The Housekeeper and the Professor in Around the Year in 52 Books

May 06, 2022 Jen K rated it it was amazing

Beautiful story about the relationship between a math professor, his housekeeper and her 10 year old son. The professor had already gone through 9 housekeepers when the newest one arrived. Due to a brain injury from a car accident, the professor only remembers up to 1975 and the last 80 minutes of his life, when uncertain he reverts to numbers. Everyday the professor and the housekeeper meet anew. He asks her questions about the numbers in her life as a way to acquaint himself such as her shoe s ...more

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Feb 25, 2022 Hannah Peterson rated it liked it

Shelves: aty-2022, in-translation

I really love books that inspire wonder from mathematics and I also am deeply fascinated with memory and I have recently had great success with Japanese literature, so I was eagerly anticipating this one. But I ended up finding it just good, not as transcendent as I was hoping.

I think my main issue was that I'm not particularly fond of the celebrity/fan dynamic and even though obviously the Professor is not a celebrity in any way, this book kind of played into a similar thing. The Housekeeper i ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Marie (UK) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reading-challenge

This is a very individual narrative about a professor of mathematics, who has an 80 minute memory after a car accident, and the housekeeper hired to look after him. It is part homage to the beauty of numbers and part the beauty of caring. whilst well written and an interesting read I think if fails to do either part full justice.

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