A very bookish book. A book narrated by a book even! Often funny, a bit whimsical, ambitious, wide ranging, very wide ranging. We love d Ruth Ozeki s A Tale for the Time Being abd hope this book does just as well for her.

This book took me such a long time to read, so much so that I would keep checking my Kindle to see where I was at, almost despondent that I appeared to be stuck at 23%! It wasn't until perhaps the last quarter that I felt like I was moving through it at any pace at all. And so sometimes I wasn't sure I wanted to pick it up and read it, and I read about 3 other books since starting this one! But that's not to say I didn't like it - some of it is just wonderfully written and whenever I did pick it back up again I found myself caught up in Annabelle and Benny's story. But it took *so long* to move, and I think at times was just became too much for itself.
I liked the idea of it though, the character of 'the book', the thoughts around grief, family, hoarding, work, Zen tidying, friendship and mental health. It covers a lot, and so much of it is done very well, and perhaps it's just that it tries to do such a huge amount, and make so many side characters real?

I love Ozeki's novels. They always have such raw, gorgeous realism touched with the intensity of a fever dream. This was no exception - I loved the dynamics between the characters, and how you saw both their own perceptions and also how they were interpreted by others. Another one of hers I would whole heartedly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this arc in return for a fair and honest review.

I felt totally bogged down with all of the loss, heartbreak and despair. I could relate to Benny and all of the issues he faced but it was just too depressing. There was no light and shade at all. Despite this, the language in this book was beautifully written. Furthermore, the way the author described these hard topics was both sensitive, respectful and delicate.

Ruth Ozeki is one of my ultimate drop-everything-and-read authors, and this didn't disappoint – it's a strange, thoughtful and ultimately compassionate story that seamlessly interweaves the story of a young boy grieving the sudden death of his father, a mother struggling with guilt and trauma, and a Japanese Buddhist monk who becomes an international celebrity after writing a book on tidying up. It's wonderfully creative and intricate and sings with love and respect for books themselves and the magic (and sometimes problems) they bring us. Thank you very much to Canongate for the review copy

Wow, this was a good one! I absolutely adored Ozeki's "Tale for a time being"---so "The book of form and emptiness" had to live up to my great expectations, but it did. We are confronted with so many topics--mental health, hoarding, loss and coping, coming of age, and--my favorite part--finding your story. This book truly was an awesome read and I'm more than happy that I read it at this point, because it cured my reading slump.

The main thing that made me power through this book (albeit reluctantly at times) was the relationship between Benny and his Mum. It was painful, beautiful and upsetting. The dialogue between the two of them made me wince at times, their grief for Kenji seeping through the pages. That aside however, I didn’t love this tale as much as I’d hoped I would. I am never a fan of books within books or trippy/dream sequences at the best of times, and I clocked out when we had to read parts of the tidying book. I wish we could have focused more on the real life family dynamics and perhaps learned more about their back story instead of getting meta with The Book et al.

I am sure many people will love this book but it did not quite work for me. I liked the premise of Benny; a grieving little boy living with his mother, who starts hearing objects speaking; but I found the execution confusing. I loved Ruth Ozeki's previous books but this one tries to go into too many directions and ended up being... messy and confusing. The chapters alternate between the voice of Benny - which did not sound like I would imagine a young boy sounding, and ended up being a bit cringy; and chapters from The Book (yes); which were corny and whose 'wisdom' about how a book can save a life etc I found cliche. Despite loving her ideas and her way of integrating various cultures and thoughts cleverly into her books, this one in particular just did not work for me.

An ambitious read and a book that requires, justifiably, your full commitment. Go sit in a quiet room and immerse yourselves as it is essential it has your undivided attention. And you wont be disappointed.

The book of form and emptiness is a very intimate tale. The story of Annabelle and her teenage son, Benny; characters who are taken through their immeasurable loss, of Kenji, and how they learn to survive, evolve and grow from their grief.

This is a book built on many layers of the human psyche. It is heart warming and painful, at times funny, but also very dark, highlighting the rawness of experiences. And yet compassionate because it is all so so familiar to so many of us who have suffered loss and had to grieve, cope, expressed ourselves perhaps negatively in dealing or not dealing with the circumstances we found ourselves within, but then slowly learned to heal and grow new growth from its ashes

