A review by kalyaniwarrier
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

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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