Review
Upon meeting the tenth
housekeeper hired to care for him, the
Professor launches into a math lesson on
magical numbers, focusing on the special
prime numbers. Rather than being annoyed or
intimidated like the others, the Housekeeper
becomes intrigued, determined to make the
relationship work. She draws the Professor
out, asking him to explain his ideas, and he
blossoms further when her young son begins
to visit with him after school. Since the
Professor's memory constantly dissolves, the
introductions begin anew every morning and
each day is an opportunity to create a new
relationship.
The title characters are known to the reader
only by their professions, and the symbolic
anonymity...
Beyond the Book
The Story Behind the Book
Hakase no aishi ta
sushiki was
originally published in
Japan in 2003, selling
more than 2.5 million
copies and garnering the
prestigious Yomiuri
Prize. The title is more
literally translated as
The Professor and His
Beloved Equation,
and is often referred to
as such prior to the
American publication of
The Housekeeper and
the Professor. Yoko
Ogawa has published more
than 20 works of fiction
and nonfiction, many
translated...
