I was utterly engrossed by the beginning of this book. Benny's family really came to life and when his father died the descent into grief and mental instability of both the boy and his mother was tangible. At first I liked the idea of the book being one of the narrators, but it all got a bit too complicated and confusing as the narrative progressed.

Basically I just think the book is too long and would have been better without the constant wondering if the Bottleman and The Aleph (with her single ferret annoyingly referred to in the plural - if there was a point to this, I don't know what it was) were real or voices in Benny's head.

There was so much to like, especially Annabelle's story. I was always happy to get back to her as her sections were told in a very straightforward style, whereas The Book just became more and more difficult to follow.

I was hoping all along that Benny and Annabelle would find a way through their problems. but for me the healing at the end was just a bit sudden and hard to believe in.

I loved the previous books by Ruth Ozeki, but this one left me with mixed feelings. I struggled to find the suspension of belief necessary to keep on reading about talking objects and talking books. I am sorry but I am biased: every time I read that someone is hearing voices, I am pretty sure it's a case of schizofrenia because that's the clinical psychologist in me that cannot shut up....

Ho amato i libri precedenti di Ruth Ozeki, ma questo mi ha lasciato con sentimenti contrastanti. Ho faticato per continuare a leggere di oggetti e libri parlanti. Mi dispiace ma sono prevenuta e ogni volta che leggo di qualcuno sente delle voci, sono convinta che si tratti di schizofrenia perché la psicologa clinica che c'è in me che non può stare zitta....

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

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I started off enjoying The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki and the relationship between recently widowed Annabelle and her son Benny but then everything else seemed too much on top of that.