The Housekeeper and the Professor
[9780099521341]

by Yoko Ogawa

General Books, Fiction, Fiction - The Housekeeper and the Professor

Paperback
Published: 01/04/10

He is a brilliant maths professor with a peculiar problem - ever since a traumatic head injury seventeen years ago, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory. She is a sensitive but 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.

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Review by Sharon

Rating:

(4/5)

Reviewed January 10

When I read this book I felt like I was being read to by the author- such a treat! It's a beautiful book that meanders along at a lovely pace. There is also great credit due to the translator who has done a great job in maintaining the tone of this heartfelt novel. Yes, it's a gem!

Review by Stella

Rating:

(4/5)

Reviewed March 10

I really enjoyed reading this book - such a beautiful, simple story. I felt I got to know the characters, could sympathise with the Professor and could feel the comforting warmth of his housekeeper. The story moves with a steady pace of domestic life. Such a lovely read!

The Housekeeper and the Professor[9780099521341]

The Housekeeper and the Professor
[9780099521341]