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Faraway Collection #4
The Cleaners
Touch the past or wash it away? Two sisters have a choice in this unforgettable short story of everyday magic and the power of memory by the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Ken Liu.
Gui is a professional cleaner at A Fresh Start, scrubbing away the unpleasant layers of memory that build up on the personal objects of his customers. Memory-blind himself, he can’t feel those wounds. Clara can, and she prefers them irretrievable. Until her sister, Beatrice, ultrasensitive to memory, raises one that could change Clara’s mind. For Gui, the past is gone. For Clara and Beatrice, deciding what to remember reaches to the heart of their shared history.
Gui is a professional cleaner at A Fresh Start, scrubbing away the unpleasant layers of memory that build up on the personal objects of his customers. Memory-blind himself, he can’t feel those wounds. Clara can, and she prefers them irretrievable. Until her sister, Beatrice, ultrasensitive to memory, raises one that could change Clara’s mind. For Gui, the past is gone. For Clara and Beatrice, deciding what to remember reaches to the heart of their shared history.
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2020
859 people are currently reading
3402 people want to read
About the author
Ken Liu
467 books22k followersKen Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards for his fiction, he has also won top genre honors abroad in Japan, Spain, and France.
Liu’s most characteristic work is the four-volume epic fantasy series, The Dandelion Dynasty, in which engineers, not wizards, are the heroes of a silkpunk world on the verge of modernity. His debut collection of short fiction, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen languages. A second collection, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, followed. He also penned the Star Wars novel, The Legends of Luke Skywalker. His latest book is All That We See or Seem, a techno-thriller starring an AI-whispering hacker who saves the world.
He’s often involved in media adaptations of his work. Recent projects include “The Regular,” under development as a TV series; “Good Hunting,” adapted as an episode in season one of Netflix’s breakout adult animated series Love, Death + Robots; and AMC’s Pantheon, with Craig Silverstein as executive producer, adapted from an interconnected series of Liu’s short stories.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Liu worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on a variety of topics, including futurism, machine-augmented creativity, history of technology, bookmaking, and the mathematics of origami.
In addition to his original fiction, Liu also occasionally publishes literary translations. His most recent work of translation is a new rendition of Laozi’s Dao De Jing.
Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.
Liu’s most characteristic work is the four-volume epic fantasy series, The Dandelion Dynasty, in which engineers, not wizards, are the heroes of a silkpunk world on the verge of modernity. His debut collection of short fiction, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen languages. A second collection, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, followed. He also penned the Star Wars novel, The Legends of Luke Skywalker. His latest book is All That We See or Seem, a techno-thriller starring an AI-whispering hacker who saves the world.
He’s often involved in media adaptations of his work. Recent projects include “The Regular,” under development as a TV series; “Good Hunting,” adapted as an episode in season one of Netflix’s breakout adult animated series Love, Death + Robots; and AMC’s Pantheon, with Craig Silverstein as executive producer, adapted from an interconnected series of Liu’s short stories.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Liu worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on a variety of topics, including futurism, machine-augmented creativity, history of technology, bookmaking, and the mathematics of origami.
In addition to his original fiction, Liu also occasionally publishes literary translations. His most recent work of translation is a new rendition of Laozi’s Dao De Jing.
Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 792 reviews
July 24, 2021
The Cleaners (Faraway Collection) by Ken Liu (Goodreads Author), Kate Rudd (Narrator)
It's a world where our memories cover every single thing and have the ability to be remembered by anyone who touches the object we were touching when the memory was made. Just imagine such a world where you "share" that part of yourself that should be your own but instead can be picked up by others. Clara is the most normal of the three characters and she works at a big factory, cleaning memories off of used cell phones before they go to new owners. Beatrice, Clara's sister, ultrasensitive to memory, seems cold and hard because she needs to distance herself from others due to learning too much from each person she meets. Gui, owner of a one man cleaning shop, is memory blind so he experiences none of the memories from the objects he cleans.
