The Memory Police | 
October's bookclub pick...my pick. Such a strange story almost prescient with what is going on in our world today.
I chose So-So as it is not for everyone and is an allegory of the human condition in terms of acceptance, memory, forgetfulness.
Leigh in bookclub did a deep dive into the authors intent & learned the author wanted to address Japan's forgetting of their atrocities in WW2 which were many and horrendous.
#SchoolSpirit #Memories
Two very different books by the same author that have to do with memory. And probably the only Maroon 5 song I know. https://youtu.be/o2DXt11SMNI?si=NDfJyrSK7RjiHqJS
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
so-soThis didn‘t work for me. The narrator‘s voice was so perky that I had trouble connecting with the more sinister parts of it. I‘m trying another book for #AuthorAMonth in print.
A young woman lives on an island where the memory police enforce the disappearance of items from lexicon of their world. But some people can remember these items after they disappear. The woman‘s editor is one of these people, and she must hide him from the memory police.
Coordinated my cup to my book today, without even meaning to! 😂 This was recommended by my honorary cousin (well, she asked if I would read it for her for her class 😂), and I‘m enjoying it so far…even though there is definitely an eerie vibe that‘s unsettling about the concept… #thememorypolice #yokoogawa #intranslation
1. Yes I have plenty of books to read on my bookshelf that I haven‘t read yet.😆
2. About 4 years.
I‘m
pickThe first half is, unfortunately, a little uneven. The world building is a little clunky and leaves some holes and inconsistencies behind. But Ogawa's words are always beautiful. And then about half way, I found emotional investment and didn't mind the plot holes so much. The second half was love and heartbreak, leading to a haunting conclusion. Well worth pushing through.
#NewYearWhoDis #NYWD22 @monalyisha
so-soThe Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. Book 7 of 2021.
Ironically, I don‘t remember much about this aside from the very basic plot.
so-soIncredible writing and a very haunting and immersive story. However I was expecting some sort of an explanation for the events happening, some sort of reasoning which the ending did not offer. Still a great read nevertheless.
pickThis was mesmerisingly sad. Before you pick up this beautiful book just know that it is almost dreamlike or a fable - you won‘t get answers, there is no world building. You will be immersed in one woman‘s intimate struggle to try and save a person who remembers on an island where everyone collectively forgets - for example one day flowers disappear. (And therefore ladybugs I‘m guessing like this little guy I found) ⬇️
pickI feel that my words won‘t do this novel justice. It‘s a rare beauty, a haunting tale that manages to stay quiet and gentle while letting the horrors creep in. It broke my heart but then also hugged me. When finished I felt that I wish it was longer. A true gem.
#BookReport
Finished/ read:
📚 Vernon Subutex 3
📚 The Ickabog #Ickabogalong
📚 Night Sky with Exit Wounds
🎧 The Memory Police
📚 Love and Other Thought Experiments
In progress:
📚 Anne‘s House of Dreams #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
📚 Mansfield Park #PemberLittens
Another great reading week is in the books.
The Memory Police and Love and Other Thought Experiments were absolutely amazing.
pickWHAT A BOOK. Our protagonist tells the story of herself, The Old Man and R. They live on an island where the memory police controls everything. If the memory police decides that all birds are to disappear, no one will know what it is, all things with birds on it will be burned and your home will be raided. And in this way the memory police have things disappeared. And we follow our protagonist as she experience this and have to deal with it.
pick#ReadingAsia2021 @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle
I know others didn't enjoy this one, but I really did. There isn't a lot of action, however, the premise of a small town where things are being forgotten was unique and terrifying to me. I did want more explanation, but overall it didn't distract from me becoming immersed in the story.
Looking for an odd fiction story where things go missing in a Japanese town.
Try Yoko Ogawa's Memory Police
Theres a certain whimsical style to all the Japanese novels that I‘ve read, and this dystopian novel is no exception. It raises some interesting questions on memory loss and perception.
#12Booksof2020
@Andrew65
Thank you @squirrelbrain for my lovely birthday gift 💗
And thank you all for the birthday wishes you made me feel not so forgotten about! 🥰💛
#librarybook #booksiown #birthdaygifts #litsyfamily #litsyfriends #reflectonlife #jbuk #reading
so-soThe synopsis had me excited and going into this with high hopes. I liked the atmosphere the author set up but I found the explanations for the events to be far too vague for this one to be a pick.
panRead my review of The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa.
https://bit.ly/2VJ4a2w
RRKReads rating: ⭐⭐
#2020 #YearEndReadingPlans #RRKReadsTBR #BookReviews
Ohhh look what just arrived!!! 😀 Thank you so much @kathedron Kate! I‘ve been dying to read this for ages now! 📚 🎁 ❤️
pickI‘m quite a fan of Japanese writing, which based on what I‘ve read so far, is very understated in its prose but can pack quite a punch. This tale of control, memory and loss is no exception, and I loved it.
Don‘t usually link to other sites but as I loved this book so much, I‘m linking my Goodreads review https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37004370
This clears one of my Free Spaces on #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
pick#bookclubworthy #booked2020 @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen
Penultimate in the challenge + a bk i suggested for my book club in dec (zoom at mo).
Loved this wonderfully unnerving story abt an island where things disappear; roses, birds,photos, ferry boats novels+ individuals lose their memories as police pounce on offenders & those whose memories survive. Beautiful and v scary in equal measure, I think it will be a classic.
pickUnpopular opinion because I loved this book. It is slow pace, not much action. Theme was common in the 80‘ but book was recently translated.
