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A review by acolly
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
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!