Title: The Face
Author: Ruth Ozeki
First published May 1, 2015
ebook
ISBN: 9781632060150
Rating: 4.04
Overview
What is the true face that lies beyond the labels society has placed on us? Ruth Ozeki, best-selling author and Zen Buddhist priest, explores this question by undertaking a profound journey of self-reflection in her latest memoir, The Face: A Time Code.
For three hours, Ozeki stares unwaveringly at her own reflection, contemplating her identity and existence, and recording every passing thought. Her reflections on family, race, aging, death, and self-acceptance are lyrical and deeply personal, drawing from her own experiences growing up as a half-Japanese, half-Caucasian American in the aftermath of World War II, as well as her journey as a writer and priest.
The Face is a poignant and unique exploration of the self, a meditation on what it means to truly see oneself beyond the labels and constructs of society.
About the Author
Meet Ruth Ozeki – an American author of Japanese heritage. Her father is an anthropologist named Floyd Lounsbury.
Ozeki’s writing career began in 1998 with her first novel, My Year of Meats. She continued to make a literary name for herself with her second novel, All Over Creation, in 2003.
Her most recent work, A Tale for the Time Being, was published in 2013.
When she’s not writing, Ozeki divides her time between New York City and Vancouver with her husband, who is a Canadian land artist.
Editoral Review
Ruth Ozeki’s novel The Face, published in May 2015, is a thought-provoking meditation on identity, aging, and the entwined nature of our lives with those of others. Ozeki, a filmmaker and novelist based in British Columbia, Canada, is known for her experimental style, blending the personal with the political, the humorous with the serious, and the traditional with the contemporary.
The Face is a multi-layered work that tells the stories of two women who are connected through a Japanese filmmaker named Akira. One of the women is Akira’s former lover, a documentary filmmaker named Ruth, who discovers a mysterious, battered face washed up on shore on the remote British Columbian island where she has retreated for solitude and contemplation.
The other woman is a teenager named Nao, who lives in Tokyo and is writing a memoir to her great-grandmother, exploring the traumas and joys of her life as a half-Japanese, half-American girl growing up in contemporary Japan. As Ruth tries to uncover the identity of the face, and Nao struggles with the demands and pressures of adolescence, the two women’s lives converge in unexpected ways, revealing the scars and aspirations of human experience.
The Face is a genre-defying work that combines elements of memoir, fiction, meta-fiction, and magical realism. Ozeki’s prose is precise and lyrical, conveying both the harsh realities and the transcendent possibilities of existence.
The novel’s themes are universal, examining the ways in which we construct and deconstruct our identities, the impact of technology and media on our sense of self, the significance of memory and storytelling, and the power of love and compassion to overcome trauma and loss. The main characters of The Face are complex and nuanced, evoking empathy and understanding through their struggles and triumphs.
Ruth is a compelling narrator, whose vulnerability and wisdom are deeply rooted in her relationship with Akira and her own past. Nao is a fascinating, conflicted character, whose humor and resilience are tempered by the perils of adolescence and the mysteries of her family history.
The supporting characters, such as Nao’s suicidal father, her wise great-grandmother, and Ruth’s quirky Japanese-Canadian neighbors, provide additional depth and texture to the novel’s portrait of humanity. The setting of The Face is also integral to the novel’s impact, as Ozeki incorporates rich cultural and historical details about Japan, Canada, and the United States into the narrative.
From the traditional tea ceremonies of Kyoto to the post-9/11 security checkpoints at airports, Ozeki captures the mood and character of the different locales and their inhabitants, highlighting the nuances and complexities of cross-cultural interactions. One of the strengths of The Face is Ozeki’s ability to play with different genres and perspectives, creating a multi-dimensional, self-reflexive work that challenges readers to question their own assumptions and expectations.
The novel’s use of footnotes, photographs, and other meta-textual elements adds a layer of playfulness and experimentation to the narrative, while also highlighting the book’s core themes of memory, narrative, and identity. Despite its many virtues, The Face is not without its flaws.
Some readers may find the novel’s structure and pacing to be disjointed or uneven, as Ozeki jumps back and forth between different time periods and perspectives. Additionally, some of the themes and motifs of the novel may feel heavy-handed or repetitive, as Ozeki drives home her points about identity and interconnectedness.
Overall, however, The Face is a worthy addition to Ruth Ozeki’s oeuvre, and a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersections of literature, culture, and identity. The novel’s combination of humor, pathos, and social critique make it a valuable contribution to contemporary literature, and one that will engage readers of all backgrounds and ages.
Rating: 4/5. While The Face has its limitations, its strengths far outweigh its drawbacks.
Ozeki’s writing is beautiful and insightful, her characters are memorable and empathetic, and her themes are timely and profound. The Face is a must-read for anyone looking for a thought-provoking and engaging novel that will stay with them long after the final page.
