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The book of form and emptiness

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Author:
Ozeki, Ruth, 1956-
Publisher:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Pub. Date:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language:
English
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Ashland Adult Fiction
OZEKI
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2 copies, 16 people are on the wait list.
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Description
Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction

“No one writes like Ruth Ozeki—a triumph.” —Matt Haig, New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library

“Inventive, vivid, and propelled by a sense of wonder.” —TIME

“If you’ve lost your way with fiction over the last year or two, let The Book of Form and Emptiness light your way home.” —David Mitchell, Booker Prize-finalist author of Cloud Atlas

A boy who hears the voices of objects all around him; a mother drowning in her possessions; and a Book that might hold the secret to saving them both—the brilliantly inventive new novel from the Booker Prize-finalist Ruth Ozeki

One year after the death of his beloved musician father, thirteen-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices. The voices belong to the things in his house—a sneaker, a broken Christmas ornament, a piece of wilted lettuce. Although Benny doesn't understand what these things are saying, he can sense their emotional tone; some are pleasant, a gentle hum or coo, but others are snide, angry and full of pain. When his mother, Annabelle, develops a hoarding problem, the voices grow more clamorous.
 
At first, Benny tries to ignore them, but soon the voices follow him outside the house, onto the street and at school, driving him at last to seek refuge in the silence of a large public library, where objects are well-behaved and know to speak in whispers. There, Benny discovers a strange new world. He falls in love with a mesmerizing street artist with a smug pet ferret, who uses the library as her performance space. He meets a homeless philosopher-poet, who encourages him to ask important questions and find his own voice amongst the many.
 
And he meets his very own Book—a talking thing—who narrates Benny’s life and teaches him to listen to the things that truly matter.
 
With its blend of sympathetic characters, riveting plot, and vibrant engagement with everything from jazz, to climate change, to our attachment to material possessions, The Book of Form and Emptiness is classic Ruth Ozeki—bold, wise, poignant, playful, humane and heartbreaking.
Also in This Series
More Like This
Subjects
Subjects
Asian Americans
Asian Americans -- Fiction
Bildungsromans
Books
Books -- Fiction
Compulsive hoarding
Compulsive hoarding -- Fiction
Death
Fantasy
Fathers
Fathers -- Death -- Fiction
Fiction
Literature
Magic realist fiction
Minorites
Minorites -- Fiction
Minority groups
Public libraries
Public libraries -- Fiction
Teenage boys
Teenage boys -- Fiction
More Details
ISBN:
9780399563669
9780399563652
9780593417928
9780399563645
Librarian Reviews
Published Reviews
Staff View

Grouping Information

Grouped Work IDf0d8e8df-a83f-3dd4-edac-4b6f08e81005
Grouping Titlebook of form and emptiness
Grouping Authorruth ozeki
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2024-05-04 04:39:11AM
Last Indexed2024-05-03 09:55:30AM

Solr Fields

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0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Ozeki, Ruth, 1956-
author_display
Ozeki, Ruth
available_at_ashland
Ashland Vaughn Public Library
detailed_location_ashland
Ashland Adult Fiction
Online OverDrive Collection
display_description
"After the tragic death his beloved musician father, fourteen-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices. The voices belong to the things in his house-a sneaker, a broken Christmas ornament, a piece of wilted lettuce. Although Benny doesn't understand what these things are saying, he can sense their emotional tone; some are pleasant, a gentle hum or coo, but others are snide, angry and full of pain. When his mother, Annabelle, develops a hoarding problem, the voices grow more clamorous. At first, Benny tries to ignore them, but soon the voices follow him outside the house, onto the street and at school, driving him at last to seek refuge in the silence of a large public library, where objects are well-behaved and know to speak in whispers. There, Benny discovers a strange new world, where "things happen." He falls in love with a mesmerizing street artist with a smug pet ferret, who uses the library as her performance space. He meets a homeless philosopher-poet, who encourages him to ask important questions and find his own voice amongst the many. And he meets his very own Book-a talking thing-who narrates Benny's life and teaches him to listen to the things that truly matter. With its blend of sympathetic characters, riveting plot, and vibrant engagement with everything from jazz, to climate change, to our attachment to material possessions, The Book of Form and Emptiness is classic Ruth Ozeki-bold, wise, poignant, playful, humane and heartbreaking"--
format_ashland
Book
eAudiobook
eBook
format_category_ashland
Audio Books
Books
eBook
id
f0d8e8df-a83f-3dd4-edac-4b6f08e81005
isbn
9780399563645
9780399563652
9780399563669
9780593417928
itype_ashland
BOOK - HARDCOVER
BOOK - PAPERBACK
last_indexed
2024-05-03T14:55:30.813Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Fiction
literary_form_full
Fiction
local_callnumber_ashland
OZEKI
Online OverDrive
owning_library_ashland
Ashland Vaughn Public Library
Ashland Vaughn Public Library Online
owning_location_ashland
Ashland Vaughn Public Library
Online OverDrive Collection
primary_isbn
9780399563669
publishDate
2021
publisher
Books on Tape
Penguin Books
Penguin Publishing Group
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Asian Americans -- Fiction
Bildungsromans
Books -- Fiction
Compulsive hoarding -- Fiction
Fathers -- Death -- Fiction
Magic realist fiction
Minorites -- Fiction
Minority groups
Public libraries -- Fiction
Teenage boys -- Fiction
title_display
The book of form and emptiness
title_full
The Book of Form and Emptiness A Novel
The book of form and emptiness / Ruth Ozeki
title_short
The book of form and emptiness
topic_facet
Asian Americans
Books
Compulsive hoarding
Death
Fantasy
Fathers
Fiction
Literature
Minorites
Minority groups
Public libraries
Teenage boys

Solr Details Tables

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ils:.b20985848.i34439419Boulder Junction Adult FictionFIC OZE1falsefalseAvailableApr 03, 2023bjafi
ils:.b20985848.i34537648Superior Adult FictionFICTION Ozeki, Ruth L.1falsefalseAvailableDec 07, 2023sufic
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record_details

Bib IdFormatFormat CategoryEditionLanguagePublisherPublication DatePhysical DescriptionAbridged
overdrive:3468608e-5dd3-4288-b2ae-ddc01e6893d2eBookeBookEnglishPenguin Publishing Group2021
ils:.b20985848BookBooksEnglishPenguin Books[2021]548 pages ; 24 cm
overdrive:8345e9ad-ccee-4c91-8ecf-cf3527c121f4eAudiobookAudio BooksEnglishBooks on Tape2021

scoping_details_ashland

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