I barely got into the story before it was over. Maybe it was too much for me, in such a short audiobook. By the time I wanted to know more about these people, the story was over. I am going to try another of this author's stories.
A Kindle Unlimited audio selection that is part of Faraway, a collection of retold fairy tales that take the happily-ever-after in daring new directions.
It's a world where our memories cover every single thing and have the ability to be remembered by anyone who touches the object we were touching when the memory was made. Just imagine such a world where you "share" that part of yourself that should be your own but instead can be picked up by others. Clara is the most normal of the three characters and she works at a big factory, cleaning memories off of used cell phones before they go to new owners. Beatrice, Clara's sister, ultrasensitive to memory, seems cold and hard because she needs to distance herself from others due to learning too much from each person she meets. Gui, owner of a one man cleaning shop, is memory blind so he experiences none of the memories from the objects he cleans.
I barely got into the story before it was over. Maybe it was too much for me, in such a short audiobook. By the time I wanted to know more about these people, the story was over. I am going to try another of this author's stories.
A Kindle Unlimited audio selection that is part of Faraway, a collection of retold fairy tales that take the happily-ever-after in daring new directions.
October 2, 2023
In a Nutshell: The best story of the Faraway collection for me, though this isn’t really saying much. Would have worked far better were it lengthier. Doesn’t work much as a retelling though. Literary fiction readers might enjoy this better.
Story Synopsis:
This standalone short story is a part of the Faraway series, described on Amazon as “a collection of retold fairy tales that take the happily-ever-after in daring new directions.”
I have long heard of Ken Liu’s astounding imagination in Sci-Fi works, and hence I picked up this little story despite not having great luck with this series. Surprisingly, the story worked decently for me, but not for the reasons it should have.
Officially, this is supposed to be based on ‘The Princess and the Pea’, but to be honest, the link between the two works is minimal. The only common point is that the princess’ super-sensitivity to a pea twenty mattresses below is transposed to the extent of sensitivity humans have to memory deposits on inanimate objects. As such, this story doesn’t work as a fairy tale retelling at all.
However, were you to forget the fact that this is supposed to be a fairy tale retelling, and instead, read it as a sci-fi story that is more character-driven than plot-driven, you have a fair chance of liking it better.
To me, the stand-outs of this tale were:
✨ A triple character perspective, so rare in short stories. The story begins with Gui, goes to Clara, then Beatrice, and then cycles back to Clara and finally Gui. It was an unusual short-fic experience.
✨ The character-driven proceedings, where the entire flow of the narrative is governed by the decisions made by the central trio. Plot-loving readers wont enjoy this aspect as the plot details are relatively vague. But as a lover of literary fiction, I enjoyed this experience.
✨ The central trio are very interesting characters. With their varying levels of sensitivity to memories, they display a wide range of reactions to the memories, making their experiences distinct.
✨ This is the most mature story of the four Faraway stories I read, with the characters behaving realistically than going over the top. It is hence also the only story that doesn’t feel YA.
✨ I enjoyed the concept of memories being retained by objects and hence affecting those who touch the same. So creative! It’s farfetched, of course, but then again, it’s fantasy, so it can go wild in its imagination.
✨ Some interesting aspects raised by the plot – would you erase painful memories or would you rather retain them to learn from them? How would you feel if others could touch your possessions and relive your personal memories?
The story could have done better though. Its tiny length didn’t allow enough page space for a detailed exploration of the characters. The story would have been mind-blowing had it been lengthier and hence allowed enough time for its characters and its creative concept to pack a punch.
The Faraway Collection has five stories. I’ve read four of them, and my journey through the series ends here as the fifth one (Hazel and Gray, the Hansel & Gretel retelling) has too many triggers I am not fond of. Of the four I read, this was the best story for me, followed closely by Gayle Forman’s The Wickeds. The remaining two don’t even deserve a mention.
At the same time, I must stress upon the fact that I forgot to read this as a retelling once the magic of the plot took over. If you are looking for a fairytale-like magical experience, or if you don’t enjoy character-driven tales, this isn’t for you.
