Sunday, August 21, 2022
I am reading a novel, The Book of Form and Emptiness, by Ruth Ozeki. This work is a candidate for this year’s Booker Prize, a literary award for the best novel written in English. Ozeki has published several books, but this is my first time reading her. She teaches writing, and her style is modern, excellent, and precise.
This work of fiction is impacting me. It heightens my perceptions of how the past, present, and future interact and influence. It has me focusing on humanity’s inner and outer lives and thinking more about “being human.” I’m about a quarter of the way in, so the jury still is out, but so far, so good and even excellent.
With Ozeki’s work offering ways to reconsider being human, time passes more quickly as I perform work behind my cash register in a busy supermarket.
She is an American-Canadian author, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. Her writing is highly visual. To me, it’s like seeing a movie. Her Zen philosophy doesn’t slow the flow but imbues the story’s potential. Especially if readers are thoughtful.
This story essentially tackles issues of life and death. It does so with insight, warmth, and humor. It also incorporates the book itself as a character and with a perspective. All that works!
Dear Friends: It’s a novel that’s lovely, tender, and has a Zen way. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 