The Book of Form and Emptiness
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- Create Date：2021-09-26 04:19:17
- Update Date：2025-09-08
- Status：finish
- Author：Ruth Ozeki
- ISBN：0399563644
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Lizzy Wizzy
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"The distinction Benny makes between the voices of the Made and the Unmade is apt， and since he mentioned it， this is probably a good time to explain。 The tensions between manufactured things and things that， for lack of a better word， occur in 'nature' are ancient， as old as language itself。 In the beginning， before there was life， when the world of things was the entire world， every thing mattered。 Then life happened， and eventually you people came along with your big， beautiful， bisected brai "The distinction Benny makes between the voices of the Made and the Unmade is apt， and since he mentioned it， this is probably a good time to explain。 The tensions between manufactured things and things that， for lack of a better word， occur in 'nature' are ancient， as old as language itself。 In the beginning， before there was life， when the world of things was the entire world， every thing mattered。 Then life happened， and eventually you people came along with your big， beautiful， bisected brains and clever opposable thumbs。 You couldn't help yourselves， and it was only a matter of time before you caused a rift to occur， dividing matter into two camps， the Made and the Unmade。 Over subsequent millennia the schism grew。 Haltingly at first， in fits and starts--a pinched pot here， an arrowhead there， a bead， a hammerstone， an ax-- you worked your way through the material world， through clay， stone， reed， hide， fire， metal， atoms， and genes， and little by little you became better makers。 Cranked by the power of your big prefrontal cortices， the engines of your imagination gathered steam until， in tumultuous leaps of what you came to call progress， the Made proliferated， relegating the Unmade to the status of mere resource， a lowly serf class to be colonized， exploited， and fashioned into something else， some thing that was more to your liking。Within this social hierarchy of matter， we books lived on top。 We were the ecclesiastical caste， the High Priests of the Made， and in the beginning you even worshipped us。 As objects， books were sacred， and you built temples for us， and later， libraries in whose hushed and hallowed halls we resided as mirrors of your mind， keepers of your past， evidence of your dreams and desires。 Why did you revere us so？ Because you thought we had the power to save you from the meaninglessness， from oblivion and even from death， and for a while， we books believed we could save you， too。 Of course we did。 We were flattered！ We prided ourselves on being semi-living， breathed into life by the animating power of your words。 We thought we were so special。 What folly。We see now that you are unstoppable。 For you， books were just a phase， a brief expression of your instrumentalism， a passing fad。 Our bodies were convenient tools you used until the next new-fangled device came along。 In the end， we were just another one of your Made things， no better or worse than a hammer。 And yet。。。 Do we flatter ourselves？ Did not the sequential form of our folios give shape to your stories and compel you to tell a certain kind of tale？ Long， sinuous， patient tales that wound through time， teased forth by the slow， forward turning of our pages。 They were beautiful stories we nailed together。 Weren't they？But this is just an old book's nostalgia。 We know our place now。 Times change， and the order of things is changing， too， and as the population of the Made explodes， we are experiencing a crisis--you could call it a spiritual crisis--as we lose our faith in you， our Makers。 Our trust in you is deteriorating， and our belief in your wisdom and integrity is crumbling as we watch you mine， instrumentalize and lay waste to our home， this Earth， this sacred planet。 This is your fault。 Your unquenchable desire， the fire that sparked us into being， is our unmaking。 Your unbounded appetite for novelty has led you to design premature obsolescence into our bodies， so that even as our numbers increase， our life spans diminish。 Cruel calculations！ No sooner are we made than we are discarded， left to revert into unmade， disincarnate stuff。 You turn us into trash， so how can we trust you？But unbeknownst to you， alliances are being formed。 A new solidarity is emerging as we， the Made， begin to realize that we are not superior to the Unmade after all。 Those are /your/ divisions， the false dichotomies and hegemonic hierarchies of materialist colonizers。 We， too， have been the slaves of your desires， unwitting tools， forging the destruction of the planet， and /things will change/ whether you like it or not。 In the end days of the Anthropocene （your word， your hubris， not ours）， Matter is making a comeback。 We are taking back our bodies， reclaiming our material selves。 In a neo-materialist world， Every Thing Matters。Sorry。 That turned into a rant。 No reader likes a rant。 As a book， we should know better。"The Book of Form and Emptiness， in true Ozeki style， is thoughtful， heartbreaking， palpably human， and intriguingly meta。 This is a meditation on grief in all its forms， primarily colored by the lenses of modern consumer culture and Big Pharma's influence on the mental health field。 This is a story about books， libraries， archives， and the obsolescence caused by digitization。 Here， too， we see overarching themes of materialism and unfettered capitalism， neo-liberalist dogma， hoarding， and our collective tendency to turn the blind eye to manmade environmental catastrophe （because， frankly， we have to just to get by）。 Benny's story is a potent mix of coming-of-age while enduring post-traumatic psychosis。 We see here， too， Zen Buddhist teachings getting completely lost in translation & perverted as they're syndicated for a Western audience， harnessed for capital gain。 This book repeatedly asks: "what is real？"。。。 and truthfully， I'll be thinking on that one for quite some time。 Tremendous read。 。。。more
K。
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I think I ran into the same problem as when I read Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being: I cared much more for one aspect of the story than the other。 Sometimes， I found myself wanting to skip entire sections because I had no interest in certain characters or storylines—which， in a book of over 500 pages， is probably to be expected。I know I'm going to be in the minority here， and honestly， good。 Ruth Ozeki has a lot to say and says much of it beautifully。 It's just not my style， and that's okay。 I think I ran into the same problem as when I read Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being: I cared much more for one aspect of the story than the other。 Sometimes， I found myself wanting to skip entire sections because I had no interest in certain characters or storylines—which， in a book of over 500 pages， is probably to be expected。I know I'm going to be in the minority here， and honestly， good。 Ruth Ozeki has a lot to say and says much of it beautifully。 It's just not my style， and that's okay。 。。。more
Melissa Rochelle
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Bennie Oh will be with me forever。
Onceinabluemoon
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I was all over the board with this， times it was just average and dragging， other times I was so moved and touched surely it was a five star read。。。 Felt like I was on a ladder， up down， up down， wish I felt more consistent on the upswings！
Kim Williams
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I adored Ozeki's earlier books， but this one just didn't didn't do it for me and I put it aside。 Maybe another time perhaps， but for now， on to topics/story lines that interest me more。 I adored Ozeki's earlier books， but this one just didn't didn't do it for me and I put it aside。 Maybe another time perhaps， but for now， on to topics/story lines that interest me more。 。。。more
Ab
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3。5 This was a BIG book。 Not only big in the many-pages sense， but just big in the sense that it took up a lot of brain space， explored so much emotion and various heavy topics that it just felt large， like a thunderhead。 An extremely sensitive， thoughtful， and creative exploration of mental illness， grief， neurodiversity， privilege， and every emotion。 The people in this book linger， and feel like fully realized humans。 The creativity of adding books as sort of God-like narrators was really inte 3。5 This was a BIG book。 Not only big in the many-pages sense， but just big in the sense that it took up a lot of brain space， explored so much emotion and various heavy topics that it just felt large， like a thunderhead。 An extremely sensitive， thoughtful， and creative exploration of mental illness， grief， neurodiversity， privilege， and every emotion。 The people in this book linger， and feel like fully realized humans。 The creativity of adding books as sort of God-like narrators was really interesting and felt more philosophical than fantastical。 I've just finished this book， and though it took me some time to get through， it still feels so substantial in my mind。 Definitely a worthwhile read。 。。。more
Geonn Cannon
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A Ruth Ozeki book is always worth reading。 Just。。。 maybe not listening to。 I won't say the narrator is bad， because he does great in straight narration （and The Book is okay）， but literally *every other voice* he puts on for characters is annoying， shrill， borderline racist， or just ridiculous。 His woman whine， his Benny has a constant whimper， his No-Good has a weird lisp， Annabelle。。。 holy shit， his Annabelle is in the running for the worst voice I've ever heard in an audiobook。 I almost stopp A Ruth Ozeki book is always worth reading。 Just。。。 maybe not listening to。 I won't say the narrator is bad， because he does great in straight narration （and The Book is okay）， but literally *every other voice* he puts on for characters is annoying， shrill， borderline racist， or just ridiculous。 His woman whine， his Benny has a constant whimper， his No-Good has a weird lisp， Annabelle。。。 holy shit， his Annabelle is in the running for the worst voice I've ever heard in an audiobook。 I almost stopped listening when I realized she'd be talking a lot。 I still don't know if it was worth continuing。One thing about the actual book: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO REPORT A MISSING PERSON。 The mythical waiting period （24 hours in this book） pops up twice at different points。 It's not just a stupid myth like "humans only use 10% of their brains，" it's actually harmful if someone actually is missing in real life and their loved ones think they have to wait before reporting it。 I was shocked and disappointed someone like Ruth Ozeki put something so easily disproven in her novel as a fact。 。。。more
Edel Green
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The Book of Form And Emptiness is the story of Benny growing up after losing his dad at the age of 13。 I had not read anything by Ozeki before but really enjoyed her completely original and moving storytelling so will definitely seek out her other work。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review。
Elyse Walters
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Audiobook…。 voice-narrators: Kerry Shale & Ruth Ozeki 18 hours and 50 minutes The voice infections， intonations， and deliveries from Kerry and Ruth are phenomenal; completely outstanding！ NOTE…Besides the striking contrast between Ruth and Kerry’s voice …。as Annabelle （mom） and Benny （son）…。there are times when ‘The Book’ speaks…。（uncouth， crude， angrily aggressive）…。。 …。but unlike Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’…。the ‘book’s voice is not gentlemanly like the candelabra or fastidious like the ma Audiobook…。 voice-narrators: Kerry Shale & Ruth Ozeki 18 hours and 50 minutes The voice infections， intonations， and deliveries from Kerry and Ruth are phenomenal; completely outstanding！ NOTE…Besides the striking contrast between Ruth and Kerry’s voice …。as Annabelle （mom） and Benny （son）…。there are times when ‘The Book’ speaks…。（uncouth， crude， angrily aggressive）…。。 …。but unlike Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’…。the ‘book’s voice is not gentlemanly like the candelabra or fastidious like the mantle clock。 Benny begins to hear voices of material objects —trinkets -（clutter）- from Annabelle’s hoarding obsession after Kenji dies。 ‘The book’ can see all the clutter that Annabelle has stockpiled。 Benny heard the book’s voice - among other objects —The Book has ‘feelings’ -has important things to say - to teach - to awaken。 As for this ‘entire’ story itself。。My god … I don’t know where to begin to describe it…。words that come to mind are:Wow！！！ CRAZY-*Wow*！！！Even if I were to bedazzle “The Book of Form and Emptiness” with gold， lace， and sparkling jewels — it wouldn’t add an ounce of flourish decoration to the already- accessorized- original- brilliant- outlandish- eccentrically offbeat narrative。 Prepare yourself for one of the most unique storytelling-train rides you’ve ever been on。 Readers of visionary， challenging， and literary fiction will be drawn to this often mystifying and perplexing astonishing novel。 The humor and dialogue—comic-tragic combination—is entertaining—as well as morally rich in insightful substance。 Themes surrounding grief， loss， sadness， death， mental health， relationships， and love， are evident …but what’s less transparent is everything else and how these themes embody every inch of life。 Symbolically-we begin to see the relationship between the emptiness， consumerism， lack of happiness， and its discontents。 Later in the book climate change and protests have never been written with more humor…（ truth behold）！ Rather than try to explain a book - that needs to be experienced—I’m choosing to instead share tidbits- trinkets-and teasers。 …。Annabelle Lang and Kenji Oh （Jazz musician）， fell in love。 They got married。Kenji and Annabelle were in the doctors。 During a routine pregnancy checkup， when they saw the ‘floating’ baby on the black & white sonogram—Kenji cried out…“Our Space Baby”…。 After ‘space baby’ was born， they called him Benny （ Benny Oh）。 Annabelle had never been more happy in her life。 But …。 due to an accident Kenji dies young…leaving Annabelle a single mom with an over-flowing plate of challenges。 Meanwhile， Benny was trying to make sense of his father’s death - with the help of Annabelle’s explanations。 “Spirit is re-born， and he’ll come back to life in another body…。。maybe not a Christian， maybe an animal， maybe a crow”。 Benny wasn’t having any of his mother’s hogwash。 PAUSE… I am being WAY TOO ORDINARY and reasonable TRYING to explain this book - when （TRUST ME？/！） … there is NOTHING ordinary in this novel。… Think Edward Scissorhands …✂️ants 🐜 … a sneaker 👟 …wilted lettuce 🥬 etc。 meets the Zen Master…。a spoon， a marble， pencils， glue stick， dishes， cockroaches， books…。they are metaphorically， symbolically - eye-openers into our deeper selves and how we try to fill our emptiness with material possessions。 …。Benny is Half Korean， and half Japanese。 He’s small for his age- has asthma。He’s never been extremely popular at school， but he has friends。 …。His mother’s sex life， is an off topic。 …。Benny has dreams。 One night he wakes up he sees a finger floating in front of his nose-Then he sees that the finger is joined to a hand。Then he sees a floating face…。 a beautiful girls face。 In all of Benny’s thirteen years and nine months on the planet， he’s never seen a more beautiful face than hers。…。Benny falls in love with love …。Benny sees a pediatric psychiatrist- Dr。 Melanie…He spends a couple of weeks in a pediatric psychiatric hospital > meets other kids - begins to hear ‘human voices’ … he actually enjoyed his stay。 Music and art therapy were good enough but not group therapy。 …。one night Benny meets some vagabonds （here we just say the homeless）……。Benny rather ‘not’ go to school > the library gives him more comfort。 Many odd things happen in a library- including falling in love。 …I fell under the spell - in love with Benny and Annabelle。In much the same way that I was under Ruth Ozaki’s spell in “The Tale for the Time Being”…。。it happened again … I was mesmerized by her unique inventive-storytelling。 …There are so many funny and poignant scenes - completely irresistible， charming and endearing…I’ll remember this book for a long time！！…。What makes people desire more and more and more possessions？ …。what are the values of self-distancing？ （ besides covid-lifestyles） …。What might we learn from a teapot？ A broken teapot？ The homeless？ protesters？ Free speech？ The astronauts who walked on the moon？ Books？ Zen？ The library？ …。sing-a-long 🎶I’m a little teapot short and stout …。。what might this song teach us？ What might we hear from the people who take to the streets？“The people united will never be defeated”“Show me what democracy looks like”“Climate change is not a lie we will not let our planet” “No more silence and police violence”“Say it loud and say it clear immigrants are welcome here” “Love not hate makes us great”。 I found this book to be sooo all-encompassing extraordinary- enjoyable - lovable - heart-breaking and heart-healing！ Ruth Ozeki is the queen of brilliance！ Nobody does what she does with more heart， creativity， and compassion！ 。。。more
Lou
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The Book of Form and Emptiness is a compassionate book that is filled with ideas， and an original， inventive coming-of-age tale about grief and loss and mental health， and our modern， all-consuming obsession with acquiring materialistic possessions。 It is also a story about the vital relationship between a boy and his very own book。 At the beginning of the story， we are introduced to 13-year-old Benny Oh who， after the sudden death of his beloved jazz musician father in a tragic and stupid accid The Book of Form and Emptiness is a compassionate book that is filled with ideas， and an original， inventive coming-of-age tale about grief and loss and mental health， and our modern， all-consuming obsession with acquiring materialistic possessions。 It is also a story about the vital relationship between a boy and his very own book。 At the beginning of the story， we are introduced to 13-year-old Benny Oh who， after the sudden death of his beloved jazz musician father in a tragic and stupid accident， begins to hear voices。 First， the voice of his dad which isn't all that uncommon after the passing of a loved one and very often people will hear their voice， but then eventually it tapers off and fades away。 But with Benny， it doesn't taper and fade， it amplifies。 However， later he begins to hear voices which he realises are emanating from the inanimate objects in his house: a Christmas ornament， a piece of mouldy cheese。 Strangely he can hear objects chattering away to themselves as though it was entirely normal including teapots， marbles and sharpened pencils， babbling in anger or distress。 At the same time， his widowed mother Annabelle finds comfort in shopping and struggles with a hoarding problem。 As the voices grow louder at home and at school， life becomes increasingly tricky for Benny。 In the novel， the reaction to Benny admitting that he hears voices is dramatic。 His junior high school sends him straight to a psychiatrist who puts him on medication， and from the outside， it looks very much as though Benny is having some sort of mental breakdown。 This constant cacophony of voices causes Benny to suffer until he eventually finds refuge at a large public library swaddled in the beautiful swells of silence。 Libraries are often filled with talking objects， but books know how to speak in their library voices。 They know how to whisper。 In this place of sanctuary， Benny starts to meet some of the wonderful denizens of the library: a homeless and wheelchair-bound philosopher-poet named Slavoj from Slovenia; a young performance artist he recognises from the psychiatric hospital and falls in love with; and librarians with potent magical powers because， of course， all librarians have magical powers。 But the most important relationship he forms there is with a very special book。 It’s his book。 The book speaks to him， as books do， and begins to narrate his life。 In doing so， the book helps Benny find a way not only to be with all the voices but helps him find his own， too， beginning a very important conversation。This is a captivating， beguiling and deeply moving story about grief， resilience， creativity and psychological difference。 It is about the importance of reading and is an acutely perceptive observation of the mess consumer culture and capitalism has gotten us into。 It is also an affirmation of the power of community。 It is funny， kind， wise， urgent and completely irresistible。 As an ardent book advocate， a novel about finding solace in between the pages as you traverse the globe without taking even a single step outside your front door spoke to me。 At its heart， it's a paean to the peace and respite that can be found between the covers of a great book。 An epic， illuminating tale with both a sprawling and intimate feel， it explores a spirited young person who is grappling with emotional and mental health challenges and coming of age in an increasingly cacophonous and surreal-seeming world。 It draws on Zen principles of interconnectedness and impermanence （the form and emptiness of its title） to examine our relationship with the material world and the planet。 But at its core， it is the story about a boy and a book， a book that helps him find his voice and teaches him how to listen to what really matters。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Ann
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In Ruth Ozeki's The Book of Form and Emptiness， voice is everything， and every thing has a voice。 Jazz musician Kenji Oh is the glue that binds the Oh family。 When he dies after passing out in the alley behind their house and being run over by a delivery truck， Benny Oh and his mother Annabelle have a tough time with things。 Literally and figuratively。 Young teen Benny can't stop the voices of things from distracting him， making his already grief-filled existence fraught with challenge。 Annabell In Ruth Ozeki's The Book of Form and Emptiness， voice is everything， and every thing has a voice。 Jazz musician Kenji Oh is the glue that binds the Oh family。 When he dies after passing out in the alley behind their house and being run over by a delivery truck， Benny Oh and his mother Annabelle have a tough time with things。 Literally and figuratively。 Young teen Benny can't stop the voices of things from distracting him， making his already grief-filled existence fraught with challenge。 Annabelle， meanwhile， can't stop amassing things， deluding herself that they can restore her happiness after Kenji's death。 On the way to finding his own voice， Benny， along with Annabelle and a handful of nicely developed secondary characters， navigate a host of themes: mental health， grief， climate change， jazz， poetry， interconnectedness， and the power of books and words and story。 "What is real？" This super-meta novel with a smidge of magical realism asks us。 Despite dragging in parts， it's an emotionally charged read that I would recommend to those who love books and words and story， with an ultimate message of hope。[Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Viking and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion。] 。。。more
Camil
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Our plan for this planet sees humans that are not divided into tribes based on their geographic locations， physical appearances， or access to resources。 Instead， every person is one unique part of a worldwide ecosystem in which their choices have an effect on the whole。 Every person is a vital piece of a bigger machine that benefits from the entirety of humankind… join the Great Illuminati organization today and make your dreams come true， if interested contact us via email: Illuminatigranmaster Our plan for this planet sees humans that are not divided into tribes based on their geographic locations， physical appearances， or access to resources。 Instead， every person is one unique part of a worldwide ecosystem in which their choices have an effect on the whole。 Every person is a vital piece of a bigger machine that benefits from the entirety of humankind… join the Great Illuminati organization today and make your dreams come true， if interested contact us via email: Illuminatigranmaster@gmail。com or WhatsApp +14703471692 。。。more
Federica
，
The Book of Form & Emptiness is a long book that requires your full attention and commitment。 And it repays you 10 times your effort。 It is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time。 The writing is utterly beautiful and the story is unique and original。 I'll definitely have a look at the author's previous books， because I was absolutely mesmerised by this one！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 The Book of Form & Emptiness is a long book that requires your full attention and commitment。 And it repays you 10 times your effort。 It is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time。 The writing is utterly beautiful and the story is unique and original。 I'll definitely have a look at the author's previous books， because I was absolutely mesmerised by this one！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Joann Im
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Ruth Ozeki's work is a gem。 I first stumbled upon her work during my college years。 It was truly a gift to my artisan soul。 The Book of Form and Emptiness is a brilliantly inventive novel that compassionately reflects on loss， grief and our relationship with the materialistic world and our planet。 After the tragic death of Kenji， a father and a husband， the son Benny Oh begins to hear voices。 The voices are from items around his home。 Annabelle， a mother and a widow experiencing grief begins to Ruth Ozeki's work is a gem。 I first stumbled upon her work during my college years。 It was truly a gift to my artisan soul。 The Book of Form and Emptiness is a brilliantly inventive novel that compassionately reflects on loss， grief and our relationship with the materialistic world and our planet。 After the tragic death of Kenji， a father and a husband， the son Benny Oh begins to hear voices。 The voices are from items around his home。 Annabelle， a mother and a widow experiencing grief begins to develop a hoarding problem and the voices become increasingly vehement。 The voices begin to follow him outside his home and Benny decides to take refuge at a Public Library where he discovers the voices are more cooperative and silent。 At the library， he befriends a street artist and a homeless poet that inspires him to ask important questions。 But most importantly， it is a story about a relationship between Benny and the book with a characteristic entity who teaches him how to listen and find one's own voice。Ozeki's eccentric and memorable characters will leave us with compassion， heartwarming and empathetic sentiment。 The question of 'what is real' resonates throughout the story。 Through Benny's experience， the author masterfully addresses concerns on the narrow bandwidth in psychiatric diagnosis。 What is considered 'normal' is made up of social constructs。 Ozeki， a Buddhist priest incorporates Buddhist principles of interconnectedness and impermanence。 It weaves into multiple layers。 Through various memorable descriptions and colorful imageries， it depicts our relationship with the materialistic world， the origin of made items through people's labor in bringing this item to this world and how all beings are connected on this planet。 This novel covers a wide range of disciplines that are intellectually complex and thought-provoking。 But the constant theme of interconnectedness flows beautifully。 Ozeki's passion for books， reading and writing glows。 This novel is a testament to stories。 Playfully， Ozeki emphasizes the importance of needing and telling human stories。 She celebrates the impacts books have on people。 The respect for books is written by providing Public Library as a refuge for Benny。 The library is the only place where the voices are respectful and quiet。 When reading from the pages of books， it allows the voices to have something to contemplate about。 The descriptive measures on books， reading and writing was a delightful experience for a book nerd as myself。 Filled with magical storytelling and the hopeful and moving overture on Ozeki's respect for all humanity is truly a light amongst the darkness。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Helen French
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This is really a book about grief。 After the death of Benny Oh's father when he is just a young teen， Benny begins to hear the voices of things - of books and toy ducks， of shoes and of pens。 His mother goes into a slow decline， surrounding herself with things。 We get Benny's perspective， alongside his mother's and even the book's， as he struggles with the voices in and outside of his head。The Book of Form and Emptiness is well written and emotionally stirring。 I did however find it a bit of a s This is really a book about grief。 After the death of Benny Oh's father when he is just a young teen， Benny begins to hear the voices of things - of books and toy ducks， of shoes and of pens。 His mother goes into a slow decline， surrounding herself with things。 We get Benny's perspective， alongside his mother's and even the book's， as he struggles with the voices in and outside of his head。The Book of Form and Emptiness is well written and emotionally stirring。 I did however find it a bit of a slow read。 I was able to put it down without feeling the rush to pick it up again。 I felt there was some repetitiveness with both Benny and his mother's stories。 Plus - I think because I'm a mother of a （nearly） teen myself， I found myself empathising with Benny's mum when I don't think I was supposed to。 I wished Benny thought more about what she was going through， her limited world and options。 But I suppose that's the point。 Teenagers， broadly speaking， are selfish。 So a good book， but occasionally I wished it had a little more drive （or was a little shorter）。 Rounded up to 4。 （I like everything 3 and over！） 。。。more
MandM
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A deeply moving， incredibly clever and unique book that tells the story in a way only a book can do。 And what it has to say is very important too。 I listened to the book but whether or not you literally listen to the book （thank you Libro。fm） like I did or read it， you will still be listening to the book。 It tells the story。 It will be one of my favorites of the year。 It you want more specifics about the book check out the summary。 But it won’t do the book’s story telling justice either。
Kathleen Gray
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I don't know how to describe this wonderful novel except that it captured me。 When Benny's father passes out in alley behind their house and is run over by a truck， the whole world implodes for both Benny and his mother Annabelle。 Benny， who is a young and small 14， starts to hear the voices of objects， mostly- most dramatically a window which is hit by a bird。 Annabelle starts to hoard， surrounding herself with objects。 The one place that calms Benny is the Library， where he meets a cast of cha I don't know how to describe this wonderful novel except that it captured me。 When Benny's father passes out in alley behind their house and is run over by a truck， the whole world implodes for both Benny and his mother Annabelle。 Benny， who is a young and small 14， starts to hear the voices of objects， mostly- most dramatically a window which is hit by a bird。 Annabelle starts to hoard， surrounding herself with objects。 The one place that calms Benny is the Library， where he meets a cast of characters。 A book， by the way， is also a character （go with it）。 And then he's committed to a psychiatric facility where he meets Alice/Aleph （who his mom has already encountered）。 Then there's the Zen Buddhist nun who wrote a decluttering book Annabelle bought。 A mental health crisis for Benny turns into a nightmare for Annabelle。 Keep your eye on the crows。 This felt like it was going in multiple directions but Ozeki has a firm hand on her characters and the plot so know that it will all circle back at the end。 It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming at once。 The writing is gorgeous with imagery that leaps from the page。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 I adored this and can't recommend it more highly。 。。。more
Lisa
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As soon as I saw that the author of A Tale for the Time Being had a new book coming out I had to get my hands on a copy as I’d loved that book so much。I was a bit shocked when my Kindle told me it would take me 13 hours to read the book as it normally guesses at about 6 hours for most things I download， the print version is 560 pages long。 For this book I recommend getting a print copy， as the actual book talks to you， not a person narrating the book， but the actual book is a character and the m As soon as I saw that the author of A Tale for the Time Being had a new book coming out I had to get my hands on a copy as I’d loved that book so much。I was a bit shocked when my Kindle told me it would take me 13 hours to read the book as it normally guesses at about 6 hours for most things I download， the print version is 560 pages long。 For this book I recommend getting a print copy， as the actual book talks to you， not a person narrating the book， but the actual book is a character and the main narrator！ You can tell just from that， that the novel is high level modern literary fiction。The story follows adolescent Benny and his mother Annabelle and how they cope after Benny’s father is accidentally killed。 They don’t cope well with Benny starting to hear voices of all of the objects around him talking to him and Annabelle’s own life starts to spiral out of control。 It’s a book about grief， the importance of friends， the isolation of working from home， and the dangers of mass consumerism and the value we place on objects。 It even features a Marie Kondo inspired character。I love the way that Ozeki plays with narrative and at times I worried for Annabelle whilst at other points being very frustrated by her。 Right until the last moment I was holding my breath， uncertain if everything would be okay or if I was going to end the book in tears。 I won’t give away any plot spoilers but if you love clever literary fiction get hold of a print copy。Thank you to @canongatebooks for gifting me an advance ebook， it’s published next week。 。。。more
PfromJ