I liked it enough, but I do wish it had been a novella so that it could have filled in some of those interesting missing blanks.
3.5 stars.
This is the fourth standalone story from the Faraway Collection, and is currently available for free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Gui runs a special cleaning shop where he clear off memory deposits from objects, thereby making their owners feel no pain on touching them. As Gui is memory-insensitive, he doesn’t feel any physical pain while doing his job.
Clara can sense memories to some extent, and hence she wants her objects to be scrubbed clean by Gui. But after a meeting with her sister Beatrice, who is super-sensitive to memories, shows her a memory that change’s Clara’s perception of that event, Clara wonders if she took the right decision in hiring Gui.
The story comes to us in the third person perspectives of Gui, Clara and Beatrice.
This standalone short story is a part of the Faraway series, described on Amazon as “a collection of retold fairy tales that take the happily-ever-after in daring new directions.”
I have long heard of Ken Liu’s astounding imagination in Sci-Fi works, and hence I picked up this little story despite not having great luck with this series. Surprisingly, the story worked decently for me, but not for the reasons it should have.
Officially, this is supposed to be based on ‘The Princess and the Pea’, but to be honest, the link between the two works is minimal. The only common point is that the princess’ super-sensitivity to a pea twenty mattresses below is transposed to the extent of sensitivity humans have to memory deposits on inanimate objects. As such, this story doesn’t work as a fairy tale retelling at all.
However, were you to forget the fact that this is supposed to be a fairy tale retelling, and instead, read it as a sci-fi story that is more character-driven than plot-driven, you have a fair chance of liking it better.
To me, the stand-outs of this tale were:
✨ A triple character perspective, so rare in short stories. The story begins with Gui, goes to Clara, then Beatrice, and then cycles back to Clara and finally Gui. It was an unusual short-fic experience.
✨ The character-driven proceedings, where the entire flow of the narrative is governed by the decisions made by the central trio. Plot-loving readers wont enjoy this aspect as the plot details are relatively vague. But as a lover of literary fiction, I enjoyed this experience.
✨ The central trio are very interesting characters. With their varying levels of sensitivity to memories, they display a wide range of reactions to the memories, making their experiences distinct.
✨ This is the most mature story of the four Faraway stories I read, with the characters behaving realistically than going over the top. It is hence also the only story that doesn’t feel YA.
✨ I enjoyed the concept of memories being retained by objects and hence affecting those who touch the same. So creative! It’s farfetched, of course, but then again, it’s fantasy, so it can go wild in its imagination.
✨ Some interesting aspects raised by the plot – would you erase painful memories or would you rather retain them to learn from them? How would you feel if others could touch your possessions and relive your personal memories?
The story could have done better though. Its tiny length didn’t allow enough page space for a detailed exploration of the characters. The story would have been mind-blowing had it been lengthier and hence allowed enough time for its characters and its creative concept to pack a punch.
The Faraway Collection has five stories. I’ve read four of them, and my journey through the series ends here as the fifth one (Hazel and Gray, the Hansel & Gretel retelling) has too many triggers I am not fond of. Of the four I read, this was the best story for me, followed closely by Gayle Forman’s The Wickeds. The remaining two don’t even deserve a mention.
At the same time, I must stress upon the fact that I forgot to read this as a retelling once the magic of the plot took over. If you are looking for a fairytale-like magical experience, or if you don’t enjoy character-driven tales, this isn’t for you.
I liked it enough, but I do wish it had been a novella so that it could have filled in some of those interesting missing blanks.
3.5 stars.
This is the fourth standalone story from the Faraway Collection, and is currently available for free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
February 21, 2021
I've got this as an ebook, but it also had the option to get the audiobook as well, with no charge, therefore I chose to try again. And this was my first audiobook which I've managed to listen to head to toe. Maybe because I listened to it while walking my dog, that's the only approach that worked for me so far. But I can't say it was a blast; I still prefer reading, it seems closer to me than hearing someone telling someone else's story.
Anyway, this Faraway series is based on retelling various fairytales, and Ken Liu's inspiration was The Princess and the Pea.
