By Carmen Lebar
Content warning: homophobia, racism, ableism, depression, suicide
The Book of Form and Emptiness is the latest novel from renowned author Ruth Ozeki. The novel centres around Benny and his family, when one day Benny’s father Kenji is run over by a truck. After the accident, Benny begins to hear voices, but not just any voices—the voices of the objects all around him. These voices only get louder and stronger once Benny’s mother Annabelle develops a hoarding problem. The novel explores the new life Benny and Annabelle have, and how they must face their new problems. After enjoying Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being, I was optimistic about trying out her latest piece of fiction. And it didn’t disappoint. I thoroughly liked this novel, especially with its unreliable narration, and cast of characters.
The narration is wonderfully inconstant. It often shifts between first, second, and third person perspective throughout the novel. The chapters swap between Benny and his Book. (His Book is one of the voices Benny hears that narrates his life and speaks to him.) Since there are shifting perspectives, you never know who is truly telling the truth. The novel focuses a lot on reality, and the question of what is real. The unreliable narration plays so well into this theme because it leaves the reader guessing what to believe. Are the voices talking to Benny real? Or does Benny have auditory hallucinatory episodes? There were many moments where I audibly gasped when something was revealed. Every time I thought I had figured something out, the plot would twist and turn in ways I didn’t expect.
Another thing that was unexpected was just how unique the characters are in this novel. I haven’t encountered characters quite like the ones in The Book of Form and Emptiness. Apart from Benny and Annabelle, there’s The Aleph, a friend Benny meets at the ward; Slavoj, a homeless Slovenian philosopher living near the library; and The Book, a voice that is narrating and shaping Benny’s life. When these characters come together, there is this chemistry that works so well. Ozeki establishes how all these characters are connected, and how each one has a story to tell. And when they come together through all the sadness, miscalculations, and adventure, it creates a story that is unforgettable.
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki is unlike any book I’ve ever read, and one I’ll probably never see replicated. It’s sad, hopeful, funny, and thoughtful all at once. Ozeki created a world where all these things can exist at the same time and make sense. It’s a book about mental health, family, reality, and identity. Even the real-world references Ozeki alludes to—like Marie Kondo and the American election—all come to work perfectly in the world she created. This is a book for book lovers. A book for anyone who loves metafiction, magical realism, and literary fiction. It’s a book that you won’t be able to put down, and will get you pondering the question, what is real?
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Please note that Carmen has recently acquired a new position with Penguin Random House Canada. Her thoughts and opinions are her own, but for transparency we'd like to share this detail.