Small things start to disappear until memories and meaning of those objects are part of an oblivion world, nothingness will prevailed. Some will retain their memories and will be in the Memory Police list. Who we are without memories. Small details and friendship will be
meaningful and worthy. Continue👇
Inspired by @DebinHawaii and @Chrissyreadit I‘m #audiosouping to the tagged this foggy, rainy night whipping up some sweet potato black bean chili from Robin Robertson‘s One Dish Vegan.
And happy to have something hot and spicy on the way... this books is giving me chills!!
Also finished my #Screamathon list! 😁 This was fun as well!
@4thhouseontheleft
I just found that a book I read (and loved) earlier this year will be adapted to film. I have mixed feelings about this (granted I almost always do about books to film...)
On the one hand I‘m super curious how they are going to go about this endeavor, given the nature of the narrative. On the other hand, it‘s Kaufman so he‘ll probs make it work. 😄
https://lithub.com/charlie-kaufman-is-adapting-yoko-ogawas-the-memory-police-int...
pickOne of the best pieces of fiction i have read this year. It's a haunting allegory of loss. Set on an unnamed island in Japan, objects (& imo, these could be as living as a living thing itself) and associated memories disappear from people's lives. What I particularly found interesting was the writing – on the surface the prose appears simple, but when you meditate upon it, each sentence is crafted so spectacularly that you can't 👇🏽
"The hand that had written the story, my eyes overflowing with tears, the cheeks that had received them -- they all disappeared in their turn, and in the end all that was left was a voice."
"The conscious mind is embedded in a subconscious that's ten times as powerful, which may make trying to pretend almost impossible."
What a haunting premise. #currentlyreading
panIt seemed to be strange just for the sake of being strange. The characters were flat and the plot while unique just evaporated.
pickWritten in deceptively simple prose, this is a beautiful and haunting tale of loss. It reminded me of Kafka and Orwell but this was a much more personal and gently horrifying story.
It is beautiful and allegorical but not in a heavy handed way. The author is good at conveying a sense of loss, even when the characters are not quite sure - because they can no longer remember - what it is they have lost. Curious where the story will go.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Surreal and subdued, this is a beautiful book. There‘s not much in the way of plot and things are never explained, so if that sort of thing bothers you too much, you may want to skip this, but if you‘re not bothered by those sorts of things, I‘d say this is worth a read.
#booked2020 #PanAsianAuthor #catsoflitsy #Phoenix
I sometimes wonder what was disappeared first—among all the things that have vanished from the island.
#firstlinefridays
pickI enjoyed this one, but don‘t have the energy to write a review. 4 ⭐️
International Booker Prize shortlist link: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/02/international-booker-prize-shortli...
Hi everyone! I hope you‘re all doing well. Status update I am just starting this now. I‘m pretty behind and I apologize as I‘m sure we‘ve all had to deal with a lot these past couple weeks. I will send it as soon as I‘m done. Thank you😊
pickA subtle yet horrifying look at authoritarianism, and how easy it is to slowly break people down into submission. Definitely reflective of our current age, and terrifying.
Decided at the very last moment to join the #stayhome24in48 readathon. I‘ve never done one before, so we‘ll see how far I get. Most of these are books I‘m already in the midst of reading, so I may be able to add even more to the docket (...assuming I can even concentrate that long!). But I‘ve definitely been spending too much time online, so this will be encouragement to step away, even if I don‘t finish!
pickThis was a haunting story that will stick with me for a while. It felt like a fairytale, but was so real in some ways. Recommend it, but only when you want something sad.
pick
An odd novel to define, it doesn't come to some satisfying conclusion, it isn't an exploration of some grand theme, it isn't a thrilling fight against an oppressor or extensional threat, it is beautifully written. Things just fade away and people endure. Eventually there is nothing left to forget and the world moves on. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I enjoyed it immensely.
pickAn odd and haunting tale. Yoko Ogawa is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She writes with efficiency and grace. I‘ll be thinking about this one for a while.
One more book completed for #readingwomenchallenge
pick#bookerinternational2020
Stunning but heartbreaking. I don‘t know if I‘ve read anything this poignant in a long time. The parallel story of the typist having her voice stolen and the MC slowly having her memory stolen as she fades away to a voice with the man who loves her trying to help her stay broke me. Side note, the fact that anyone thought piece of shit Seratonin was worthy to go alongside this on any list has me absolutely gobsmacked.
pickAn Orwellian novel dealing with state surveillance and a book that ponders how memories and sense of self are interrelated. I veered between seeing parallels to WWII...jack-booted gestapo agents “disappearing” parts of the population while those who are different seek refuge in safe houses/rooms...and thinking about the lived experience of Alzheimer‘s patients who slowly lose connections to things, loved ones and eventually themselves.
My #weeklyforecast for three books I hope to start/finish this week. First up is the tagged book for #lmpbc.
Also, just signed up for #yarc2020, a reading challenge focused on Asian authors. Here‘s info and sign up if of interest
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thequietpond.com/2020/01/03/welcome-back-to-the-yea...
pickBeautiful novel on the role of memory and truth in the construction of identity. How is truth determined? How much of a person‘s identity is a result of memory? What power does the state have to determine the truth and manipulate reality? These important questions are all explored in this novel. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
