The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the UK’s most prestigious annual book award celebrating & honouring fiction written by women.
This year’s winner was announced as The Book Of Form And Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki. Our review is below, along with the rest of the very strong shortlist from this year.
Ozeki’s latest breathtaking novel encapsulates grief, mental illness and Zen Buddhism in an engrossing story about the connections we make to people and the world around us.
Following the tragic death of his father, teenager Benny Oh begins to hear voices coming from objects around him. As his mother spirals down into the depths of depression and compulsive hoarding, Benny struggles to cope with the cacophony in his head. Out of this darkness, they will find unlikely connections which could save them both and bring meaning out of chaos.
Given the subject matter, at times The Book Of Form And Emptiness can be an upsetting read. However, the author’s non-judgemental take on the difficult subject of mental illness, and the weaving of Zen Buddhism threads among the story turn what could have been a depressing book into an inspiring and uplifting one.
A surprisingly intimate and thoughtful novel which explores how we cope with loss and how we find help from unlikely places.
(review by Cliff)
