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The Memory Police: A Novel
Finalist for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award
A haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the acclaimed author of The Housekeeper and the Professor.
On an unnamed island, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses. . . . Most of the inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few able to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten. When a young writer discovers that her editor is in danger, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards, and together they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past. Powerful and provocative, The Memory Police is a stunning novel about the trauma of loss.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
THE NEW YORK TIMES * THE WASHINGTON POST * TIME * CHICAGO TRIBUNE * THE GUARDIAN * ESQUIRE * THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS * FINANCIAL TIMES * LIBRARY JOURNAL * THE A.V. CLUB * KIRKUS REVIEWS * LITERARY HUB
American Book Award winner
A haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the acclaimed author of The Housekeeper and the Professor.
On an unnamed island, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses. . . . Most of the inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few able to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten. When a young writer discovers that her editor is in danger, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards, and together they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past. Powerful and provocative, The Memory Police is a stunning novel about the trauma of loss.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
THE NEW YORK TIMES * THE WASHINGTON POST * TIME * CHICAGO TRIBUNE * THE GUARDIAN * ESQUIRE * THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS * FINANCIAL TIMES * LIBRARY JOURNAL * THE A.V. CLUB * KIRKUS REVIEWS * LITERARY HUB
American Book Award winner
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Community Reviews
This is the second work by Yoko Ogawa that I have read. Despite this, I am still in awe at the concurrent depth and peaceful simplicity with which she voices her stories. Ogawa writes with such elegance and clarity that I can almost imagine myself amongst the characters on the quiet island our unnamed narrator calls home.
The Memory Police was a deeply unsettling, yet undeniably radiant story of love, quiet rebellion, control vs. acceptance, and arguably most important of all, how memories shape us as human beings.
The Memory Police is desperately trying to inform us of the sheer weight of memories, and how vital they are to our personhood. They are not merely visions and recollections of our past; they are the very substance of our humanity. Our memories shape and define who we are, how we view ourselves, and ultimately who we will become. In addition, this story teaches that memory is not concrete. Rather, it is a tangible entity that can be altered in many ways, at any time. Theories in psychology state that our memories have the possibility of being changed any time they are recalled, and its fascinating how masterfully Ogawa incorporated science into her story.
So The Memory Police begs the question: without your memories, who would you be? The narrator in The Memory Police describes each concurrent disappearance as a growing hole in her heart. Her memories are so vital to her that their loss seems to take a physical form. This leads me to believe that this story, though fantasy, warns us of the very real consequences of losing sight of who we are. Overall 10/10 loved this book please read it!
The Memory Police was a deeply unsettling, yet undeniably radiant story of love, quiet rebellion, control vs. acceptance, and arguably most important of all, how memories shape us as human beings.
The Memory Police is desperately trying to inform us of the sheer weight of memories, and how vital they are to our personhood. They are not merely visions and recollections of our past; they are the very substance of our humanity. Our memories shape and define who we are, how we view ourselves, and ultimately who we will become. In addition, this story teaches that memory is not concrete. Rather, it is a tangible entity that can be altered in many ways, at any time. Theories in psychology state that our memories have the possibility of being changed any time they are recalled, and its fascinating how masterfully Ogawa incorporated science into her story.
So The Memory Police begs the question: without your memories, who would you be? The narrator in The Memory Police describes each concurrent disappearance as a growing hole in her heart. Her memories are so vital to her that their loss seems to take a physical form. This leads me to believe that this story, though fantasy, warns us of the very real consequences of losing sight of who we are. Overall 10/10 loved this book please read it!
It seems that readers of this book fall into one of two categories. Either you embrace and accept the lack of plot development and look for the conceptual meanings within the book, or you find yourself frustrated or disappointed with the lack of explanations or resolutions of issues in the story.
For me, the premise of the world doesn't work. We are presented with a situation where people forget about objects/animals/ideas en masse and the Memory Police enforce these "forgettings". But why? If it's an alternative reality where people naturally forget about objects collectively, why are the Memory Police enforcing this when it seems that the people are content enough to accept their reality anyway? This is not explored or explained.
Another option is that the Memory Police (or perhaps people above them, such as the government who may or may not exist in this world) are causing people to forget deliberately as some sort of means of control. But, again, why? The objects and things that are forgotten are fairly random, and there is no suggestion of certain things becoming forbidden because they cause rebellious attitudes towards the state or anything like that. There is no hint whatsoever of any explanation of anything that happens.
