The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki - 3 stars

[Joy D]

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki - 3* - My Review

Benny Oh’s father, Kenji, dies in a tragic accident when he is twelve, and he starts hearing voices from inanimate objects. His mother, Annabelle, starts hoarding. To help organize her life, Annabelle reads Tidy Magic and feels a connection with the author, a Buddhist nun. Benny begins skipping school and finds solace in the library. He develops friendships with two eccentric characters – a street artist and a wheelchair-bound veteran. A metaphysical aspect is introduced through the use of “the book” as a character. It speaks to Benny, and Benny speaks back. Benny is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, but his true mental state remains unclear.

This book a long and ambitious undertaking. It addresses a massive number of topics. One of the main topics is the impermanence of things and the inability to obtain happiness by accumulating them. Another is how books and readers interact – how each book is interpreted differently by each individual. Mental health is another topic, particularly how it is impacted by grief and loss, and the importance of social support networks. It contains philosophical elements of Zen Buddhism. It addresses homelessness and addiction.

I liked the combination of themes and topics but perhaps it was overly ambitious. It is a book filled with a continuous stream of tension, discomfort, stresses, and struggles. Overall, I can say I liked it and found it worthwhile, but I think it would have been more impactful if it had been more focused and shorter.

[Holly R W]

Great review, Joy. I found it to be an overwhelmingly sad book. While the author wrote beautifully, I agree with you that the story was overly ambitious and too long. I'm unsure if I'd want to read another book by Ozeki.

[NancyJ]

Great review Joy as always. I found this book rough going but quite meaningful. I just read the Library Book and now I'm wondering which library Benny was visiting. Joy do you know?

I think it was Susan who recommended My Year of Meats, her debut novel. It's short, fun and topical . It's about a Japanese American woman who is producing a tv series for Japanese audiences about American wives (sponsored by the US meat industry). I really enjoyed it. The mix of topics was really interesting. My favorite is still A Tale for the Time Being.

[Joy D]

Holly R W wrote: "Great review, Joy. I found it to be an overwhelmingly sad book. While the author wrote beautifully, I agree with you that the story was overly ambitious and too long. I'm unsure if I'd want to read..."
Thanks, Holly. I would read another of her books. But I agree it is very sad.

[Joy D]

NancyJ wrote: "Great review Joy as always. I found this book rough going but quite meaningful. I just read the Library Book and now I'm wondering which library Benny was visiting. Joy do you know?

I think it wa..."
I think it was the Vancouver Public Library. I have not read My Year of Meats but I very much enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being.