Scan barcode
espressoreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is amazing. I loved the concurrent story arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
abbyyy03's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book was written well but not something I would typically go for. Very slow, not much action. There weren’t many huge plot points that kept me on the edge of my seat and I had to read the last page to keep me motivation read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Dementia, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Deportation
gfiore11's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is a surprisingly quiet yet impactful reflection on human existence, relationships, and the material world. The themes and ambiance are the standouts of this book, and you should not read expecting any revaluations or resolutions. Instead, bask in the environment of the novel as it changes and eventually disappears.
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
fkshg8465's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Admittedly, it’s a little too neatly written, but I loved every word of this book. The parallel stories, the ending, the reflection of our actual lives today, and the ever present Japanese them of ephemera. I’ll be thinking about this one a long time, which is a little ironic given its subject matter 😂 Would love to see this made into a movie. Since it seems a lot of these dystopian settings are on isolated islands, Hollywood cops probably reuse a set from a previous dystopian movie set on an island 🤣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
tomboyaoi's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
mikathereviewer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
‘And no matter how wonderful the memory, it vanishes if you leave it alone, if no one pays attention to it. They leave no trace, no evidence that they ever existed.’
- R
Alright it would be a lie to say that either this book or the one I previously read didn't put me into a reading slump. Mainly 'cause both were slow-paced and I really can't stand slow-paced books unless I'm really really interested or investigated into the story and don't mind if it's more detailed and slower. But that rarely the case and this book didn't even have a plot, it had more vibes than anything as the characters were quite flat too.
The book was more based on meaning than anything else. So if you don't understand the meaning this book might be boring. I did understand it, but as I said the slow-pacing got on my nerves. Especially as I already understood the meaning before the story even ended in a way most would say brutal or traumatising. If you are a slow thinker or in general never was thinking a lot of existence and memory than a slow-pace might be actually good, but for me it was exhausting as I already understood the message after like 10 chapters especially as it had a reference I knew very well (even though I'm not sure if that was done on purpose, but it reminded me of it A LOT).
The reference or at least what the book reminds me of is actually national socialism. Why? First of all, we have a (police) force which tries at first in soft ways to get people to do what they want (just like the political party did) and got more and more brutal and extreme over time.
Here are a couple of examples from the book:
1. The people in the street watched tensely, some ducking into nearby alleys, and they all seemed to hope that the scene unfolding before them would be over before they themselves were pulled into it. (also acting like they saw nothing, too afraid the same happens to them)
2. “And no footsteps, or running water for the toilet.” (for those who don't know: When people hid they usually didn't ran the toilet water as it made sounds that would attract attention)
3. “But today was different somehow. They took four people at once from the center of town, in broad daylight. As far as I know, they’ve generally acted at night, on the edge of town, taking just one member of a family.” (getting more brutal over time)
4. “A safe house,”
5. The methods used by the Memory Police were becoming more and more brutal. No longer were there advance warnings of their visits. Everything happened by surprise, and they now carried heavy battering rams capable of breaking down any door. They invaded houses in search of any space where someone could be hidden—storage rooms, under beds, in the back of closets. If there was enough space for one human body, it was unlikely to escape their attention. They dragged out anyone they found, along with those who had hidden them, and loaded them all in the covered trucks.
There were lots of other things but I don't want to spoiler anything, but it remembers me a lot of national socialism and actually is the main reason I gave this book 3 stars (and not less), as I'm fascinated from fascism and national socialism. Truly sad and perhaps the reason why people say that this book is disturbing or traumatising. Since the whole police force and brutality is a major plot thing I would suggest anyone who doesn't like this or is triggered by this to not read this book.
Another reason I gave this book 3 stars even though I had a hard time reading sometimes (due to slow pace + being in a reading slump, but I think it's rather the previous book than this one that caused it); Is that I liked the message behind this book. If you didn't understand it fully or not at all I recommend to you (a lot actually) that you re-read the book someday as the message is very powerful. My quote above also helps to get the idea of what the book is trying to tell us (but not only that of course).
Very interesting message this book has and even though there is no plot or character based story the message is quite powerful and in my opinion I even think one can interpret it in many different ways and not just one which makes the message even more beautiful.
16. July 2024
- R
Alright it would be a lie to say that either this book or the one I previously read didn't put me into a reading slump. Mainly 'cause both were slow-paced and I really can't stand slow-paced books unless I'm really really interested or investigated into the story and don't mind if it's more detailed and slower. But that rarely the case and this book didn't even have a plot, it had more vibes than anything as the characters were quite flat too.
The book was more based on meaning than anything else. So if you don't understand the meaning this book might be boring. I did understand it, but as I said the slow-pacing got on my nerves. Especially as I already understood the meaning before the story even ended in a way most would say brutal or traumatising. If you are a slow thinker or in general never was thinking a lot of existence and memory than a slow-pace might be actually good, but for me it was exhausting as I already understood the message after like 10 chapters especially as it had a reference I knew very well (even though I'm not sure if that was done on purpose, but it reminded me of it A LOT).
The reference or at least what the book reminds me of is actually national socialism. Why? First of all, we have a (police) force which tries at first in soft ways to get people to do what they want (just like the political party did) and got more and more brutal and extreme over time.
Here are a couple of examples from the book:
1. The people in the street watched tensely, some ducking into nearby alleys, and they all seemed to hope that the scene unfolding before them would be over before they themselves were pulled into it. (also acting like they saw nothing, too afraid the same happens to them)
2. “And no footsteps, or running water for the toilet.” (for those who don't know: When people hid they usually didn't ran the toilet water as it made sounds that would attract attention)
3. “But today was different somehow. They took four people at once from the center of town, in broad daylight. As far as I know, they’ve generally acted at night, on the edge of town, taking just one member of a family.” (getting more brutal over time)
4. “A safe house,”
5. The methods used by the Memory Police were becoming more and more brutal. No longer were there advance warnings of their visits. Everything happened by surprise, and they now carried heavy battering rams capable of breaking down any door. They invaded houses in search of any space where someone could be hidden—storage rooms, under beds, in the back of closets. If there was enough space for one human body, it was unlikely to escape their attention. They dragged out anyone they found, along with those who had hidden them, and loaded them all in the covered trucks.
There were lots of other things but I don't want to spoiler anything, but it remembers me a lot of national socialism and actually is the main reason I gave this book 3 stars (and not less), as I'm fascinated from fascism and national socialism. Truly sad and perhaps the reason why people say that this book is disturbing or traumatising. Since the whole police force and brutality is a major plot thing I would suggest anyone who doesn't like this or is triggered by this to not read this book.
Another reason I gave this book 3 stars even though I had a hard time reading sometimes (due to slow pace + being in a reading slump, but I think it's rather the previous book than this one that caused it); Is that I liked the message behind this book. If you didn't understand it fully or not at all I recommend to you (a lot actually) that you re-read the book someday as the message is very powerful. My quote above also helps to get the idea of what the book is trying to tell us (but not only that of course).
Very interesting message this book has and even though there is no plot or character based story the message is quite powerful and in my opinion I even think one can interpret it in many different ways and not just one which makes the message even more beautiful.
16. July 2024
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
kalyaniwarrier's review against another edition
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.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
avie_1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Death of parent
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Torture, Medical content, and Murder
Natural disasters (earthquake, tsunami). Enforced memory loss, unreality.annorabrady's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
The book was an interesting premise but I had more questions than answers at the end. I expected some kind of explanation for what was happening, why the police were there enforcing it, why certain people were immune, etc. But instead it ended with just as much, if not less, knowledge of the events as it started.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Gaslighting