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The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa - 4* - My Review

Published in 1994, this is a beautifully written dystopian novel about the disappearance of memories, decreed by an authoritarian regime and enforced by the titular Memory Police. The protagonist is young woman novelist. Her editor, called only R, has kept his memories (in violation of the rules) and lives in fear of being rounded up by the Memory Police. The novelist decides to hide him in a small room in her house with the assistance of her friend, called “the Old Man,” a widower who has become a friend and father figure. The regime decrees an item will disappear, people destroy their items and begin to forget they ever existed.

The narrator is writing a novel, which becomes a “story within the story.” It is about a singer who has lost her voice and takes up typing lessons. She develops a relationship with her manipulative and controlling teacher. Both the main narrative and the story within are connected thematically – people who feel trapped and have lost control of their lives. Both stories involve resistance to repression. For the narrator, her creative outlet is writing – one of the only ways she can escape the authoritarian rule.

Yoko Ogawa’s writing style is one of quiet elegance. Her writing has a subtlety that allows the reader to become immersed in this dystopian situation without any overly violent scenes. It is obviously a brutal regime, but whatever is being done to those arrested takes place offstage. The pace is slower in the beginning and increases toward the end. It is not for anyone looking to have all loose ends tied up. I wish there had been a little more information on how the regime came to power and the method by which the items disappear (it appears as a magical realist element in the story).

Even though it has been almost thirty years since first published, it is still fresh and relevant. It confronts declining plant and animal species, threats to personal liberties, and increasingly extremist viewpoints. I found it stunningly written and thought-provoking. I read the English translation from the original Japanese.

PBT Comments: This book is from Cora's Subdue the Shelf List - Clerk Level. (Read this one for a 6-5 roll.)

Great review Joy. I’m reading it now and I think it’s brilliant. I slept through a few chapters, so I have to go back and reread a big section, but it might have given me a different focus. The police aspect of the plot (and the story within the story) is hard to understand, but the people’s reactions are fascinating. Many seem to adjust gradually to all the changes and losses around them, and soon forget. This book is making me think of all the ways that people adjust, adapt, and resist changes in their lives and in the world. Social attitudes sometimes change surprisingly fast, and you can see in the story how it happens.

In the real world, we’ve lost 70% of the species in the world since 1970, and people don’t seem to notice. I heard a politician say that we can’t change or prevent global warning, we just need to adapt to it. There seem to be more sci-fi stories about finding new planets to colonize, rather than creative ways to save this world.

I’m also seeing parallels to the aging process, and the various ways people adjust (or not) to physical disabilities and losses. Life goes on. I see it in my mother. Maybe the memory police in the story reflect nature/biology/God/neuroscience rather than a dystopian government. The ending seems a lot more meaningful to me when I think if it this way.

NancyJ wrote: "Great review Joy. I’m reading it now and I think it’s brilliant. I slept through a few chapters, so I have to go back and reread a big section, but it might have given me a different focus. The pol..."
Thanks, Nancy. I agree that this is an extremely thought-provoking book in many ways. It is so sad that we have lost so many species, and people don't notice because many are not connected to the natural world anymore. I read the recent book by Bill Gates that talks about what we can do about global warming if you're interested: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need. There are many scientific challenges to colonizing another planet and we're not even close to that being a viable solution (SciFi books notwithstanding).

It is interesting that you are finding parallels to the aging process. I didn't even think of that angle, but I see what you mean. I will think about what you've said. It certainly could be an option that author may have been referring to something other than a dystopian government, especially since it is not explained - there are a number of ways to interpret the situation. This is the mark of a very good book, IMO.

I keep trying to get to this one.

Joy D wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Great review Joy. I’m reading it now and I think it’s brilliant. I slept through a few chapters, so I have to go back and reread a big section, but it might have given me a different..."

Every book is different for different readers, right? Memory, change, and now aging are salient topics to me, so I’m bound to see them everywhere. The Housekeeper and the Professor is about memory too, and this is a different take on it.

Did you like the Bill Gates book? It’s on my tbr. Under a White Sky included a few different efforts. Even crazy ideas can lead to new ways of thinking, and viable ideas eventually.

Right! Yes, I did like the Bill Gates book. Here's my review if you're interested:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read Under a White Sky and learned some new ideas I had not heard of before.

I just bought this on my trip to Nashville a couple weeks ago! I look forward to reading it. And I am glad it is so "meaty." Sounds like a good book club read.