The Memory Police: A Novel

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.

Weird but easy to read

This fantasy will haunt me for a long time, I think. Partly written as a story within a story, a novelist struggles to find balance and purpose in her life on an island where people disappear, but more notably where entire categories of things and all human memory of those things can also disappear.
We see her with her parents, an ornithologist and a sculptor, in flashbacks that help to set the stage for her more current life. Her mother was one of the few whose memories did not disappear and this put her at risk from the Memory Police. Eventually the Memory Police took her, but not before she told her daughter many stories about disappeared items - stamps, candies, emeralds, etc.
It really made me think about how our memory frames what we know of the world. If we lost that, what would we have?

A Thought-Provoking Yet Disappointing Journey: "Memory Police" by Yoko Ogawa "Memory Police" by Yoko Ogawa presents a captivating premise that initially sparks intrigue and curiosity. However, as the story unfolds, it leaves the reader yearning for more. While it's evident that Ogawa possesses exceptional writing skills and a gift for crafting vivid descriptions, the overall narrative falls short of its potential. One of the most striking aspects of "Memory Police" is Ogawa's impeccable prose. Her writing style is, without a doubt, a testament to her talent as an author. The evocative descriptions and intricate character portrayals create a vivid and haunting atmosphere that lingers in the reader's mind. The disappointment stems from the plot's failure to fully capitalize on its intriguing concept. The premise of an authoritarian society where memories are systematically erased and objects disappear is undeniably intriguing. However, the pacing is slow, and the narrative often feels stagnant, with not much happening to truly advance the story except things disappearing and a natural disaster. Readers hoping for a deeper exploration of the Memory Police themselves will be left wanting, as this aspect remains underdeveloped. Furthermore, the ending leaves many questions unanswered, leaving the reader with a sense of unfulfillment. It's clear that Ogawa had the potential to delve into thought-provoking themes, such as the impact of memory on identity and society, but in the case of this theme it was not fully realised in my opinion, hence the rating 4.

Not the easiest book to read. There's a slow, poetic pace to it. Perhaps because it's a translated book. But as things in the book begin to disappear, it becomes clearer for the reader. Lots of symbolism in the disappearing objects and heavy on the metaphors. This book really forces the reader to think about what these things mean to us..what memories mean, their importance, and the legacies we leave. Are we losing ourselves in modernity? Do we even care? What do we try to hold onto, and more importantly, why? All things I'm left wondering.