Halloween Reads
The Book of Form and Emptiness

Questions About The Book of Form and Emptiness

by Ruth Ozeki (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (9)

where is this book set? I can think of 5 good options, but I can't figure it out, and it's kind of bugging me. must be deliberate on Ozekis' part
Jennifer (formerly Eccentric Muse) the setting of the book is not specified although, as pointed out below, Ozeki is very clearly describing the Vancouver Public Library, in Library Squ…morethe setting of the book is not specified although, as pointed out below, Ozeki is very clearly describing the Vancouver Public Library, in Library Square. However, the setting is not Canada; it is definitely the U.S., which you can tell by:
a) reference to "states" (not provinces);
b) references to healthcare costs, COBRA and lack of universal health insurance coverage;
c) the job Annabelle does and its concentration on U.S. topics, also a reference to gun violence;
d) the veiled references to the U.S. elections and the riots over police violence;
e) the U.S. book tour for Tidy Magic, the last stop of which is the U.S. northwest (again, state not specified, but definitely Pacific Northwest).

I agree with you that this confusion of setting is a deliberate authorial choice and an interesting one on Ozeki's part.(less)
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Can someone explain the symbolism of the bindery. Is everything that happened there real? Is there meaning to the foot bridge in the library?
Lana I think he experiences enlightenment there. He feels unbound.
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What is symbolized by the Bindery? How much of what takes place there is real?
Sahaja
This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)
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Any chance someone knows what page the life of the table (table leg? chair?) is narrated? I have a teacher doing a unit on voice, and students will be writing from the perspective of an inanimate object and I said I would pull examples from the book...but I'm struggling to find them all :-) I've got the scissors, spoon, and window so far, but I remember really liking the way the table was described. Thanks!
Carol I think pp 278-280 ae what you're after.…moreI think pp 278-280 ae what you're after.(less)
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Does anyone else notice a potential typo on page 50 ? Benny is called Benji once and then he is called Benny again a few words later ? I do not know if this is a typo or if he Is called Benji again later in the book.
Teresa I think it's deliberate - referring to when he was little, and in the same sentence as Kenji, maybe this is how Kenji referred to him as a little boy,…moreI think it's deliberate - referring to when he was little, and in the same sentence as Kenji, maybe this is how Kenji referred to him as a little boy, before growing into Benny.(less)
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Unanswered Questions (2)

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