The Housekeeper and the Professor
‘a poignant tale of beauty, heart and sorrow’ Publishers Weekly
(Author) Yoko OgawaBeautiful, brilliant and profoundly strange - discover Yoko Ogawa. He is a brilliant maths professor who lives with only eighty minutes of short-term memory. She is a sensitive and astute young housekeeper who is entrusted to take care of him. Each morning, as the Professor and the Housekeeper are reintroduced to one another, a strange, beautiful relationship blossoms between them. The Professor may not remember what he had for breakfast, but his mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past. He devises clever maths riddles - based on her shoe size or her birthday - and the numbers reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her ten-year-old son. With each new equation, the three lost souls forge an affection more mysterious than imaginary numbers, and a bond that runs deeper than memory. 'Has all the charm and restraint of any novel by Ishiguro and the whimsy of Murakami' Los Angeles Times 'Beautiful...the extraordinary Yoko Ogawa casts her spell... This a tale which will leave the reader gasping' Irish Times 'A poignant domestic drama of tender atmospherics and stealthy education...rapturous' Guardian 'Written in such lucid, unpretentious language that reading it is like looking into a deep pool of clear water... Dive into Yoko Ogawa's world and you find yourself tugged by forces more felt than seen' New York Times
Yoko Ogawa
Yoko Ogawa is a Japanese author known for her unique and haunting storytelling style. Her works often explore themes of memory, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. Some of her most notable works include "The Housekeeper and the Professor," "The Diving Pool," and "The Memory Police."
Ogawa's writing is characterized by its spare prose, subtle psychological insights, and ability to create a sense of unease in the reader. She is considered a master of the short story form, with many of her works delving into the darker aspects of human nature.
Ogawa's impact on literature lies in her ability to blur the lines between reality and fiction, creating a world that is both familiar and unsettling. Her most famous work, "The Housekeeper and the Professor," is a poignant meditation on memory and the power of human connection.
Overall, Yoko Ogawa is a highly acclaimed author whose works have garnered international praise for their lyrical beauty and profound emotional depth.