A review by chrisljm
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A lovely story about a friendship that blossoms due to unlikely circumstances. 

Personally I am not fond of math, so it was fascinating seeing how, despite his memory, the Professor was able to constantly connect with his housekeeper and Root through his love and memory of mathematics. And it was touching to see the housekeeper slowly come to understand the professor and all his quirks, and despite not fully understanding math herself, taking the time to learn and appreciate formulas and prime numbers just because it was something the professor himself loved. It was also touching to see how these three characters become a sort of family together, and the bond that the professor and Root develops. I think the relationship between the professor and Root is one of my favorite things from the book because it’s so sweet and what I imagine a loving grandpa-grandson relationship to be like. 
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