The Read Around The World Book Club discussion
August 2017 - Japan
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Chapters 9, 10, 11
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Melanie
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Jul 31, 2017 09:25AM
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I have to say this book really touched something in me. The way the housekeeper discovers maths and learns to love that particular equation. How she takes pride in her own work, the housekeeping and the order she creates is not dissimilar to the order that maths creates. As a woman, when you say you love numbers and that numbers simply make sense to you, you often get some looks. People expect you - especially when you are bookish too - to hate maths and numbers. I love numbers. I love the beauty and the sense of calm that comes from numbers. And somehow, she captured that a bit in this book for me. That beauty that most cannot see.
Is agree Mel. This book made me see math through the Professor's eyes and as something that is beautiful! I wish my math teachers had such passion for it. It was an extremely touching story. I, too, was very worried something was going to happen on Root's birthday.Sometimes it is quite amazing how unexpected people come into your lives and make such a difference.
I finished the book yesterday and really enjoyed it. My oldest daughter from an early age had a fasination with numbers. Her love of numbers and my never really looking at numbers beyond daily math made me relate so much to the relationship between the housekeeper and the professor.The child in the book, Root, was written so well. Like most young children, he accepts the professor's limited memory as just who he is and does his best to never upset the professor. The relationship between Root and the professor is really lovely.
The book for me demonstrated some cultural differences. The housekeeper never questions the professor much about his past, his childhood and other times within his memory, There is a respect for privacy and the professor is allowed to reveal what he wants of his past. If this book took place in the U.S., we would have expected more questions from the housekeeper not so much as an invasion of privacy but our bad or good attempt to get to know the professor better. I may be off on that assumption but I wanted to know more.
Like the other readers who commented, I was so afraid something awful was going to happen especially on Root's birthday. I was very glad the author kept with the story and the daily drama of memory loss rather than major drama to propel the story,
Overall glad this book was selected for the book club, Although it was very short I think it generates a lot of discussion and was a very special read.
I hate maths and was really worried about this book but ended up really enjoying it, I fell in love with the professor and Root and the Housekeeper were wonderful characters too, I loved how we watched the relationship form and how much the Professor came to mean to Root and his mum. I had a feeling throughout the book that there was more than meets the eye with regards to the professor and his sister in law and would have liked that to be explored more. I cried at the end of this book and was left with a sense of longing for the professor.Great book and my favourite for this book club so far! 4 stars from me 😀
I too felt that the ending was a touch incomplete, it felt a bit like the closing chapter was a bit of a rush to tie up all the threads that made up the story. I did appreciate that the author did not feel the need to over-analyze or over-explain the nature of the relationships between the individuals - the romantic relationship between the Professor and the sister-in-law, the somewhat ambiguous relationship between the Housekeeper and the Professor (it was not romantic, but there was something there - a fatherly love? A friendship? A mentor?). I still feel that I would have enjoyed a bit more depth to the Housekeeper's character, but I did find that she became more fleshed out as the chapters continued.A very strange thought that struck me a few times - perhaps this is my relative ignorance of Japanese culture showing, but I noticed that most, if not all, of the food cooked by the Housekeeper seemed "Western", there was little of what I understand to be Japanese cuisine in the novel. I wonder if that was a purposeful choice? Something that happened in translation? Or perhaps I am just unaware at the similarities between Western and Japanese food culture?
Overall, an enjoyable read for me, thanks for including it in the book club!
I just finished the re-read, and I think the English translation is much better than the German one. I am glad I gave it another try, because I certainly liked it better the 2nd time. But still, the plotless-ness (if thats a word) was not quite for me, and the baseball parts bored me a bit, I have to admit. What I really liked, though, was the way Ogawa explored the theme of an unusual & difficult friendship (how to be friends with somebody who doesn't remember you?).
I finished this book just a few days ago and really loved it. I have to say that I am not a math person. I always disliked it and had a bit of trouble with it throughout my entire life. However, in this book, I did learn to appreciate the universal language of math and the beauty that the characters were able to see.I love that the Housekeeper and Root gave the Professor his life back in a way. I loved the Professor with all his post it notes. Although it is heartbreaking to not retain any new information, I felt so much for these characters. Root was especially impactful in the Professor's life. I do wish we got to explore some more of the sister in law though.
Anyway, this book was my favorite so far. :)
I think it is very interesting that some of us - including myself- were worried that something bad would happen. For me this shows how invested I was in the characters, how I wanted them to be happy and find their own version of happy ever after and also how I wanted to protect them from anything that could challenge that. I also thought about the cultural differences in this story as Maggie Chats mentions above. There is such a strong sense of respect and attention to detail. I think a western setting would have produced quite a different story.
There are some books that leave you with a really good feeling inside when you even just glance at their spines in years to come and this is certainly one of them. I'm glad that the Professor, Root and the Housekeeper continue to have each other and equally glad that the ending wasn't too sugary- the Professor's deterioration felt very real.
Melanie wrote: "Final thoughts"I rarely read books that don't have a huge climax or big reveal at some point so I felt a bit lacking with not so much luster at the end but was pleased anyway. It wasn't that type of book - and that's ok. I actually wish I had more patience for slower books like this IMO.
I have read Ogawa's other novel - Hotel Iris - and her short story collection - Revenge. Did not like Hotel Iris but loved Revenge. The tone of this book is much different than the other two - has anyone else experienced the same?
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I have not read anything else by her but a friend of mine has read all the books and said that they vary in tone quite tremendously. I have heard a lot about Revenge. I think I may have to check that out.
I had similar feelings of worry when we got closer towards the end, expecting some drastically bad to occur, but I was more then relieved that the novel ends on a softer tone. I didn't personally feel a disconnect in the end.The translation was really well done and it, combined with the characters and Ogawa's writing, turned this into something much more impactful then I was ever expecting it to be. I found something special to cherish in each of our characters and I have a feeling I won't be forgetting this novel for a while.
I loved it! I'm so glad that I picked it up (and read it just in time! Haha) I thought the story was so beautiful. The writing is simple, but it's so elegant. I second what Candice said: I wish my math teachers brought their love of math to teaching and shared it with us like the professor!
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So glad you joined us :)
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I do think that the way maths is taught is near enough criminal, because I believe anyone can learn it.
