48 pages • 1 hour read
The Memory Police
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Memory Police is a science fiction novel by Yoko Ogawa. The Japanese edition debuted in 1994 and was translated into English by Stephen Snyder in 2019. Under the sci-fi umbrella, the novel more specifically belongs in the dystopian, or Orwellian, speculative fiction subgenre in that the story explores the quiet, quotidian results of scientific experimentation. In doing so, it considers themes like Memory and Manufacturing the Uncanny as well as Alienation Within a Police State, while the story-within-a-story structure contemplates The Craft of Writing. Ogawa’s style of reverie evokes Kazuo Ishiguro, and the text’s surreal qualities echo Haruki Murakami. The Memory Police was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature.
Plot Summary
At the start of The Memory Police, the unnamed protagonist recalls a childhood memory of her mother discussing the disappearances of objects on their island. Her mother remembers everything, unlike most people on the island, who forget the objects shortly after they disappear. The narrator’s father was an ornithologist. When birds disappeared, he lost his job, and Unlock all 48 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
