benny's voices progress we also have commentary on mental health treatment, as well as philosophy and some meta use of Borges, how we treat those outside of the norm of society (and I'm not sure I was sold on how sympathetically we were supposed to see some of those characters), how the overwhelm of information can impact on us, and a satire on Marie Kondo. I found Ozeki's writing generally engaging, but as the plot threads increased I will admit that my interest in picking up the novel waned. However, I'm very excited to revisit Ozeki's back catalogue now I've got a taste for her writing.