One interpretation of Andersen's tale is that the princess' sensitivity may be a metaphor for her depth of feeling and compassion, and this is exactly what Liu' story is focused on.
The idea that inanimate objects carry the emotional baggage of previous owners is not new, but Liu's approach is. If one wants their memories erased, they turn to a professional, who is memory blind and can't feel a thing. And this is Clara's case, who wants to get rid of her ex's memories. However, after a meeting with her sister, she kind of reconsiders.
It's a touching story, and any of us could find itself in Clara' shoes at one point in our lives. And Ken Liu's writing is as beautiful as ever. It's worth a try.
Anyway, this Faraway series is based on retelling various fairytales, and Ken Liu's inspiration was The Princess and the Pea.
One interpretation of Andersen's tale is that the princess' sensitivity may be a metaphor for her depth of feeling and compassion, and this is exactly what Liu' story is focused on.
The idea that inanimate objects carry the emotional baggage of previous owners is not new, but Liu's approach is. If one wants their memories erased, they turn to a professional, who is memory blind and can't feel a thing. And this is Clara's case, who wants to get rid of her ex's memories. However, after a meeting with her sister, she kind of reconsiders.
It's a touching story, and any of us could find itself in Clara' shoes at one point in our lives. And Ken Liu's writing is as beautiful as ever. It's worth a try.
December 29, 2020
Wow! But it’s, Ken Liu!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
January 30, 2021
The Cleaners is a fantasy or alternate reality short story by Ken Liu published as part of the Amazon Faraway Fairy Tales for the Here and Now Series (available on Kindle Unlimited). I don’t know if I can so justice when describing this story. It is an interesting read, more like faraway from here and now, and less of a fairytale. I read this because it was written by Ken Liu. I have now read a number of his stories and have grown to love the creative ideas and the way he develops those ideas in his writing.
In this story, emotions and memories exist physically on all inanimate objects that are touched or in close proximity with the person/s whose behavior, emotions, and interactions cause feelings. These feelings are later remembered by anyone who touches or picks up the object. The feelings attach themselves or are absorbed into the objects touched. The more people who touch or interact near an object the more layers of memories are formed. Nothing is lost. The memories cover the surfaces, penetrate crevices, slither into unreachable corners and resurface to permeate the innocent handler with a rush of emotions and memories, fears and anger. Where every emotion and memory can be sensed, there is no privacy. Since it is difficult to wipe the memories clean, many employ the services of professionals when the job is just too overwhelming or complicated to clean independently.
The story is told through the eyes of three characters - a Cleaner and two sisters. The Cleaner is memory blind and unable to sense memories by touch, an affliction that makes him highly sought after professionally for his ability to clean discretely with no threat of later extortion. One sister comes to our cleaner and hires him for a job to rid her house of all the memories, once fond and now painful, of the man who has left her. The other sister is an attorney, or works for an attorney, specializing in reproducing the memories for discrediting witnesses and for proving or disproving arguments. She is on the highest sensitivity spectrum and can invoke memories of even those objects that have been thoroughly scoured.
Most of the population is blessed and cursed with this sense, to some degree or another, so that alongside the happy memories of some, are the disparate sad, angry, or frustrated memories of others.
This is a worthy read, the writing and development of this sixth, seventh, (or whatever) sense is excellent. I read this while reading the soon to be released Lisa Genova NF book, Remember, and I was immediately caught up in a comparison with what Genova describes as the memory ability of some people with highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM), people who retain complete and fully detailed memories of every day of their lives from their birth. Other than the fact that this is extremely rare, the HSAM person differs from our characters, in that he/she had to be there to remember the event, whereas the people in The Cleaners could sense a lifetime in feelings and memories of other people, merely by touching an object that had been handled or been in the proximity of another. Both are interesting concepts – one real and the other imagined.
