The Book of Form and Emptiness: A Novel [B1471]

2022 PB in excellent condition. Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. A boy who hears the voices of objects all around him; a mother drowning in her possessions; and a Book that might hold the secret to saving them both-the brilliantly inventive new novel from the Booker Prize-finalist Ruth Ozeki. One year after the death of his beloved musician father, thirteen-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices. The voices belong to the things in his house-a sneaker, a broken Christmas ornament, a piece of wilted lettuce. Although Benny doesn't understand what these things are saying, he can sense their emotional tone; some are pleasant, a gentle hum or coo, but others are snide, angry and full of pain. When his mother, Annabelle, develops a hoarding problem, the voices grow more clamorous. At first, Benny tries to ignore them, but soon the voices follow him outside the house, onto the street and at school, driving him at last to seek refuge in the silence of a large public library, where objects are well-behaved and know to speak in whispers. There, Benny discovers a strange new world. He falls in love with a mesmerizing street artist with a smug pet ferret, who uses the library as her performance space. He meets a homeless philosopher-poet, who encourages him to ask important questions and find his own voice amongst the many. And he meets his very own Book-a talking thing-who narrates Benny's life and teaches him to listen to the things that truly matter. With its blend of sympathetic characters, riveting plot, and vibrant engagement with everything from jazz, to climate change, to our attachment to material possessions, The Book of Form and Emptiness is classic Ruth Ozeki-bold, wise, poignant, playful, humane and heartbreaking.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Amazing. Inventive. Touching. Charming. The characters and the narration are superb. A young child hears the voices of objects around him speaking. Objects throw themselves in his mother's shopping cart. Among my most beloved books."; "Highly inventive with some beautiful prose and thought provoking ideas. As well as a tilt at the inadequacies of Mental Health Services. The author articulated the nature of the relationship between the mother and son particularly well. Definite recommend for lovers of interesting, modern literature."; "I love books written from different perspectives, so the idea of a book written from the perspective of a book intrigued me. The Book of Form and Emptiness is everything it promises to be and more. I found the story relatable and gut-wrenching, heart-aching, thought-compelling and other compound phrases. I learned a lot from this book about art movements, poetry, and myself."; "A very special story from an incredible storyteller. Fresh, different, and also so deep and meaningful.

Ruth Ozeki is my discovery of the year!"