The Memory Police is an insane roller-coaster read I have in a while.
While I haven’t read The Professor (arguably one of the best works of Yoko Ogawa) or any of her works before this, The Memory Police is insanely, yes insanely, captivating and penetrating, from the characters to the storytelling, not to mention her subtle expression of human psychology.
The novel is about lost things, people who have lost, and people who remember and treasure their memories. In the beginning, I wasn’t particularly intrigued by the introduction of the novel, but it was recommended on Goodreads that “If you’re a fan of Haruki Murakami, you should check this out” (I obviously bit it like a fish seeing a juicy fat worm), and the local library happened to have the book on its shelf, so I borrowed it, along with several other infamous novels. And no regrets guys.
I was speechless after reading The Memory Police.
“They may be nothing more than scraps of paper, but they capture something profound. Light and wind and air, the tenderness or joy of the photographer, the bashfulness or pleasure of the subject. You have to guard these things forever in your heart. That’s why photographs are taken in the first place.”
The Memory Police (Yoko Owaga)
That part is about when the photograph disappeared. People who lost things treasure those lost things more than anyone else. I suppose it’s the same for you too. What if something you hold dear to your heart disappears? What if the one thing that defines your existence disappears? The book completely captures that, in the most beautiful way possible. It (god damn!!!) captured my heart.
The feelings and spurts of emotions I had while reading The Memory Police were just as intense as when I was reading Kafka on The Shore (Haruki Murakami, my absolute all-time favorite novel). The emotions linger in my heart as if something were missing. Just like what the novel is about, the story was an endless void, and bizarrely at the same time, a whole.
As a writer sometimes, I admire how Yoko Owaga could explore human emotions, and express them in such a subtle way. Plus, the novel in The Memory Police (yes, you didn’t read wrong, there’s another novel in the novel) tickles the deepest of my bosom, I looked forward to every new chapter.
Well, since I didn’t want to spoil you guys, I will calm myself down and not write any further. It’s an awesome read, make sure you check it out if you’re into sci-fi drama kind of genre.
You can read more reviews on GoodReads here.
I love this book, and going to check out Yoko Owaga’s works more in the future!
See ya next book review!
Sunoo 
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