In this story, emotions and memories exist physically on all inanimate objects that are touched or in close proximity with the person/s whose behavior, emotions, and interactions cause feelings. These feelings are later remembered by anyone who touches or picks up the object. The feelings attach themselves or are absorbed into the objects touched. The more people who touch or interact near an object the more layers of memories are formed. Nothing is lost. The memories cover the surfaces, penetrate crevices, slither into unreachable corners and resurface to permeate the innocent handler with a rush of emotions and memories, fears and anger. Where every emotion and memory can be sensed, there is no privacy. Since it is difficult to wipe the memories clean, many employ the services of professionals when the job is just too overwhelming or complicated to clean independently.
The story is told through the eyes of three characters - a Cleaner and two sisters. The Cleaner is memory blind and unable to sense memories by touch, an affliction that makes him highly sought after professionally for his ability to clean discretely with no threat of later extortion. One sister comes to our cleaner and hires him for a job to rid her house of all the memories, once fond and now painful, of the man who has left her. The other sister is an attorney, or works for an attorney, specializing in reproducing the memories for discrediting witnesses and for proving or disproving arguments. She is on the highest sensitivity spectrum and can invoke memories of even those objects that have been thoroughly scoured.
Most of the population is blessed and cursed with this sense, to some degree or another, so that alongside the happy memories of some, are the disparate sad, angry, or frustrated memories of others.
This is a worthy read, the writing and development of this sixth, seventh, (or whatever) sense is excellent. I read this while reading the soon to be released Lisa Genova NF book, Remember, and I was immediately caught up in a comparison with what Genova describes as the memory ability of some people with highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM), people who retain complete and fully detailed memories of every day of their lives from their birth. Other than the fact that this is extremely rare, the HSAM person differs from our characters, in that he/she had to be there to remember the event, whereas the people in The Cleaners could sense a lifetime in feelings and memories of other people, merely by touching an object that had been handled or been in the proximity of another. Both are interesting concepts – one real and the other imagined.
October 31, 2024
In a world where objects hold memories of the owners, three people are grieving. One has an anomaly which doesn't let him feel those memories. One is trying to clean her objects to be able to move on. The last one is so sensitive to the memories left on the objects that it makes her a menace to the secrets of those she loves.
The Cleaners is a short story about different kinds of love, about sisters and fathers and sons. I was surprised because I’ve read Ken Liu’s The Grace of Kings and it’s not very focused on characters (it’s plot-driven) so I was expecting a shocking, action-packed story and got instead a talk about feelings. I didn't mind. I enjoyed this and would recommend it if you are looking for a short story about grieving.
The Cleaners is a short story about different kinds of love, about sisters and fathers and sons. I was surprised because I’ve read Ken Liu’s The Grace of Kings and it’s not very focused on characters (it’s plot-driven) so I was expecting a shocking, action-packed story and got instead a talk about feelings. I didn't mind. I enjoyed this and would recommend it if you are looking for a short story about grieving.
January 7, 2021
This was probably the best book in this particular series so far, but the only issue I had was, at times, I hadn't a clue as to what was going on, so I had to flip back to previous pages to find out.
I thought the writing style was accessible, and easy to follow, and the general idea behind a male that can clean away memories was intriguing. This story didn't blow my mind or anything, but was a large improvement on the other stories in the Faraway collection.
I thought the writing style was accessible, and easy to follow, and the general idea behind a male that can clean away memories was intriguing. This story didn't blow my mind or anything, but was a large improvement on the other stories in the Faraway collection.
December 17, 2020
What an interesting story. We get a man that has the ability to "clean" away memories from objects so that when people touch them, they are not "burned" by those memories. I liked the idea of it and I also liked the realization that a lot of people do not recall things and sometimes it is better to remember the pain instead of pretending it didn't happen.
January 29, 2022
This confirms that I really need to read from Ken Liu! The Cleaners is a speculative short story LOOSELY inspired by The Princess and the Pea. Set in a world where touching objects leaves a residue of memories, this explores the concept of remembering, painful memories, healing, forgetting, and what it would mean to be unable to remember. Woven into the narrative is also a critique of modern industrial capitalism where we try to remove humanity and personhood from the creation of factory-made objects. For only 28 pages there is a surprising amount of thoughtfulness and depth. I definitely need to read more from Liu.
