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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.
aridoubra's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I fell in love with the characters- Dong Ju and Sugiyama in more ways than expected. It’s the way they find love in ugliness, light in the darkness, and joy in pain through their love for books and poetry. Despite the differences in language, nationality, status, and life experiences, they are connected by the love for words. They both use poetry as a way to cope in a cold world where war and death linger.
mcerrin's review against another edition
1.0
I tried to finish. Three times. I can see why people would love this book but it’s just not for me. I gave up out of boredom halfway through. It wandered off a lot into seemingly meaningless stories. Way more about poetry and the human condition than anything else. And I’m just not that interested in poetry. The synopsis certainly needs to be altered because it's not what I expected at all.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
1.0
『별을 스치는 바람』 par Yi Jeongmyeong (이정명). Traduit du coréen vers l'anglais par Kim Chi-Young et de l'anglais vers le français par Éric Betsch. Je n'ai pas encore lu la traduction anglaise mais c'est juste embarrassant.
archiviodisilvia's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A very touching book about the power of literature, poetry and words. There is a strong introspection of the main character and also a bit of mistery. It makes you reflect a lot about themes such as justice, freedom, truth/lies, art, salvation and humanity.
Content Warnings
War, mistreatment of prisoners.
eswee's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was beautiful and not what I expected from a murder mystery. This novel isn't just about researching the death of a prison guard, but his life before it. It's about books and poetry a lot, and how they can change a person. Really slow-paced but also very captivating!
kaneebli's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Genocide, War, Murder, Confinement, Colonisation, and Physical abuse
nicolac's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25