Despite the subject matter (death, grief, mental ill-health, loneliness but also relationships and love), this is a really uplifting book. Teenager Benny and his mother, Annabel, are struggling to cope following the death of Benny's father, As their worlds spiral out of control, Benny begins to hear voices in inanimate objects, whilst his mother seeks solace in her own possessions which are sentimental to her. After losing her job, however, Annabel's hoarding is taking over her life and the voices Benny hears are getting louder, to the point where the only place he feels really safe is the local library. Benny's story is partly narrated by the book of his life, which eventually helps Benny make (a sort of) sense of it all and reminds the reader how books can help us through all sorts of situations. Following Benny's admission to hospital and Annabel almost being evicted from their home, the story eventually comes full circle as they each begin to rediscover the things that truly matter.
There are many layers to this narrative, which is complex and captivating, and well worth the time.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I very recently read and finished A Tale for the Time Being, which was my first taste of Ruth Ozeki's writing, and absolutely loved it. So, I was eager to dive straight into Ozeki's new book, quite sure it was going to be a similarly captivating and phenomenal read. In hindsight, this was probably a mistake as I ended up making a lot of comparisons between the books while reading and The Book of Form and Emptiness didn't quite live up to its predecessor for me. Having said that, it was still a good and "enjoyable" read (as enjoyable as a book of this subject matter can be) and I still remain in awe of Ozeki's writing, particularly her ability to weave a setting, plot and characters so beautifully that you can't help but get sucked into the world and find yourself struggling to put the book down.

The plot itself was interesting enough and the characters compelling. One thing I really liked about A Tale for the Time Being was how the magical realism starts off quite subtly and then builds up really beautifully. However, it's a lot more heavy handed in this book, which I was less keen on. It took me a bit of time to get used to the personification of objects throughout the book, with The Book being the main narrator, but after a while I started to enjoy it and thought it was a great use of stylistic device for effect.

The subplot of the Japanese nun and tidiness writer felt a little strange to me because Aikon was very clearly modelled off of Marie Kondo and her impact in Western media, but they were a bit too similar (for example, Aikon faces online backlash as people misinterpret her comments about not owning lots of books out of context, which is something that happened with Marie Kondo). I think the similarities being so obvious took me out of the story a bit. To be honest, something about part of the story being set in 2016 and seeing the immediate reactions to Trump's victory in the election was also something that took me out of the story a bit.

Overall, while this book didn't quite live up to the high expectations I had for it, I would still recommend it and will for sure be keeping an eye out for and eagerly awaiting any future works of Ozeki. I read A Tale for the Time Being in audio form, which I think really elevated the experience, so perhaps it would be worth reading this book in audio form on first read too.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Benny lives with his mum. Since his dad died they have both struggled with grief. For Benny this gets harder when he starts to hear voices.
It's an interesting book that explores the difficulties of people trying to navigate their own issues and understand those around them.
The book is narrated in part by a book (itself?) which gives more detail to the story and fills you in on other characters.
Obviously given the subject matter its sad in places but, there is also a lot of hope in there. A reminder that we can move through grief and difficulty.

Benny Oh is a thirteen year old boy who hears voices in his head, something which starts shortly after the sudden death of his jazz playing father. His mother, Annabelle, struggles to cope with loss, work and life. It’s a disaster.

Benny is helped by the existence of the town library, a teenage girl who is also living outside society and an old man in a wheelchair. It’s an odd mix. He isn’t helped by the expectations of school, society and the interventions of psychiatrists.

All this is narrated in, or perhaps by, The Book, the one of form and emptiness, and this book like so many things has a voice of its own. At one level, this is simply a story about a teenage boy with some kind of schizophrenia and that story is certainly powerfully recounted but there’s more to it than that.

The book makes constant references to Walter Benjamin and, perhaps, his belief that a work of art is shaped by its creation and so becomes original. The book is shaping and forming Benny’s life story as it tells it.

The result is compelling reading underpinned by an imaginative and compassionate understanding of Benny’s schizophrenia but as to whether the separate narratives presented by Benny, the ‘story’, and by the book work together is debatable.

I enjoyed the book, the portrayal of Benny is beautifully measured and controlled and I understand the conceit of the book having its own voice but, for me, there wasn’t enough coherence in what is a sort of happy ending. You’ll have to read it for yourself and decide!

✨Wise, compassionate and wonderfully insightful. Ruth Ozeki’s new novel ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’ is a brilliant ‘book about books’, which talks about storytelling and the importance of libraries; those glorious places of safety, escape, learning and discovery.

It’s also the story of Benny Oh and his mother who have suffered a terrible loss, each grieving yet separate and unable to share their pain.

Looking at mental health and loneliness, capitalism and consumption, misfits, outsiders and life on the margins of society, this is a hopeful and philosophical story, filled with kindness, about how books can help us find our way; as too can love. Superb stuff!✨

An unusual book, which I struggled with at times. I'm glad I persisted though, this is a moving story, which really makes the reader think. I will definitely recommend it.

