Tuesday, August 16, 2011

book review: The Housekeeper and the Professor

I haven't read much fiction lately, since the likes of Twilight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (sorry, mom), but I have always loved the experience of being pulled into a story with it's character, plot, theme, etc. Last week I finished reading The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. Not only did the author accomplish writing a fiction novel in and of itself, but the characters had no names and the main character in which the story revolved only had eighty minutes of memory. With these challenges, she still managed to build character relationships, share a story, and revolve it all around the central theme: should put more value on our immediate experiences or our memories? 

I think our memories can bring us joy if fond momories, or allow for personal growth if not so fond. For some, living in the past is debilitating. For others, nothing is scarier than facing each day as it comes. The characters that the author presented were uniquely different in that the narrator had a bit of a difficult past and lived for the moment, and the main character had no ability to make new memories so he lived only in the past, which was pleasant for him. He delved into mathematics as numbers served as his fondest of companions. The juxtaposition of these two characters was interesting. They came together to form a unique friendship that took dedication, work, and an understanding of each other. This seems fitting as the story was set within contemporary Japan, a culture that (to me) has emphasis on family, traditions, and learning. The cultural difference was interesting to learn about from the story as well.

To relate this fiction story to everyday life, I would challenge myself to put more effort towards each of my friendships and relationships as they have value to me. I also want to live each moment with importance and reminisce on all the good things in my past, like my family and how I was raised and how very blessed I am. I can't imagine anything worse than staying in one place, thinking only of myself in the present time. I don't want to limit my future or forget my past.

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