The Book of Form and Emptiness

[Kokuu]

Hi all

Soto priest and author Ruth Ozeki has just won the UK Women's prize for fiction for her book The Book of Form and Emptiness. I have the audiobook downloaded but not yet read it yet. Many of us here (including myself) greatly enjoyed her previous work from 2013, A Tale for the Time Being. There are not many novels around that mention Shobogenzo!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/15/ruth-ozeki-women-prize-for-fiction-the-book-of-form-and-emptiness

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Neika]

Added to my reading list. Thank you.

Gassho,
Neika


-st


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[Huichan]

Read her last book and really enjoyed it, even bought my wife the Chinese translation for her to read. It was probably one of the things that gave me that little extra push to try be better with my practice, which ended up with my finding and joining treeleaf tbh.

Will get around to buying this soon as I've seen it's quite easy to get on Taobao here.

[vanbui]

Thank you Kobuu.

I saw her in the news but didn't paid much attention until now.

I have downloaded her audible book.

Gassho
Van
Sat

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[Heiso]

I'm about 1/3 of the way through and really enjoying it now.

Gassho,

Heiso

StLah

[Jinyo]

Just started it, but also read Timecode of a Face - its short and based on Koan 'What did your face look like before your parents were born?'
It's part memoir - really enjoyed it.

[Tosei]

Thanks for the pointer, Kokuu.

Gassho.

((stlah))

[houst0n]

I recently read it; I didn't like it nearly as much as the book for the time being, but still an OK read. 2.5/5 from me

Gassho,
Sat
Neil

[Ryumon]

I didn’t want to weigh in when everyone was praising the book, but now that there is a negative review, I will say that I read about a quarter of it and found it quite boring.


Gassho,
Ryūmon (Kirk)
Sat

[Heiso]

Well I didn't mention that it's taken me three goes to get into but it appears to be picking up pace now.

Gassho

Heiso

StLah

[Huichan]

Finished reading it and thought it was a great read actually. There was a passage in the book, which I thought might be apt to quote:

...the reader is not a passive receptacle for the book's contents. Not at all. You are our [the books] colloborators, our conspirators, breathing new life into us. And because every reader is unique, each of you makes us mean differently, regardless what's written on our pages. Thus, one book, when read by different readers, becomes different books, becomes an ever-changing array of books that flows through human consciousness like a wave.

Gassho
Ross
stlah

[Kokuu]

That's a great passage. Thank you for your feedback, Ross.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Ryumon]

The Book of Form and Emptiness

I really couldn't get into the book. If there's anyone in the UK who wants my copy (free), send me a PM with your address.

Gassho,

Ryūmon (Kirk)

sat

[Jinyo]

I really couldn't get into the book. If there's anyone in the UK who wants may copy (free), send me a PM with your address.

Gassho,

Ryūmon (Kirk)

sat

Mine's on kindle so can't pass on. It's interesting the unique response we have to books. I don't normally have strong negative reactions to what I read but I actively disliked this novel - at the level of criteria of what makes for literature above the bar ( it did after all win a prestigious prize) it failed to engage me - at all

I enjoyed her previous novel but this felt a bit formulaic with over use of Zen info that felt overtly pedagogic.

Gassho

Jinyo

Sat Today

[Ryumon]

I rarely “actively dislike” a novel. There’s not enough time. I do read a lot, and I give a book 20-50 pages to see if it grabs me. If not, I just move on.

I was disappointed, but it is a somewhat unique sort of novel, so credit to the author for that.


Gassho,
Ryūmon (Kirk)
Sat