The Book of Form and Emptiness by  Ruth Ozeki

The Book of Form and Emptiness

Ruth Ozeki

An immense and generous reading experience, centred on Benny and his mum Annabelle as they navigate life following the death of dad Kenji. Whilst the title and the length of the book may seem intimidating, don't be put off. Multi-layered, and bringing together the art of decluttering, climate change activism, Zen philosophy and talking objects (most significantly books), this is a deeply emotional, magical, funny and always accessible read.

Extract

Objects are easier because they tell it straight up. That's once of the differences between people and things. Things don't lie or tease or fool around. They don't hide their feelings. You can tell when a thing is happy or sad or bored or mad. Especially mad. Oh, yeah, when a thing is pissed off, it lets you know it. It cuts you, or pinches you, or suddenly stops working. It slips from your fingers and breaks, no matter how hard you look for it, you can't find it. You've probably had experiences like this with your wallet or your keys, so you know what I'm saying is true.

Parallels
  • Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
  • Spark Joy by Marie Kondo