Ozeki created a world where all these things can exist at the same time and make sense.
It’s sad, hopeful, funny, and thoughtful all at once. The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki is unlike any book I’ve ever read, and one I’ll probably never see replicated. And when they come together through all the sadness, miscalculations, and adventure, it creates a story that is unforgettable. Ozeki establishes how all these characters are connected, and how each one has a story to tell. When these characters come together, there is this chemistry that works so well.
Apart from Benny and Annabelle, there’s The Aleph, a friend Benny meets at the ward Slavoj, a homeless Slovenian philosopher living near the library and The Book, a voice that is narrating and shaping Benny’s life. I haven’t encountered characters quite like the ones in The Book of Form and Emptiness. Every time I thought I had figured something out, the plot would twist and turn in ways I didn’t expect.Īnother thing that was unexpected was just how unique the characters are in this novel. Are the voices talking to Benny real? Or does Benny have auditory hallucinatory episodes? There were many moments where I audibly gasped when something was revealed. The unreliable narration plays so well into this theme because it leaves the reader guessing what to believe. The novel focuses a lot on reality, and the question of what is real. (His Book is one of the voices Benny hears that narrates his life and speaks to him.) Since there are shifting perspectives, you never know who is truly telling the truth. The chapters swap between Benny and his Book. It often shifts between first, second, and third person perspective throughout the novel. I thoroughly liked this novel, especially with its unreliable narration, and cast of characters. After enjoying Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being, I was optimistic about trying out her latest piece of fiction. The novel explores the new life Benny and Annabelle have, and how they must face their new problems. These voices only get louder and stronger once Benny’s mother Annabelle develops a hoarding problem. After the accident, Benny begins to hear voices, but not just any voices-the voices of the objects all around him. The novel centres around Benny and his family, when one day Benny’s father Kenji is run over by a truck. The Book of Form and Emptiness is the latest novel from renowned author Ruth Ozeki. Content warning: homophobia, racism, ableism, depression, suicide
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