The Housekeeper and the Professor
by Yoko Ogawa
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Book Reviews of The Housekeeper and the Professor
Book Review: A Beautiful Book About People
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a beautiful story about life, loss and love. This is a book that reaffirms the wonders of reading and books. The novel, set in Japan, is about a math professor who was in an accident and can only remember the last 80 minutes of time (with the exception of everything prior to his accident). A housekeeper, who is the single mother of son, winds up being placed with the professor.
Ogawa is masterful at painting a portrait of the simple life of the Professor with exacting detail on the way he has managed to get by with 80 minutes of memory -- most vividly expressed by the pinned notes on one of his three suits. We see the bond that develops between the housekeeper and the professor in spite of the "years" of separation that his memory loss has on him. Additionally, we see the bond that develops between the housekeeper's son and the professor, a bond deepened by their love of baseball -- a sport so inextricably linked by numbers and the historical role and context they mean to the game.
This is a book that is hard to describe the impact that it leaves. If I hadn't read a stellar book review in the NYT, I can't imagine that I'd have given this book a shot. There is not a simple headline that will draw you in or an easy description that screams "must read". However, sometimes the biggest surprises come from the least expected places. "The Housekeeper and the Professor" leaves an indelible imprint in your mind and reinforces why I love to read.
Book Review: Why Mathematics?
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was recommended to me by a friend who told me how much she loved it even though she skipped the parts about Mathematics. It is a tribute to the quality of the writing that the story is so beautiful and well told that its beauty survives such drastic excisions. It seems natural to ask why Ms. Ogawa chose a professor of Mathematics. She could have told the same beautiful story about a concert pianist or a poet or a painter and it would have had much greater appeal to a general audience. It might even have been made into a blockbuster movie. I have two theories about this that I would like to suggest.
1. Ms. Ogawa really wanted to write a book about some beautiful topics in Mathematics and the story was invented as a way to present these ideas to lay audiences that would have ignored a book about amicable numbers.
2. Ms. Ogawa wanted the reader to share the experience of the Housekeeper. If the Professor had been a painter the reader would have read about beautiful colors and paintings but would not have seen them. If the Professor had been a pianist the reader would have read about the beautiful music that the Housekeeper heard - but would not have heard the music. As it is the reader can share the experience of understanding why 220 and 284 are amicable and why 28 is perfect with the Housekeeper and the excitement she and Root felt when they discovered that they could determine that 1+2+3 + ... 100 = 5050 in their heads.
Book Review: Mathematical bonding
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're looking for a breezy little book to keep you company for five or six hours, consider purchasing a copy of "The Housekeeper and the Professor". The book is a quick and easy read -- I read most of on a cross-country flight last month -- telling the story of a Japanese mother, her 10-year-old son, and a math professor suffering from an irreversible loss of memory. These three characters form a family of sorts. The professor fills a void in the lives of the mother and son, and vice versa.
The unique aspect of the story is the theme of mathematics that surfaces in nearly every chapter. The mathetical concepts are not very intimidating, so don't be put off if math was never your cup of tea. Rather, Ogawa introduces math as a common language, one that the professor clings to despite his memory loss, and which he uses to communicate with everyone around him. Birth dates, shoe sizes, baseball statistics -- everything is connected in the professor's astute mind through the world of mathematics.
The book has a few moments of tension and suspense, but it's pretty tame. What's up with the sister-in-law's relationship with the professor? Will Root get lost when he heads out to buy candles for his birthday cake? That's the general idea. But mostly it's a pleasant story about teaching, learning and a virtual family coming together (again and again) in the professor's quirky cottage in Japan.
Book Review: An endearing story that stays with you
Summary: 4 Stars
Set in Japan, this short novel is the story of a 28 year old housekeeper who goes to work for a former math professor. She is the 10th housekeeper to be sent by the agency, none of the others having lasted long. He has two characteristics that make him difficult to work for. One is that he is obsessed with math, talks math constantly and equates everything in the world to a mathematical formula (he refers to her son as `root" because his flat head reminds the professor of the square root symbol). But more significantly, the professor suffered a head injury 25 years ago that damaged his memory. He can remember everything that happened to him before the accident, but otherwise his memory only lasts 80 minutes. So although she grows increasingly fond of him, she needs to re-introduce herself to him when she arrives each day and their relationship starts anew.
It's an interesting premise and quite a moving story. As she grows fonder of the professor, she also learns to communicate with him in his "language" - ie by relating everything to math - and to develop a love of math all of her own.
Ultimately I felt that the story was almost too sparse and could have been further developed, but it's still a beautifully written, endearing book that stays with you after you finish it.
Book Review: Haunting and beautiful.
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the things I love about Japanese writing is that every word has a purpose. The prose is sparse, but the impact is great and never fails to create a mood. With every Japanese author I've read, there's a tinge of sadness. But it's always real and honest, and touching more so than depressing.
I first read Ogawa's novella collection, The Diving Pool: Three Novellas and I loved her perspective and choice of words. She has something like 20 books in Japan, but only 2 translated in the US. This book was about, yes, a Housekeeper and a Professor. He is a mathematician who was in an accident thus his memory lasts only 80 minutes. She is hired to care for him, and through math (of all things) they come to know each other.
It's a beautiful, haunting book and I'm always amazed when an author can take a subject (like math) which I have no interest in, and make it engaging, (much like Garth Stein did with auto racing in The Art of Racing in the Rain). There's so much subtle emotion in this book.
I think this may end up being one of my favorites this year.