serendipity421's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Dementia, Grief, and Trafficking
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault
hannahnasir's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
One of Ogawa’s best works for sure. This book was real dystopia, without being so intense it was indigestible. I couldn’t put the book down. It kept me on my toes. And as I approached the end, I didn’t want it to. Not because it was so good (it was) I didn’t want it to end, but because for the first time in a very long time a book scared me. I felt genuine, eerily gentle fear. The way Ogawa packed in so much emotion into an environment that was anything but emotional was so impressive. Her ability to pin importance and value and emotional permanence to every day objects, and to make a story out of it is something I believe you won’t see anywhere else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Police brutality
mae55's review
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
this book was very somber and i grew to really like it. it's about powerlessness and inevitability, using the main character's personal and creative stories to display this. i found this book very moving and was not expecting to like it as much as i was. the author also uses imagery very effectively (i'm normally someone who skips over the nature descriptions, but i found these ones very succinct and effective). this is a read that will stay with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Kidnapping
lindseyhall44's review
dark
slow-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? No
4.0
*This was the first book I read for Women in Translation Month (August)!
“Men who start by burning books end by burning other men.”
The Memory Police is a grim dystopic novel, exploring an island dominated by the memory police, a government entity working to destroy historical objects and their recollection in humankind. Defying the memory police can mean death, but our narrator does so, in order to protect her editor-a man who does not forget-from the memory police.
As someone who read 1984 for high school English, I believe this novel would have made an amazing substitute. Both books hold a similar eerie and almost bleak mood, and the corrupt government organization is shared as well. The Memory Police stands out, however, through the utilization of the novel as a form. Also, not to mention that the women in 1989 are written with many stereotypes.
Overall, I would highly recommend for any dystopia fans, and I look forward to picking up The Housekeeper and the Professor in the future.
As always please check trigger warnings before reading!
“Men who start by burning books end by burning other men.”
The Memory Police is a grim dystopic novel, exploring an island dominated by the memory police, a government entity working to destroy historical objects and their recollection in humankind. Defying the memory police can mean death, but our narrator does so, in order to protect her editor-a man who does not forget-from the memory police.
As someone who read 1984 for high school English, I believe this novel would have made an amazing substitute. Both books hold a similar eerie and almost bleak mood, and the corrupt government organization is shared as well. The Memory Police stands out, however, through the utilization of the novel as a form. Also, not to mention that the women in 1989 are written with many stereotypes.
Overall, I would highly recommend for any dystopia fans, and I look forward to picking up The Housekeeper and the Professor in the future.
As always please check trigger warnings before reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death
ollie_again's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
bill369's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I heard good things about this book. That's why I read it.
I like Grandpa because he was always there for the main character and seems like he's trying his best.
From time to time, certain thing ceases to exist. Everyone except a few forget it ever existed. Those few people are at risk and mustn't let themselves get discovered to stay safe. I find this concept amusing. Yet I was pretty bored while reading. There were better parts, but I expected more.
I don't want to share any lines.
The end was well-made.
I could go without reading this book. I wouldn't want to immerse myself into the story again.
I like Grandpa because he was always there for the main character and seems like he's trying his best.
From time to time, certain thing ceases to exist. Everyone except a few forget it ever existed. Those few people are at risk and mustn't let themselves get discovered to stay safe. I find this concept amusing. Yet I was pretty bored while reading. There were better parts, but I expected more.
I don't want to share any lines.
The end was well-made.
I could go without reading this book. I wouldn't want to immerse myself into the story again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, and Confinement
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
carolinalopezwatt's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal death
szuum's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent and Infidelity
Minor: Rape
bonnienoire's review
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
nabaraditi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. Every dystopian novel whether its Hunger Games or Divergent, the low status people tend to rebel for their freedom and for the injustice to stop. But none of that happens in the book. It made sense to me given that its the memory thats fading here. If you don't remember, how can you remember to rebel. But then I thought that there are some people, for some unknown reason, for them, things don't disappear and their memories about things are intact. So, why didn't they rebel? Maybe in real life, we wouldn't rebel? And it's easier to live a life under a floorboard in hiding (like many did during the Holocaust)
Another thing that I kept wondering is how does this disappearing phenomenon work? Is it the government that's controlling it? It happens on its own then how is it just this island that's affected by it?
If I think about the whole book as a metaphor for people who have dementia, then it's beautifully written. The end where body parts start to disappear especially the leg, it made me think about the hemiplegia (a form of paralysis that affects on side of the body, often just one limb). It was one of the stories about a guy who threw his leg off the bed thinking its somebody else’s leg and ultimately threw himself off the bed.
The only reason I kept reading the book is to see where the plot is leading, how to book ends. And I’m neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the ending. The Ending seemed bittersweet
Another thing that I kept wondering is how does this disappearing phenomenon work? Is it the government that's controlling it? It happens on its own then how is it just this island that's affected by it?
If I think about the whole book as a metaphor for people who have dementia, then it's beautifully written. The end where
Spoiler
The only reason I kept reading the book is to see where the plot is leading, how to book ends. And I’m neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the ending. The Ending seemed bittersweet
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent