Author | Ruth Ozeki |
---|---|
Language | English |
Publisher | Viking (US) Canongate Books (UK) |
Publication date | September 21, 2021 |
Publication place | USA |
Pages | 560pp |
ISBN | 9781838855277 |
OCLC | 1287597597 |
813.6 |
The Book of Form and Emptiness is a novel by American author Ruth Ozeki, published in 2021 by Viking. Ozeki's fourth novel, the book won the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction. The story follows a boy who hears voices from inanimate objects while the narrative explores themes of mental illness and bereavement. [1]
The novel was partially inspired by Zen Buddhism. A question from a Zen parable; "do insentient beings speak the dharma?” formed the central theme of the narrative. The death of Ozeki's father also shaped the book. Ozeki took eight years to write the book. [2]
The library that plays a central role in the story is based on Vancouver Public Library. Ozeki previously spent time in the system's central branch researching her 1998 debut novel, My Year of Meats. [3]
Following the death of his father, Benny Oh, an American boy of Japanese-Korean descent, [4] begins hearing voices calling out from inanimate objects. Oh's relationship with his mother, an archivist and hoarder, deteriorates and he begins spending time in a public library, befriending a group of outsiders including an artist and a poet. [5]
The story is mostly narrated by the book itself. Some sections of the novel are narrated by Oh. [6]
The novel received mixed reviews. The Guardian praised Ozeki's "calm, dry, methodical good humour and wit". [5] The Washington Post described the narrative as "cluttered" but also described the book as "compelling". [7] The Daily Telegraph described the book as "a preachy, whimsical mess". [8]
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