Book Review – THE HOUSEKEEPER + THE PROFESSOR by Yoko Ogawa
Sunday, March 28th, 2010
BOOK RATING: The Story 4.5 / 5 ; The Writing 5 / 5
BOOK DETAILS: The Housekeeper + The Professor (The Book Depository); The Housekeeper + The Professor
BOOK REVIEW: Exquisite minimalism. I’ve always been a believer that good things come in small packages and this novel by Ogawa is a perfect example. The characters, a mathematics professor with special needs, his housekeeper and her son, are developed in an understated manner, through their actions. The mathematical concepts are explained with artful simplicity and woven into the telling of the story to great effect. I found Ogawa’s writing style refreshing – words are not squandered but chosen carefully to extract maximum value. Much is unsaid, leaving things for the audience to ponder long after reading (in a satisfying way). This charming story is both a mystery and a reflection on people’s need for companionship and how that can be found in the most unconventional of circumstances. I look forward to reading more from Ogawa in the future.
Other titles by this author: The Diving Pool
This book counts towards my participation in the Global Reading Challenge (Asia).
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