If you're happy to read a book that doesn't really have a substantial plot and instead may be more about how our memories shape our lives and personalities, this book might be okay for you. If you would prefer a story with character development and plot progression that has some sort of satisfactory conclusion (or even just some significant event or change within the storyline), then I suggest looking elsewhere. People compare this book to dystopian works, such as 1984 - this book is nothing like 1984, so you will be sorely disappointed if that comparison is the reason for your interest.
TLDR: nothing happens - don't bother with this one.
I give it a 7 because the writing is beautiful and the idea is really unique. The story moves slowly, but that adds to the sad and dreamlike feeling. It makes you think about memory, loss, and how important it is to remember who we are. Even though it’s not fast-paced, it stays with you.
What a waste of time! There is no plot, multiple points of view that are difficult to decipher. Things happen for no apparent reason. Is it supposed to a be a huge metaphor? If so, it is never explained or even hinted at. I really wanted it to get to a point or some reason for existence, but one never came. :(
I need to think about this for at least a few hours before I write a review.
Okay, I thought about it! Review time:
First, I wish I had read this in a shorter span of time. I think it would have been more effective. There was one point toward the end where a family was mentioned by last name and it took me a little too long to remember who they were.
All of the reviews for the book that say the last 1/4 of the book is a bit rushed are correct. While the first half is very strong, it tapers off. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, but I do think it could have been done better. It is totally possible that it's done this way for the atmosphere and to make the themes hit home, in which case, kudos to the author.
I really enjoyed the story within the story, and how it melts into the main story by the end. The characters were likable, and the relationship between the main character and the old man was sweet.
Another reviewer comments that there is a distance between the reader and the characters, possibly due to the translation, or possibly due to the lack of fluff and inner monologue. I sat with this for a bit, but in the end, I disagree. The same way the old man makes the POV character feel safe, I feel it too. And when he passes away and the feeling of safety leaves, like something really bad can happen now, I also felt that. I know who these characters are, and care about what happens to them.
Although I was able to predict some things such as the old man's brain hemorrhage I still wanted to continue reading and see what happened. One thing I wasn't expecting was the heavy holocaust imagery.
At one point I wondered if it might be going in the direction of [b:Running Out of Time|227658|Running Out of Time|Margaret Peterson Haddix|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408913584l/227658._SY75_.jpg|888455]but there wasn't enough time for that to be the case. While that would have been really cool, it wasn't the point.
This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions: what was up with that tea? What really happened to her mother? Where were all of the people taken away taken to? Where did R go in the end? What are his wife and child up to?
Guess I'll never know, and I'm content with that.
Okay, I thought about it! Review time:
First, I wish I had read this in a shorter span of time. I think it would have been more effective. There was one point toward the end where a family was mentioned by last name and it took me a little too long to remember who they were.
All of the reviews for the book that say the last 1/4 of the book is a bit rushed are correct. While the first half is very strong, it tapers off. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, but I do think it could have been done better. It is totally possible that it's done this way for the atmosphere and to make the themes hit home, in which case, kudos to the author.
I really enjoyed the story within the story, and how it melts into the main story by the end. The characters were likable, and the relationship between the main character and the old man was sweet.
Another reviewer comments that there is a distance between the reader and the characters, possibly due to the translation, or possibly due to the lack of fluff and inner monologue. I sat with this for a bit, but in the end, I disagree. The same way the old man makes the POV character feel safe, I feel it too. And when he passes away and the feeling of safety leaves, like something really bad can happen now, I also felt that. I know who these characters are, and care about what happens to them.
Although I was able to predict some things such as the old man's brain hemorrhage I still wanted to continue reading and see what happened. One thing I wasn't expecting was the heavy holocaust imagery.
At one point I wondered if it might be going in the direction of [b:Running Out of Time|227658|Running Out of Time|Margaret Peterson Haddix|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408913584l/227658._SY75_.jpg|888455]but there wasn't enough time for that to be the case. While that would have been really cool, it wasn't the point.
This book left me with a lot of unanswered questions: what was up with that tea? What really happened to her mother? Where were all of the people taken away taken to? Where did R go in the end? What are his wife and child up to?
Guess I'll never know, and I'm content with that.
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