Note for people wondering how this relates to Princess and the Pea- the way they knew she was a princess was that she was so sensitive to be able to feel a pea under a stack of mattresses. Much like one of the sisters is incredibly sensitive to the layers and intentions attached to memories on objects. I actually really like how he spun that concept in such a different way.
Note for people wondering how this relates to Princess and the Pea- the way they knew she was a princess was that she was so sensitive to be able to feel a pea under a stack of mattresses. Much like one of the sisters is incredibly sensitive to the layers and intentions attached to memories on objects. I actually really like how he spun that concept in such a different way.
December 20, 2020
To be very honest, I was confused the ENTIRE time. Maybe because it’s early in the morning & I’m still groggy from sleep but I had no idea what this story was about. However, I can connect it to what’s being said in other reviews. I agree it was interesting & definitely a different take on things to teach you a valuable message about the good & bad moments in life. I still recommend reading this, maybe after you’ve had your morning coffee!
January 22, 2021
The concept of this story is very interesting and I want to read a full novel in the same world.
January 1, 2024
Two sisters, one cleaner of memories. Think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but with a hint of magic and whimsy. There's a lot of reflection, but not much substance. The writing is pretty but I wasn't invested.
March 31, 2023
3.5 Stars
Again, Liu definitely puts his own unique spin on things and here in this AU, everyone leaves a trace of themselves and their feelings behind on each object they touch whether they want to or not, and in turn they can discern the emotional echo of others.
Posing the question which is better? To be that rare person who can’t feel a thing or the other end of the spectrum who can see blatant details and not just empathic impressions. These interesting concepts are further explored, where if given the chance, would you rather embrace your history warts and all or choose to erase the residue that brings difficult painful remembrances?
Liu lately has made me contemplate what it means to be human and the wondrous complex things that make us unique.
Currently free for Amazon Prime members
Again, Liu definitely puts his own unique spin on things and here in this AU, everyone leaves a trace of themselves and their feelings behind on each object they touch whether they want to or not, and in turn they can discern the emotional echo of others.
Posing the question which is better? To be that rare person who can’t feel a thing or the other end of the spectrum who can see blatant details and not just empathic impressions. These interesting concepts are further explored, where if given the chance, would you rather embrace your history warts and all or choose to erase the residue that brings difficult painful remembrances?
Liu lately has made me contemplate what it means to be human and the wondrous complex things that make us unique.
Currently free for Amazon Prime members
November 3, 2021
I enjoyed this 4th tale in the Faraway Series of fairy tales. It was about how memories coat every object like dust and when you touch them you can read every bit of their past. Their memories can be cleansed if someone hires a special 'cleaner' to take away their past so they are memory free like new again. It was too short and would have been fun to read as a longer tale. However, it was a relatable, fun read.
December 6, 2023
Very good and touching story of different future.
January 22, 2021
This was a really cool concept and i enjoyed reading this short story.
I'm interested to see if i'll enjoy the other stories in this series
I'm interested to see if i'll enjoy the other stories in this series
December 22, 2020
Good one!
November 30, 2022
Fantastic!!!
RTC
RTC
January 12, 2021
Faraway Series
The Prince and the Troll - Faraway, Book 1 - Rainbow Rowell - 3 Stars - Adam, Unnamed Troll? - An unlikely friendship between a man and a creature who helped him save his phone from under a bridge. It's a strange modern fairy tale world and I’m not sure I understood all that was going on but I enjoyed it.
Hazel and Gray - Faraway, Book 2 - Nic Stone - 3.5 Stars - Hazel, Gray - The most messed up version of Hansel and Gretel I’ve ever read…. Well, the original was pretty jacked too. There were some crazy twists in this story but I liked that. The end felt kind of unfinished.
