An unusual read... (The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa)

Member Name: Trix1212

Product:	The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa
Date:	13/02/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A gentle story, easy to read, some great characters

Disadvantages: Its quite a 'light' read

The translation of a successful Japanese book, 'The Housekeeper and the Professor' is, at its heart, a simple story of the friendship that develops between a Professor, his housekeeper and her young son. It is a touching, heart-warming story, beautifully told, that opens up for exploration many aspects of growing relationships and the importance of memory. For the professor has an unusual affliction; an accident years before caused him to lose the ability to remember anything new for longer that eighty minutes. His past life, before the accident, is his only constant as his newer memories are wiped clean every night. Add to this the fact that he is a clever mathematician who becomes completely absorbed in complex problems and will not be disturbed from his work and it really does seem likely that any new relationship will be fraught with problems from the very beginning; even being his housekeeper presents difficulties when you have to re-introduce yourself every single day. He is an unusual, sad sort of character but his bouncy enthusiasm to share his love of maths endears him and the housekeeper (and the reader) finds themselves faced with some fascinating facts and problems that serve as a metaphor for the growing friendship and provide a thrilling glimpse into the privileged world of those who seek the beauty and truths that can be found in numbers.

I have a kind of fascination with this sort of story, where maths is presented as part of another story in a way that makes it appealing and approachable. One other book that I can think of that does this is 'Uncle Petros and Goldblach's Conjencture' - the idea that there are mathematical theories out there that have been around for hundreds of years while brilliant minds have spent their entire lives trying to prove (or disprove) them absolutely fascinates me and I can almost imagine how easy it would be to be lost in a world of numbers - it sounds almost poetic! But this story has so much more to it that the maths, the unconventional friendships and the problem of the memory lapse certainly give the reader plenty to think about. I imagine that this would be a perfect choice for a reading group but I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants a nice gentle read. I can certainly see why it was such a success in Japan where I believe it has also been made into a film.

Summary: A lovely, easy read with some thought provoking themes...