The Memory Police: A Novel [B1535]

2019 HCDJ English translation of the 1994 Japanese original, in nice clean condition. A haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the acclaimed author of The Housekeeper and the Professor. American Book Award winner. Finalist for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award.

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 Guardian, Kirkus Reviews, Literary Hub, and more.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Wow - I honestly don't even know where to start with this. I think there is always an expectation with dystopic fiction for a storyline that gets your blood pumping; this is not that in the slightest. There's definitely a plot (disappearances are happening more frequently), but we're more so just getting an account on what's happening on the island from our morally grey main narrator. I would compare this book to Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go' and Bazterrica's 'Tender is the Flesh'."; "Loved so much about this book! Definitely expect a slower read, but the writing is beautiful. There's an eerie feeling throughout the book and even though the pace is slow, I was so engaged just wanting to know how the next disappearance would affect them. Really thought provoking on the power of memories and the impact of censorship. Only took off a star as I wish we got more answers than we did."; "As a thinly veiled metaphor for authoritarianism, it was chilling! I saw so much of the last few decades reflected in this book, from government surveillance to losing privacy to even current advancements in AI. How many of us just accept it and can't seem to find the energy to care or fight back? Overall a chilling dystopian read."; "Wow. Probably one of my favorite books of all time. It felt like an episode of Black Mirror. Like most said, the plot is loose. There isn't a climax, rather a steady decline, but in a good way. This was one of those "keep me up at night, one more chapter after one more chapter" kind of books. The ending felt like a bell ringing and slowly drifting away. I'm left with so many questions, but so entertained."