Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - La Policía de la Memoria

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

La Policía de la Memoria by Yōko Ogawa

15 reviews

mads_jpg's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A chilling story, but one that still has this warmth that made me so invested in these unnamed characters.

The disappearances reminded me of my fears from the climate crisis. We're constantly losing endangered species and seeing alarmist articles about how we might lose foods like coffee or chocolate. It feels like the earth is constantly running out of things. Like the Florence Welch lyric "and what if one day there is no such thing as snow".

But that's just one interpretation of many you could have with this book. Its themes of loss, control, agency, and more are very impactful, and I think I'll remember this book for a long time.

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mangofraiche's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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gfiore11's review against another edition

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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.

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pyroclast17's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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readwithsophsx's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.0

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ahsokascult's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

3.5

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kalyaniwarrier's review against another edition

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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.

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