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A review by nhborg
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
4.0
3.5
I loved the premise, and that finale made me wonder if the book was outstanding after all. Unfortunately, the characters and storyline (as well as the story within the story) never really appealed to be. I think the book would’ve been perfect for me if the set of characters had been switched out or explored to a degree which made me more attached to them. On the other hand, I see the point of keeping them anonymous in the context of the story.
It was so interesting to read about themes like collective memory loss, human adaptation to change, and abstract extremes of societal control. The novel was strange and curious and had a «manner of fact» voice in a typical dystopian style. I really liked what it was trying to do, but it only managed to grip me at the very start and the very end. Maybe I’ll be able to embrace it fully upon a reread.
I loved the premise, and that finale made me wonder if the book was outstanding after all. Unfortunately, the characters and storyline (as well as the story within the story) never really appealed to be. I think the book would’ve been perfect for me if the set of characters had been switched out or explored to a degree which made me more attached to them. On the other hand, I see the point of keeping them anonymous in the context of the story.
It was so interesting to read about themes like collective memory loss, human adaptation to change, and abstract extremes of societal control. The novel was strange and curious and had a «manner of fact» voice in a typical dystopian style. I really liked what it was trying to do, but it only managed to grip me at the very start and the very end. Maybe I’ll be able to embrace it fully upon a reread.