The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki - Review

[@tabitha_h2000]

thank you for summarising my frustration when I read this as part of the shortlist in 2022 & then watched it WIN!?!?😮‍💨 excellent review as always👏📚✨

[@1book1review]

hahaha, I just recently finished this and while I quite liked it and didn't mind the characters at all your emotional outburst made me love. I often think it is quite a skill to get readers invested in the characters and have them react emotionally to the person the author created. Even if it is not the reaction the author hoped for. I can't say I hated the characters but I felt it hard to really connect to them. I was more like a watcher than invested in their lives.

[@BookishAdventuresInWellbeing]

Absolutely bang on with this review.

[@amyfarber2158]

I liked Bennie, hated the mother, but not because she couldn't tidy the house, rather because she treated her son like he was six years old. I didn't even notice that the book lagged in the middle. I liked the book a lot but now I am interested in the book that you consider superior.

[@andreluissoriano]

Oh my god the hate on Annabel 😂. You’re a favorite reviewer of mine for sure. I didn’t love Book of Form also. Didn’t hate it as much, but I did get frustrated a lot of times. It’s too long for it’s own good, it’s shallow, and it’s a failed ambition. Still, I will follow Ozeki’s works because I loved her Tale for the Time Being.

[@charlotte_levin]

This review almost made me tidy my house

[@rororeads]

😂😂

[@cathiealdridge2016]

I re-read Great Circle recently and like you said enjoyed it even more, probably because I went in carrying love for the characters already.

[@MildDavis]

I tried to read this book and stopped about a chapter in due to the totally unrealistic way it depicted the Bennie’s father who was a musician.. Specifically the way his musician friends were written at his funeral if I remember correctly was so stereotypical and lacking nuance that I said naaah, this won’t work for me at all. I’m glad you confirmed so decidedly I made the right decision to not bother continuing 😊

[@deyoungstar]

Thank you!

[@flufftronable]

Oh no, I just reserved this in the library.

[@DanielSheenUK]

Yeah, I didnt really get this one either. However - SIDE NOTE - is it just me, or have you not actually reviewed The Great Circle on here? Coz I'd be interested in your take :)

[@rororeads]

Your right. I haven’t review it :) I read great circle before I started a KZbin Channel.

[@jobuckley2999]

Finally, someone like myself that almost gets offended when a book is horrible. I feel like there are just too many books published now that are simple underwhelming or downright awful. The number of new authors that can't write is overwhelming, yet they still get published.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I liked A Tale for the Time Being despite some flaws, but I confess those flaws made me stay away from this one. Something about the plot description made it sound like it could lean into the worst parts of Tale For the Time Being. Now I'm glad I stayed away!

[@AvAlanchian]

I did really like the book sorry. I certainly feel what you were saying but overall I enjoyed it because I like the ideas, the creativity and the characters don’t get me down like that. But if you’re talking about bad characters, what about Benny’s father!

[@DaveNYC]

If I wanted a < 3 minute book review, I’d go to TikTok! 😜 Thanks for an honest review. They can’t all be bangers!

[@quietlyconfident]

I read it and also hated the characters. 😂 I was disappointed because I thought it would be a love story between Benny and books but it wasn’t at all. And it was way too long and I couldn’t focus on what was going on or if he really had mental issues or not, if his friends were real or not, what was going on with the mom…I thought I was harsh for giving it 2.5 stars 😂

[@janethansen9612]

Now tell us how you really feel. I thought it was fine, just fine.

[@mareeabee8293]

This review was such an entertaining SWERVE 🤣

[@DrSmak]

Bang on. Points to the author for being inventive regarding the books themselves, but the actual characters were awful and very hard to care about.

[@TKTalksBooks]

But how you REALLY feel?

[@rororeads]

😂

[@TKTalksBooks]

@@rororeads (as an aside: I adore Ruth Ozecki)

[@ruthlounsbury4024]

Are you going to read some of the women's prize 2024?? Or the Booker International prize??

[@rororeads]

I’ll most likely dip into the shortlists for both when they’re announced. I’m trying really hard to read what I already own…the stacks got too big! Haha

[@argentbeard5583]

Our local book club is reading it. I bailed by page 25. Then dipped back in further along and still disliked it, so quit for good. Hard pass.

[@jdfromparis6230]

Ok, now tell us what you really feet...

[@mariaradulovic3203]

Hahaha I love honesty when it comes to books.