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vivekisms's review against another edition
5.0
All I am going to say is this, if you haven’t Ruth Ozeki, now is the time and no better book to start with than this one. The Book of Form and Emptiness has to be one of my top 10 favourites of the year. It shines, it dazzles, it makes you believe in the not so believable aspects of life and living, but above all – the writing is splendid. It has the touch of lightness to it, without it being it. Ruth Ozeki has done it again and deserves two rounds of applause.
The Book of Form and Emptiness is about a boy named Benny Oh whose father Kenji, a Korean American jazz musician is run over by a chicken truck in an alley behind their house. And this is where the story begins. A story of grief, loss, even humour to some extent, hope, and how we redeem ourselves from the guilt we hold inside. Soon after, Benny starts hearing voices from inside everything. From his dead father’s clarinet to objects around the house to the lettuce in the fridge to furniture to everything in sight – each clamouring for their own attention and space. They all tell Benny their stories – of pain, of laughter, of histories of abuse and how they were handled.
Things are going downhill for his mother Anabelle as well. Benny and she constantly fight, as she refuses to let go of things and hoards more and more, and he cannot help but want to get rid of things as they speak and speak and speak. In all of this, Ozeki speaks of complex neurodivergent subjectivity in some form, touches on Benny’s journey into the schizoaffective, leading him to one of the quietest spots – the library. Even though books also speak with him, especially one specific book. At the library, he finds love and philosophy in two very different people – one a street artist, and the other a homeless philosopher-poet.
The Book of Form and Emptiness is about everything and nothing at all. It is about all of it – rolled into one – about space junk, about life on the margins, toxic masculinity, of Zen Buddhism, bad weather, of coping mechanisms, and above all about how humans come together and find love in most unexpected places.
Ozeki’s writing is magnificent. Almost like a painting or a movie. Her writing is constantly in motion and that makes the reader want to keep pace or just lay languidly without turning the page. The writing gives you the comfort and luxury to do that. The book is also about books to a large extent – of how books save us and what role they play in our lives. Ozeki writes carefully about mental health and trauma, with most empathy and grace. Ozeki’s world is surreal, it is haunting, it is not perfect, and definitely not absolute. It is messy, jagged, demands attention, and perhaps talks about things that truly matter or should matter to human beings, given our small lives.
The Book of Form and Emptiness is about a boy named Benny Oh whose father Kenji, a Korean American jazz musician is run over by a chicken truck in an alley behind their house. And this is where the story begins. A story of grief, loss, even humour to some extent, hope, and how we redeem ourselves from the guilt we hold inside. Soon after, Benny starts hearing voices from inside everything. From his dead father’s clarinet to objects around the house to the lettuce in the fridge to furniture to everything in sight – each clamouring for their own attention and space. They all tell Benny their stories – of pain, of laughter, of histories of abuse and how they were handled.
Things are going downhill for his mother Anabelle as well. Benny and she constantly fight, as she refuses to let go of things and hoards more and more, and he cannot help but want to get rid of things as they speak and speak and speak. In all of this, Ozeki speaks of complex neurodivergent subjectivity in some form, touches on Benny’s journey into the schizoaffective, leading him to one of the quietest spots – the library. Even though books also speak with him, especially one specific book. At the library, he finds love and philosophy in two very different people – one a street artist, and the other a homeless philosopher-poet.
The Book of Form and Emptiness is about everything and nothing at all. It is about all of it – rolled into one – about space junk, about life on the margins, toxic masculinity, of Zen Buddhism, bad weather, of coping mechanisms, and above all about how humans come together and find love in most unexpected places.
Ozeki’s writing is magnificent. Almost like a painting or a movie. Her writing is constantly in motion and that makes the reader want to keep pace or just lay languidly without turning the page. The writing gives you the comfort and luxury to do that. The book is also about books to a large extent – of how books save us and what role they play in our lives. Ozeki writes carefully about mental health and trauma, with most empathy and grace. Ozeki’s world is surreal, it is haunting, it is not perfect, and definitely not absolute. It is messy, jagged, demands attention, and perhaps talks about things that truly matter or should matter to human beings, given our small lives.
amiewhittemore's review against another edition
5.0
A truly wonderful book that I gobbled up. It's a wonderful book that is cli-fi in a way that feels authentic and not forced--air quality issues, wildfires, scarcity, etc., are all pulsing around the edges and through the heart of this book about a boy in grieving, a boy whose awareness of the world differs from those around him. My only (minor) issue is with the "meta-book" structure which I just generally have a hard time with, but can accept when the writing and intelligence driving the trope are up to snuff. As is the case here.
kjsmyth's review against another edition
2.0
Six weeks of struggling with this, only to finally admit defeat with about 200 pages to go. It’s a novel concept, and the writing is anything but terrible, however I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters and have come to realise I simply don’t care what happens next. I should have realised several weeks ago that I wasn’t enjoying picking this book up, and it was turning into a chore rather the enjoyable escape reading should be. I didn’t particularly enjoy ‘a tale for the time being’ either (albeit I did at least finish it), so I have to conclude that this author’s style simply isn’t my thing.
maria_rb's review against another edition
3.0
I absolutely adore A Tale for the Time Being and wanted to love this too. It was not meant to be. The protagonists are difficult for me to relate to or empathize with. I get what’s happening but I just didn’t enjoy this one quite like her earlier works.
rpnelson's review against another edition
3.0
Rating this book was hard. On the one hand, it had an engaging protagonist and an interesting look at schizophrenia. On the other, it was really slow at getting started, read a little too YA, and opted for a unrealistic happy ending. Not that a happy ending wasn't possible, the one presented was just unrealistic.
