? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa is described as a “gentle and hypnotic novel” which is a stark contrast to the trend of dystopian novels that we know of. The novel is translated from the Japanese original and is set in an unnamed island that is slowly forgetting everything. Any item, animal, or scene that has become a part of someone’s memory is hunted by the Memory Police and erased. As a result, the populace do not remember, why should they recall something that no longer exists? On the Memory Police’s hunt list are the small number of individuals who still remember, one of which is the editor that a young female novelist is working with. When she discovers that he does remember and teaches her the value of memory, even after the item is gone, she starts on a course to protect him from the relentless Memory Police by hiding him in an ‘oubliette,’ which is French for “secret chamber” and stems from the word ‘oublier’ — to forget. This novel may be one of the few dystopian narratives that can be palatable by the beach, so order a long cocktail and enjoy.

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