This is classic Ruth Ozeki - bold, humane and heartbreaking. The Book of Form and Emptiness blends unforgettable characters, riveting plot and vibrant engagement with everything from jazz to climate change to our attachment to material possessions. And he meets his very own Book - a talking thing - who narrates Benny's life and teaches him to listen to the things that truly matter. He meets a homeless philosopher-poet, who encourages him to ask important questions and find his own voice amongst the many. There, he falls in love with a mesmerising street artist with a smug pet ferret, who uses the library as her performance space. At first Benny tries to ignore them, but soon the voices follow him outside the house, onto the street and at school, driving him at last to seek refuge in the silence of a large public library, where objects are well-behaved and know to speak in whispers. These reasons could be physical, mental, or emotional. A host of reasons might lead to a feeling of emptiness. But sometimes this gnawing feeling persists. Often it resolves by itself and you feel as good as new. When his mother develops a hoarding problem, the voices grow more clamorous. Sometimes a feeling of emptiness is fleeting and lasts only a few days or weeks. Although Benny doesn't understand what these things are saying, he can sense their emotional tone some are pleasant, a gentle hum or coo, but others are snide, angry and full of pain. The voices belong to the things in his house - a sneaker, a broken Christmas ornament, a piece of wilted lettuce. WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022 One year after the death of his beloved musician father, thirteen-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices.
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