The Housekeeper and the Professor Paperback – 3 Feb. 2009

Sometimes you read a book of such utter brilliance you find it hard to put it into words for others to understand why it's so great. But as a reviewer I will do my best. But this really is one of those stories that the best and simplest advice is just to read it.It is mostly set in 1992, and is narrated by a young single mother who works as the housekeeper for a maths professor. Despite an extraordinary mind for numbers, the professor suffered a head injury in 1975 and can only remember things from before that date, and from the last 80 minutes. But despite the problem that every morning he has forgotten who she is, the professor and the housekeeper nevertheless gradually develop a friendship and affection, particularly when she starts to bring her ten year old son to the house after school.It's a short book, yet manages to say more than most novels three or four times the length. Even the descriptions of maths are readable and fascinating, rather than horrible (as I'd have expected). It's a rare author who can make the average person appreciate the beauty of maths and numbers, given most of us develop a dislike of the subject in school that never leaves us. And I just loved the characters and the bond between them. It really does make you think about the nature of love and human connectivity, and how these characters have a deep relationship even though one of them can't recall the other two if he's away from them for more than 80 minutes.I could write a lot more but instead I suggest you stop reading this review and go and read the book - it says things better than I could ever hope to!

A quiet little book about an old professor whose memory only spans 80 minutes after an accident, and how his love for mathematics keeps him going, and the housekeeper and her son who come to share their lives with him.Mathematical formulas, problems and solutions are littered throughout the book, but don’t let them scare you away. They are there to illustrate the simplicity and beauty of profound truths (such as seen in the uniqueness of prime numbers) and show us that while maths may be separate from the business of real life, we can glean from it some guiding principles in the way we approach life.This is explained rather aptly by the professor: “Eternal truths are ultimately invisible, and you won’t find them in material things or natural phenomena, or even in human emotions. Mathematics, however, can illuminate them, can give them expression - in fact, nothing can prevent it from doing so.”The connection the housekeeper (the unnamed narrator) and her young son (affectionately called Root by the professor for the flat top of his head resembling the math symbol) form with the professor as they reintroduce themselves over and over again to him, is both charming and sad. Ogawa manages to make the story believable and moving in the unadorned way she writes (and ably translated by Stephen Snyder), giving the reader much to reflect upon after he reaches the end of the novel.

The Housekeeper and the Professor is a charming story of friendship, memory... and maths.A terrible car crash in 1975 curtailed the Professor's academic career. Since then his short term memory has only lasted a very precise 80 minutes. In 1992 fate brought the Housekeeper to his door, the latest in a series of domestic staff provided by the Akebono Housekeeping Agency. Slowly but surely she learns to anticipate the Professor's particular needs and gradually they navigate their way towards a warm friendship. They are aided in this by her son (nicknamed Root by the Professor as the flat top of his head reminded him of the square root symbol), a shared love of baseball and the Professor's delight in leading them both into an appreciation of the magic and mysteries of numbers.This slim volume is an utter delight with an added geeky appeal. The characters are captivating, and their nascent friendship which reignites each day as the Housekeeper introduces herself to the Professor on his doorstep is beautifully drawn.

A nice tale, with emotional parts, and showing love and care for numbers and maths (and baseball). It is enjoyable and reads easily. Not a great story though, and not very plausible at times considering the professor mental condition. And in the end is short on maths content and short on story.

I've recently been reading either dry non-fiction books or hefty fantasy novels that would probably serve quite well as ballast on ships. I felt like reading something different, and having heard that The Housekeeper and the Professor was a quick, easy read, I decided to try it.The first person narrator is a conscientious housekeeper who is given the job of taking care of an ageing, brain damaged mathematician. His brain damage takes the form of extreme memory loss: he can only recall the last 80 minutes before his memory reverts to 1975. Since the book takes place in 1992, this is a pretty big problem.This is a small novel with a small cast. Only three characters are well represented: the housekeeper and professor of the title, and the housekeeper's son. It's a quiet, tale, too. Yet Ogawa's characterisation of these three sucked me in completely, and soon I was fascinated by the mundane joys and sorrows of their lives. The narrator's voice is consistently likeable and imparts a subtle bittersweet nostalgia to the tale that fits perfectly.Alongside the character focused story, there runs a thread of mathematics. The narrator discovers a love for maths from the professor, and there are many passages where she (along with the reader) attempts to puzzle out some problem the professor has given her. Rather than feeling intrusive, these passages end up feeling absolutely necessary for understanding the Professor, as well as the narrator and her son. Mathematics provides ways for people to order and understand the world around them, and I found it refreshing to see characters in a novel find comfort in this understanding.