When a book hits you close to home it's hard to review because it becomes something personal and you can be very generic or you end up oversharing.
I don't want to overshare but this book made me reflect, cry and I was emotionally involved in what I read.
It's not an easy or entertaining read, it's weird at time. It's the story of a coming of age, of grief, and books.
There's magic realism, there're heartbreaking moments but there's also plenty of food for thought.
The author delivers a great story and great characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was sent a copy of The Book of Form & Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki to read and review by NetGalley. I loved this book! Not only did it resonate on a personal level (hoarding!) it gave great insight into philosophy, psychology, friendship, and of course words – and indeed books themselves. This novel takes you on a journey through the life and mind of a young boy, Benny, who is struggling after the death of his father. We also get to know his mother Annabelle very well, along with all the other well drawn characters who populate this story. This is a book that will stay with me and I believe help me through situations in my own life, and there are not many novels that you can say will do that!

‘Is it odd to see a book within a book? It shouldn’t be. Books like each other. We understand each other. You could even say we are all related, enjoying a kinship that stretches like a rhizomatic network beneath human consciousness and knits the world of thought together. Think of us as a mycelium, a vast, subconscious fungal mat beneath a forest floor, and each book a fruiting body. Like mushrooms, we are a collectivity. Our pronouns are we, our, us.’

My thanks to Canongate for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Book of Form & Emptiness’ by Ruth Ozeki in exchange for an honest review. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook, narrated by Kerry Shale, for an immersive experience.

Some years back I had read Ruth Ozeki’s ‘A Tale for the Time Being’ (actually three times including for two reading groups). It remains one of my favourite books and so I was very pleased to read her latest novel.

I found ‘The Book of Form & Emptiness’ a poignant coming-of-age story, though it is multilayered and explores loss and bereavement, mental illness and Zen Buddhist philosophy. It is also a novel that celebrates books and libraries. It is not an easy novel to summarise.

Its protagonist is thirteen-year-old Benny Oh. A year after the death of Kenji, his beloved musician father, Benny begins to hear voices. Not of people but of things - a running shoe, a broken Christmas ornament, even food in the fridge. While Benny doesn’t understand what these things are saying, he is able to sense their emotional tone. Yet when his grieving mother, Annabelle, becomes more withdrawn and develops a hoarding problem, the voices become more clamorous.

One object he can understand is Book, who serves as an unusual universal narrator throughout the novel. Other chapters are narrated by Benny, who also addresses the Book.

Another theme is Annabelle’s hoarding, which is linked to her bereavement. It’s quite heartbreaking as she is so trapped. On whim she buys a small book titled, ‘Tidy Magic: The Ancient Zen Art of Clearing Your Clutter and Revolutionizing Your Life’. She ignores it but it keeps popping up as if sentient.

‘Tidy Magic’ is written by Aikon, a former fashion-and-lifestyle writer turned Buddhist monk. Annabelle feels a special link to the author given that Kenji had been Japanese and for a time had lived in a Buddhist monastery before discovering his vocation as a musician.

‘Tidy Magic’ and Aikon are clearly inspired by Marie Kondo. Ruth Ozeki does poke a little gentle fun at the trend for self-help books about decluttering and organising while remaining respectful.

Overall, ‘The Book of Form & Emptiness’ is a beautifully written novel, full of wisdom and compassion. It has moments of sadness and tragedy, as well as inspiration and humour. Just wonderful. I loved it and will be recommending it widely. Like ‘A Tale for the Time Being’ I expect that it will prove a popular choice for reading groups. I know that I will be proposing it to my own.

Highly recommended.

This is such an ambitious novel, with just so many ideas that it occasionally feels almost overwhelming, and yet somehow Ozeki manages to hold it all together and weave a coherent narrative that rarely falters. It’s the story of Annabelle and Benny who have lost their musician husband and father in a tragic accident and who now have to find a way to survive without him. Things soon start to fall apart. Annabelle can’t help acquiring and hoarding “stuff”, whilst Benny’s mental health deteriorates alarmingly when he starts to hear voices. Everything spirals out of control. This central relationship of mother and son is at the heart of the novel and the most moving aspect of it. These two characters are just so real and their story so heart-breaking. But some aspects didn’t work so well for me. Some of the wide cast of often off-beat characters didn’t convince me and I found them less relatable. And then there’s the Book, the book that has an actual voice and narrates some of the chapters. This just didn’t work for me and stops me being quite as enthusiastic as I might otherwise have been. However, there is so much to enjoy apart from this one small quibble, and there are so many themes to contemplate, from grief, mental health, motherhood, consumerism to Buddhism and much more. Original, powerful and moving, this is a novel to read slowly and savour, and I was completely caught up in nearly all of it.

This is a good book. I know it is. Ruth Ozeki is a great writer and I've enjoyed her previous books immensely. All that said, I just didn't enjoy reading it and couldn't connect with the characters or story at all.

It's not you, it's very definitely me. My rating is based on my enjoyment of the book and not representative of its quality. Review not posted anywhere else.