Housekeeper and the ProfessorXiao Chuan Yang Zi
Housekeeper and the Professor
by Xiao Chuan Yang Zi · first published 1998
4mentions
3recommended by
4HN commenters
2013–2025first – last mentioned
75% recommend25% neutral
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'The Housekeeper and the Professor' by Yoko Ogawa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Housekeeper_and_the_Profes... is a beautiful novel about a mathematician with a short term memory condition, that should appeal to HN readers.
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗Just finished 'The Housekeeper and the Professor'by Yoko Ogawa. A really nice blend of fiction and mathematics, especially Number Theory. Loved it for it's ease of read, sensitive writing and the math. My favorite line in the book, a thought stream…
on “Ask HN: Books that blend math and fiction” ↗This reminds me of a book by Yoko Ogawa called "The Housekeeper and the Professor." It's a really beautiful story of the awkward friendship between a former math professor, whose memory "resets" every six hours or so, and his caretaker.
on “Teenager’s memory resets every two hours after traumatic kick to the head” ↗I am currently reading a book called "The Housekeeper and the Professor" of Yoko Ogawa. I haven't finished it, but I find it quite interesting. It's the story of a housekeeper and a professor of mathematics who can remember new memories only for 80 minutes. Here is a link…
on “Ask HN: What literature do you read?” ↗