The Memory Police by Yōko OgawaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an intriguing book, published originally in Japan in 1994 but not translated to English until 2019. I read it for one of my book clubs, and was really glad to be able to discuss it with others! It helped clarify several points in the book, and also prompted me to look into the author's background and her life.
There are only three characters in the book, all nameless -- the female narrator (an author), 'the old man' (a friend of her family), and 'R' (her book editor). They live on a small island which is controlled by the Memory Police. Gradually everyday items "were disappeared"; items such as birds, flowers, hats, bells, etc. When they disappear, the residents of the island all destroy any of the items that they possess and very quickly all memories of these items are erased.
However, some of the island residents don't forget about these disappeared items. They actually remember everything and often hoard and hide these items in order to keep them from the Memory Police. The Memory Police make surprise raids on houses, confiscate items, and frequently take away individuals or families, who are never seen again.
The narrator's mother was one of the individuals who was taken by the Memory Police, and her book editor was in danger of the same fate. Therefore, she and the old man built a hiding place for him in her house. It definitely has parallels with Anne Frank, and I discovered that she is the reason that Ogawa became an author. In fact, she has written two books on the subject of Anne Frank.
This novel also features a 'book within a book' which is told in pieces throughout the book. It was written by the narrator, and is a curious and unsettling tale with many parallels to her own experiences.
This book is a quiet, character-based story but still has the ability to captivate the reader. It's quite a page-turner because I wanted to find out what happens to them.
"But our memories were diminishing day by day, for when something disappeared from the island, all memory of it vanished too."
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