The Princess Game - Faraway, Book 3 - Soman Chainani- 3.5 Stars - too many to list - Girls in Chaminade High School are being murdered and the “Princes'' a.k.a. popular boys are suspects. Two local police officers go undercover to try and catch the perps but blow their cover and it all goes sideways. I think I was most interested in this story. Probably because it has been the most straightforward and I knew exactly who the killer was. That did not diminish my pleasure in listening to the book. I’m glad they went for a full cast of narrators as there were a lot of characters. Even with the multiple cast I still didn’t know who was talking sometimes.
The Cleaners - Faraway, Book 4 - Ken Liu - 3 Stars - Clara, Beatrice, Gui - I have no idea what fairy tale this was supposed to be but that’s not the first with this series. The sister’s story was kinda interesting and so was Gui’s however I’m not sure how they connect and I left the story just feeling confused.
The Wickeds - Faraway, Book 5 - Gail Forman - 3.5 Stars - Elsinora, Gwendolyn, and Marguerite - The real story of Cinderella, Snow White and Repunzel’s mothers. This was a story I could get behind. I was still left with a sense of being confused but I loved the takes on what “really” happened as opposed to the highly exaggerated stories we know.
The Prince and the Troll - Faraway, Book 1 - Rainbow Rowell - 3 Stars - Adam, Unnamed Troll? - An unlikely friendship between a man and a creature who helped him save his phone from under a bridge. It's a strange modern fairy tale world and I’m not sure I understood all that was going on but I enjoyed it.
Hazel and Gray - Faraway, Book 2 - Nic Stone - 3.5 Stars - Hazel, Gray - The most messed up version of Hansel and Gretel I’ve ever read…. Well, the original was pretty jacked too. There were some crazy twists in this story but I liked that. The end felt kind of unfinished.
The Princess Game - Faraway, Book 3 - Soman Chainani- 3.5 Stars - too many to list - Girls in Chaminade High School are being murdered and the “Princes'' a.k.a. popular boys are suspects. Two local police officers go undercover to try and catch the perps but blow their cover and it all goes sideways. I think I was most interested in this story. Probably because it has been the most straightforward and I knew exactly who the killer was. That did not diminish my pleasure in listening to the book. I’m glad they went for a full cast of narrators as there were a lot of characters. Even with the multiple cast I still didn’t know who was talking sometimes.
The Cleaners - Faraway, Book 4 - Ken Liu - 3 Stars - Clara, Beatrice, Gui - I have no idea what fairy tale this was supposed to be but that’s not the first with this series. The sister’s story was kinda interesting and so was Gui’s however I’m not sure how they connect and I left the story just feeling confused.
The Wickeds - Faraway, Book 5 - Gail Forman - 3.5 Stars - Elsinora, Gwendolyn, and Marguerite - The real story of Cinderella, Snow White and Repunzel’s mothers. This was a story I could get behind. I was still left with a sense of being confused but I loved the takes on what “really” happened as opposed to the highly exaggerated stories we know.
May 16, 2024
The concept was SO INTRIGUING but to be honest, I was confused the entire time. Maybe the writing style isn't for me, but for only 30 pages, there is a surprising amount of thoughtfulness and depth. I really loved how Ken Liu connected it to the Princess and the Pea - the way they knew she was a princess was that she was so sensitive to be able to feel a pea under a stack of mattresses. Much like Clara who is incredibly sensitive to the layers and intentions attached to memories on objects.
“We all need to be reminded, from time to time, that we’re better than we remember.”
It's a touching story, and any of us could find itself in Clara' shoes at one point in our lives. And Ken Liu has portrayed this message in such a beautiful way! It's worth a try if you're in the mood to read a short novella that gives you something to think about.
“We all need to be reminded, from time to time, that we’re better than we remember.”
It's a touching story, and any of us could find itself in Clara' shoes at one point in our lives. And Ken Liu has portrayed this message in such a beautiful way! It's worth a try if you're in the mood to read a short novella that gives you something to think about.
October 5, 2021
Strange and magical!!
This was an adaption of The Princess and The Pea, though quite different. So-much-so, that I couldn't find similarities when reading and absolutely forgot that I was reading a retelling.
