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daphnaios's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
historical fiction meets poetry in a completely unexpected way. need more english translations of his books!
mxmlln's review against another edition
3.0
Story: 6.0 / 10
Characters: 7
Setting: 7
Prose: 5
A fairly good book with a terribly weak start.
Tags: Colonization, war, prison, poetry, experimentation, race, language, identity
Characters: 7
Setting: 7
Prose: 5
A fairly good book with a terribly weak start.
Tags: Colonization, war, prison, poetry, experimentation, race, language, identity
saltycorpse's review
4.0
Based on a real Korean poet who died in prison during WWII.
A book about how fiction, poetry, and writing can bring out the humanity in people, and save them. And how language can be used to resist, and hold onto identity and culture when it is actively being stripped away.
A book about how fiction, poetry, and writing can bring out the humanity in people, and save them. And how language can be used to resist, and hold onto identity and culture when it is actively being stripped away.
babblinglib's review against another edition
4.0
Translated from the original Korean. A lovely book that looks at the power of words to transform the heart. The setting opens with the murder of a notorious guard in Japan's Fukoaka prison. As another guard investigates the murder, he comes in contact with a young Korean poet (based on a real person) who opens his eyes to what is happening around him. Lyrical and interesting.
cami19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
paulataua's review against another edition
3.0
On the surface, ‘The Investigation’ is a novel about a young guard unravelling the mystery of the murder of another guard in Fukuoka prison. That ‘investigation’ part, however, seems contrived and a little obvious, and is probably best seen as the opportunity to undertake the more important ‘investigation’ of Koreans in Japan during wartime, and the importance of language and literature on identity. Looking back on the novel things started to become clearer. I started to understand why Watanabe was young and inexperienced when he begins the investigation, why I found certain parts disjointed with clumsy language next to beautiful flowing poetic text, and why the guards started using the poet’s Korean name instead of his Japanese one as the story developed. So many things discovered in retrospect, but all discovered too late. Sometimes books are a little too clever for me. I really didn’t enjoy it and would have definitely given up half way through save for the great reviews and talk of an excellent ending.
karebic's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
hannicogood's review against another edition
5.0
Based on the last months of a real Korean poet who died in a Japanese prison, the book straddles historical fiction and mystery. I really enjoyed the used of poems and passages from other works of literature. I found the book moving and addictive.