The Housekeeper and the Professor in Around the World in 80 Books

Jan 06, 2015 Sera rated it really liked it

Shelves: literary-fiction, library, audio

I really enjoyed this book on audio, because it is one of those simple, quiet tales about how we establish relationships of tremendous value in the unlikeliest of places. The Professor is an older man who loses his short-term memory every 80 minutes. The Housekeeper is a single mom, raising a son. The Professor studied mathematics, and much of the book centers around numbers, how some are unique and others special. It is these numbers that initially binds the Professor and the housekeeper, and l ...more

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Sep 29, 2018 Kay rated it really liked it

Shelves: japan-japanese-lit, modern-fiction, fiction

Okay, I admit it: I skimmed through some of the mathematical portions of this book. (All these years after scraping through high school algebra and I still can't work up any interest in the subject.) But, having said that, I loved this touching book, one that never lapsed into sentimentality, but verged instead on nobility.

I'd been wanting to read this for a long time, but I'm a great believer in reading the right book at the right time. Many's the time I start a book and realize that I'll enjo ...more

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Nov 20, 2020 Katie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: female-author, translated, ___asia, _japan

In this book a housekeeper in Japan is assigned to work for a mathematics professor who was in an accident and as a result his short term memory lasts only 80 minutes. The housekeeper brings her young son to work with her and the three form incredibly moving bonds with each other. The professor is so endearing. I never thought a description of a mathematical formula would bring tears to my eyes.

The book even inspired me to try to relearn some algebra and I've spent several hours relearning abou ...more

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Oct 21, 2011 mstan rated it liked it

Shelves: src-winter-2011-12, translation, asian

This seemed like one of those 'Asian' novels that would appeal to non-Asian readers as a classic example of 'Asianness' - it's about the low-key interaction between a housekeeper and a math professor who has an 80-minute memory due to an accident he had suffered from years ago. The two forge a friendship with each other, and the professor also grows to accept and love the housekeeper's young son.

This is all fine and dandy, and I can see quite a few people I know liking this - but it felt a bit t ...more

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Aug 17, 2009 Erin (NY) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2009, favorites, books-i-own, nest-09-fbc, translation

This was such a cute book! I would have never picked it up if not for Laura's recommendation (thank you Laura!). It has wonderfully-developed character, who are also very likable. The part that I liked most was the math facts sprinkled in the text! The think that I found very interesting, is that none of the characters had names, but rather roles, such as "housekeeper", "professor", etc. Anyways, this book is a must-read if you are even remotely interested in math! ...more

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Feb 06, 2022 Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2022-aty-52

Prompt: set in the academe or a teacher in a lead role

It's a mark of excellent writing when it gets me to LIKE maths and cry over baseball results. The math concepts and baseball were explained simply. It was interesting how Root was the only named character. I also appreciated the voice of the audiobook reader who put me in a mindful state during her narration of simple housekeeping tasks. ...more

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Dec 25, 2021 Saima rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021, library-book

Tenderly account of how circumstances bring together a child-like man, a housekeeper and her son to form an almost family. The character of the professor is brilliantly written, one I will remember vividly.

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