In a darkly humorous, albeit tragic scene, a very stoned Kenji, lying in an alley a few metres from his home, is squashed by a truck transporting chickens. The novel (or the Book) begins with the death of Benny’s Japanese father, Kenji. “The parts about me are fine, whatever, but the whole world doesn’t need to know about my parent’s sex life.” In sections marked by a different font, Benny is allowed to comment on the Book’s depiction of events or cringe when the Book provides too much personal information.
I don’t mean the novel we’re reading, but a self-aware entity consisting of paper, glue, and ink that positions itself as the chronicler of Benny’s tale.
Ruth Ozeki’s new novel The Book of Form and Emptiness tells the story of Benny Oh, a troubled teenager who hears voices, and his mother Annabelle, still recovering from the death of her husband while fighting to keep her small family together.
The Book of Form and Emptiness, Ruth Ozeki ( Viking 978-4-5, $30.00, 560pp, hc) September 2021.
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