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A review by rpnelson
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
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.