This is a cute short story of memories and forgetting painful ones. In forgetting those painful memories, we can lose sight of the teachings from that pain. Every memory is a lesson, be it good or bad.
It was a little weird, but I liked it.
This was an adaption of The Princess and The Pea, though quite different. So-much-so, that I couldn't find similarities when reading and absolutely forgot that I was reading a retelling.
This is a cute short story of memories and forgetting painful ones. In forgetting those painful memories, we can lose sight of the teachings from that pain. Every memory is a lesson, be it good or bad.
It was a little weird, but I liked it.
December 19, 2020
The fourth book in the Faraway Collection of Amazon Originals, Ken Liu, new author to this reader has a nice short and interesting story. Cleaning memories...who would have thought. Very surprising listen and narration was done very well. Narration by Kate Rudd was done well.
January 14, 2023
Very short, but thought-provoking and philosophical story about the power of emotion and memory. I like this side of Ken Liu a lot.
May 17, 2021
This was a unique, short read. It's based in an alternate reality, although maybe it's not so different from our own, in which memories are a tangible substance that is left behind and can be cleaned away. I was bored and a bit confused by the stuff between the sisters, but the cleaner was rather intriguing. A decent read that'll help you kill twenty minutes.
February 18, 2022
For some reason, this one didn't really grab me. The idea is great but there was something about the strucutre.
December 23, 2020
That was beautiful and not at all what I was expecting! This story is set in some side unoverse where people leave emotional impressions on objects and consequently have them cleaned to save themselves emotional heartache. That may not sound beautiful or touching, but it really is.The problem is that we learn from our mistakes and pain. Erase them and we learn nothing.
“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.”
― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.”
― Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
― Lois Lowry, The Giver
“Some things don't last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take out and unfold in your darkest times, pressing down on the corners and peering in close, hoping you still recognize the person you see there.”
― Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby
“We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams.”
― H.G. Wells
“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.”
― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.”
― Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
― Lois Lowry, The Giver
“Some things don't last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take out and unfold in your darkest times, pressing down on the corners and peering in close, hoping you still recognize the person you see there.”
― Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby
“We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams.”
― H.G. Wells
June 12, 2023
My only thing is this is SO short. It's well-written, and I like the subject matter. It's interesting. Holds points of discussion. Can't imagine living in a world like this, though we do and already breathe life into inanimate objects (i.e., by assigning meaning to them. Maybe it's the natural wear and tear of a favorite piece, or the smell, or indentations in furniture etc.) The things we possess have a story because they're in our story, because they're a part of us. A picture is painted (sometimes it's dark and tragic).
But are there some that can actually feel the emotions/moods of a previous owner when in contact with an object or relive their memories? I'd say it's in the realm of possibility, at least when it comes to feelings and emotions.
I appreciated Liu's plug on sustainability, too: consumption and waste, object lifespan, and the collective threat that binds us. I'm intrigued by Amazon's TV adaptation.
But are there some that can actually feel the emotions/moods of a previous owner when in contact with an object or relive their memories? I'd say it's in the realm of possibility, at least when it comes to feelings and emotions.
I appreciated Liu's plug on sustainability, too: consumption and waste, object lifespan, and the collective threat that binds us. I'm intrigued by Amazon's TV adaptation.
September 29, 2024
Entertaining memories listening. ✨🎎🎶👒🏠
This kindle novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book four of five
A short quick read about the pass, present, and future memories. This is from a five book series where every story is different with interesting characters leading to each conclusion.
I would recommend this series and various authors to readers looking for quick fantasy world 🌎 reads. 🤗😯👒2024 🎎
This kindle novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book four of five
A short quick read about the pass, present, and future memories. This is from a five book series where every story is different with interesting characters leading to each conclusion.
I would recommend this series and various authors to readers looking for quick fantasy world 🌎 reads. 🤗😯👒2024 🎎
January 8, 2021
Thought provoking story. In fact, I might have to reread it soon. I feel like it is the kind of story that keeps giving.
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