It took me forever to get into the book. I started and stopped several times. The idea of "The Book" being in conversation with itself seemed a bit precious. Once it was established that Benny's voices were indeed (as I read it) schizophrenia, it was easier to take more seriously. At the same time, Ozeki has herself, a bit of a schizoid attitude toward marginal characters. She wants her hero-sidekicks (Aleph and Slavoj) to be edgy and offbeat, but she doesn't show the same compassion for the hookers and junkies hanging out by the library. Those details plus Benny's adolescent crush on Aleph (and her insistence the relationship not be sexual) make the book feel like it's veering into YA territory.
That said, there's some really nice stuff, some good emotional moments. I was starting to wish she'd made the Zen monk Aikon the focus because she seemed so appealing. Ultimately, what pushed me to 3 stars rather than 4 was the ending. It's simply too easy. Dealing with schizophrenia, psych meds, hoarding tendencies, etc. don't resolve themselves simply. Ozeki took the easy way out here, and the book suffered for it.
It took me forever to get into the book. I started and stopped several times. The idea of "The Book" being in conversation with itself seemed a bit precious. Once it was established that Benny's voices were indeed (as I read it) schizophrenia, it was easier to take more seriously. At the same time, Ozeki has herself, a bit of a schizoid attitude toward marginal characters. She wants her hero-sidekicks (Aleph and Slavoj) to be edgy and offbeat, but she doesn't show the same compassion for the hookers and junkies hanging out by the library. Those details plus Benny's adolescent crush on Aleph (and her insistence the relationship not be sexual) make the book feel like it's veering into YA territory.
That said, there's some really nice stuff, some good emotional moments. I was starting to wish she'd made the Zen monk Aikon the focus because she seemed so appealing. Ultimately, what pushed me to 3 stars rather than 4 was the ending. It's simply too easy. Dealing with schizophrenia, psych meds, hoarding tendencies, etc. don't resolve themselves simply. Ozeki took the easy way out here, and the book suffered for it.
paulhill53's review against another edition
4.0
So, this book was filled with magic and madness, but sometimes it was a little too much of one and not enough of the other. But I think that was my personal preference. I liked this book, but I loved her previous book. Can't wait to read what she writes next.
acolly's review against another edition
3.0
This coming-of-age story about Benny losing his father and then beginning to hear voices from inanimate objects was complex and bizarre. Once again, magical realism isn’t totally my bag, but there were elements of this story that I liked. The minute details given to everyday objects was a refreshing take. This is certainly Ozeki showing her mastery of observation.
I bristled at the depiction of Benny’s relationship with his mother. He seemed resentful and ashamed of her, in comparison to his relationship with his father, whom he revered. Grow up (haha, he’s a kid, I know).
I just didn’t like Benny — there wasn’t much to like. Which wasn’t helpful when reading about his mental health escapades. Annabelle’s storyline was far more interesting to me, and her character was engaging. I especially appreciated the depiction of her grief over the loss of her husband, which was quite poignant. I found all of the supporting characters to be completely irritating. Except for the woman writing her novel in the library (that was Ozeki, right?), I loved her inclusion.
Ozeki is a great writer — I just didn’t connect with this story as much as I wanted to. I’m still looking forward to reading Tale of a Time Being!
I bristled at the depiction of Benny’s relationship with his mother. He seemed resentful and ashamed of her, in comparison to his relationship with his father, whom he revered. Grow up (haha, he’s a kid, I know).
I just didn’t like Benny — there wasn’t much to like. Which wasn’t helpful when reading about his mental health escapades. Annabelle’s storyline was far more interesting to me, and her character was engaging. I especially appreciated the depiction of her grief over the loss of her husband, which was quite poignant. I found all of the supporting characters to be completely irritating. Except for the woman writing her novel in the library (that was Ozeki, right?), I loved her inclusion.
Ozeki is a great writer — I just didn’t connect with this story as much as I wanted to. I’m still looking forward to reading Tale of a Time Being!
margomakesit's review against another edition
4.0
Often sad, always touching, this novel was cathartic in the best way possible. While I was surprised at how quickly the ending was resolved, I thoroughly connected with the message of community, empathy, and compassion. I loved the books within this book and the way mental health was discussed from multiple different characters.
missjasminejewel's review against another edition
2.0
I liked parts of the book. It had an interesting and creative concept, but this was not for me. Overwritten perhaps? Repetitive without purpose? I feel like there was a good book in there, but it kind of felt like I was reading a rough draft.
abornhoft's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. Not all parts of this book worked for me, and I didn’t connect with the characters very well - but overall, this is a moving story of grief, friendship and the stories in all of us