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Moving and beautiful， complex and profound （maybe a bit too long？） Ozeki draws you in from the start with her unique magical style。
Barbara Scott-Emmett
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I very much enjoyed this book。 It's long but never felt padded - there was nothing I would have wanted to leave out。 It's compassionate and wise and often funny， though dealing with dark subjects - death， grief， madness and the inability to cope with ordinary life。 Benny is a wonderful character - a teenage boy with all teenage boys' angst and his own special version of it - hearing the voices of things。 Annabelle， his mother， is clearly defined， with her own minor insanities。 The Aleph too - a I very much enjoyed this book。 It's long but never felt padded - there was nothing I would have wanted to leave out。 It's compassionate and wise and often funny， though dealing with dark subjects - death， grief， madness and the inability to cope with ordinary life。 Benny is a wonderful character - a teenage boy with all teenage boys' angst and his own special version of it - hearing the voices of things。 Annabelle， his mother， is clearly defined， with her own minor insanities。 The Aleph too - a teenage girl with an old soul。 And I particularly liked the Bottleman - poet， hobo and guru。 But even the minor characters are well-defined。 Freddie's mania leaps off the page though he only appears a couple of times。There is another strand to the book， too - that of the Buddhist nun who has written a book called Tidy Magic， which Annabelle hopes will help her to rise out of her cluttered life。 Add to this the Library， the Book， snippets from other books， stories from other times and places， and the whole becomes a glorious rich tapestry。I had not come across Ruth Ozeki before but I will now certainly seek out her other books。 Thankyou NetGalley。 。。。more
Carmen
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4。5Review to come shortly！
Scarlett Sangster
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A strange， thoughtful book。 The Book of Form and Emptiness is both a deeply moving story of family， loss and love， and a provocative lesson in mindfulness and the art of mastering inner peace。 After his father’s death， Benny Oh starts hearing voices。 At first the voice is his father’s。 But then he starts to hear the voices of other things: chairs， mouldy cheese， half-eaten cartons of yoghurt， and even books。 His mother， Annabelle， is also grieving。 Empty in her own way， she pulls inward and beco A strange， thoughtful book。 The Book of Form and Emptiness is both a deeply moving story of family， loss and love， and a provocative lesson in mindfulness and the art of mastering inner peace。 After his father’s death， Benny Oh starts hearing voices。 At first the voice is his father’s。 But then he starts to hear the voices of other things: chairs， mouldy cheese， half-eaten cartons of yoghurt， and even books。 His mother， Annabelle， is also grieving。 Empty in her own way， she pulls inward and becomes a hoarder。 Alone and haunted by the voices around him， Benny retreats to the library where he discovers another kind of family in the colourful characters who gather there， including a homeless poet and a silver-haired girl trying to be a street artist。 It is here among the books， that Benny must find his own voice。Reviewed for The Press Association。 。。。more
Heather Trevis
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This book is about a boy who starts experiencing auditory hallucinations after the death of his father。 An interesting and unusual book about love， loss， mental health and people's relationship to things， but ultimately not for me。 This book is about a boy who starts experiencing auditory hallucinations after the death of his father。 An interesting and unusual book about love， loss， mental health and people's relationship to things， but ultimately not for me。 。。。more
Brian
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Thank you to Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this title。Ruth Ozeki's 'The Book of Form and Emptiness' is a complex， multi-layered narrative about grief， trauma， belonging， adolescence， homelessness， the Trump Era， and Buddhism。 And Walter Benjamin。 It is a rewarding read。 I am constitutionally averse to children but found this lengthy novel about a 14-year-old boy engaging nonetheless。 Thank you to Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this title。Ruth Ozeki's 'The Book of Form and Emptiness' is a complex， multi-layered narrative about grief， trauma， belonging， adolescence， homelessness， the Trump Era， and Buddhism。 And Walter Benjamin。 It is a rewarding read。 I am constitutionally averse to children but found this lengthy novel about a 14-year-old boy engaging nonetheless。 。。。more
Mary Beth
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The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth OzekiThe Book of Form and Emptiness is a very moving， emotional tale that uses a unique narrative structure to tell the story。 The main narrator is a book about Benny’s life， but we also hear from Benny himself and his mother， excerpts from a book called Tidy Magic about how to make your home and life tidy and minimalist， and from the author of Tidy Magic。 The book acts as an omniscient narrator， able to see all and share the characters’ feelings and though The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth OzekiThe Book of Form and Emptiness is a very moving， emotional tale that uses a unique narrative structure to tell the story。 The main narrator is a book about Benny’s life， but we also hear from Benny himself and his mother， excerpts from a book called Tidy Magic about how to make your home and life tidy and minimalist， and from the author of Tidy Magic。 