The Book of Form and Emptiness

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 Book of Form and Emptiness
First edition (US)
AuthorRuth Ozeki
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
PublisherViking (US)
Canongate Books (UK)
Publication date
September 21, 2021
Pages560pp
ISBN9781838855277
OCLC1287597597
813.6

Background

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]

Summary

Following the death of his father, Benny Oh, a Canadian 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]

Reception

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]

Awards

References
  1. "Book review: The Book of Form & Emptiness, by Ruth Ozeki". Scotsman.com.
  2. "'Can objects teach us about reality?': Ruth Ozeki on her Women's prize-winning novel". The Guardian. June 17, 2022.
  3. "Ruth Ozeki's new novel, The Book of Form and Emptiness, draws inspiration from Vancouver Public Library". The Georgia Straight. October 14, 2021.
  4. "The Book of Form and Emptiness: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books".
  5. "The Book of Form & Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki review – a Zen chorus". The Guardian. October 6, 2021.
  6. "Ian Mond Reviews The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki". Locusmag.com. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  7. "If a book could talk, what would it say? Ruth Ozeki has some ideas". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  8. Scholes, Lucy (June 29, 2022). "How on earth did this preachy, whimsical mess win the 2022 Women's Prize?". Telegraph.co.uk.
  9. "The Book of Form and Emptiness". Womensprizeforfiction.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
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