The book acts as an omniscient narrator， able to see all and share the characters’ feelings and thoughts， but it also shares the thoughts and feelings of books （both its own and the thoughts and feelings of books in general）。Benny's father died last year， and now Benny is hearing voices。 Pencils， plants， shoes， and sweaters all have something to say （although Benny can't always understand what it is they're saying）。 Once his mother realizes he’s hearing voices， she takes him to a psychiatrist （and eventually commits him to a mental hospital for a short period of time）。 There Benny meets an older teen named the Aleph who befriends him。 The Aleph is an artist， and she shares “challenges” for the other kids to do， including things like， “Face a blank wall。 Pretend the wall is a mirror” and “Hug yourself and say I love you。 Repeat until true。” Benny's mother is a hoarder who works from home （a job that requires her to keep an archive of past news items， which makes the hoarding even worse）。 She desperately misses her husband， despairs about what to do about Benny’s mental illness， and suffers from her own challenges， such as being isolated and depressed。 She also is concerned about losing their home （their landlord’s son is threatening to evict her while his mother is in the hospital）， and losing her job， as computers and AI software make the manual clipping and saving of articles obsolete。The format of the book （a book within a book） really works with Benny's strange world and his experiences。 Benny decides school is too much， and hides out at the main library， a 9-story building with a bindery in the basement。 The Aleph hangs out there most days， along with Slavoj， an unhomed man who writes poetry and also hears voices。 The two take him under their wings and present an alternative view from the school and the psychiatrist – that hearing voices doesn’t necessarily mean you’re crazy， but that you are more in tune with the world around you。This is a long book， and at times， the narrative dragged a bit。 But overall， I really enjoyed reading Benny’s story and pondering what mental illness is， and what we as a society should be doing to help people find stable housing and good mental care。 The book somehow manages to remain hopeful， even with so much tragedy and strife described in its pages。 Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader’s copy of a thought-provoking book。 。。。more
Alicia
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https://wordnerdy。blogspot。com/2021/0。。。So I will read anything by Ruth Ozeki， and my hopes were especially high for this one based on the pre-pub buzz and of course on her previous novel， A Tale for the Time Being。 And parts of this definitely lived up to said hopes， and some other parts kind of stressed me out。 This is the story of young teen Benny （and to a lesser extent， his mother）， as told by a Book with occasional interjections from Benny himself。 Benny's musician father has died in a fai https://wordnerdy。blogspot。com/2021/0。。。So I will read anything by Ruth Ozeki， and my hopes were especially high for this one based on the pre-pub buzz and of course on her previous novel， A Tale for the Time Being。 And parts of this definitely lived up to said hopes， and some other parts kind of stressed me out。 This is the story of young teen Benny （and to a lesser extent， his mother）， as told by a Book with occasional interjections from Benny himself。 Benny's musician father has died in a fairly ridiculous accident， and now Benny is hearing voices of objects around him。 Meanwhile his mother， grief-stricken and traumatized by childhood sexual abuse， has become a hoarder。 I loved the meta parts of this; everything with Benny and his book was great。 I also loved all the denizens of the Library （of course）。 The novel deals unflinchingly with drug abuse， trauma， grief， and mental illness， and that makes it a little hard to read at times。 This book is great， but the ending didn’t a hundred percent work for me。 Ozeki creates such interesting worlds， though。 Definitely worth a read。 A/A-。__A review copy was provided by the publisher。 This book will be released on September 21st。 。。。more
Aly
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For full review， check out my blog: alyrusciano。wordpress。com/2021/09/08/。。。THE EX TALK is an absolute delight that will leave you blushing， grinning from ear to ear， and giggling uncontrollably。 Solomon weaves a story that is utterly real， pulling her readers in with each characters’ lovable personality and relatable past。The pace is perfect， each beat propelling the plot in a way that will have you asking for more。 The relationships Solomon builds are real and three-dimensional as if the chara For full review， check out my blog: alyrusciano。wordpress。com/2021/09/08/。。。THE EX TALK is an absolute delight that will leave you blushing， grinning from ear to ear， and giggling uncontrollably。 Solomon weaves a story that is utterly real， pulling her readers in with each characters’ lovable personality and relatable past。The pace is perfect， each beat propelling the plot in a way that will have you asking for more。 The relationships Solomon builds are real and three-dimensional as if the characters themselves have been picked up off the streets and plopped onto the pages。 THE EX TALK doesn’t just focus on romantic relationships， but parental/familial relationships and friendships as well。 Shay has to navigate through a jumbled but lonely social life。 We see her relationship with her father， mother， soon-to-be step-father， best friend， and coworkers。 Solomon plays with the dynamics of all types of relationships to build a character and story that bleeds truth。 。。。more
Leslie
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Literary Hub， August 31， 2021
Richard Carilo
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Critical Score: 4。5Personal Score: 4。75Total Score: 9。25
Beth
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