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soapsoapsoap's review
2.0
brb busy praying that cursed bunny is better than this because i really want to love this woman's stories
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THE CENTER FOR IMMORTALITY RESEARCH
meh. i didn't really.. care. the blurb about it in the synopsis made it out to be amazing and then we get pretty much nothing and then a half-assed twist at the end. just, meh.
2/5
THE END OF THE VOYAGE
a HUGE improvement from the first story. loved it a lot more, and I could really get into it. not perfect by any stretch but... baby steps!!!
3.75/5
A VERY ORDINARY MARRIAGE
well that went downhill again. better than the first story but I still didn't care and the motivations of both the husband and the mysterious people were unclear and really muddled the story.
2/5
MARIA GRATIA PLENA
phew wee. will this entire book be a tandem swing from good to bad? this story was very telling and personal, and you can tell that this author cared about the irl case that inspired this story.
4/5
YOUR UTOPIA
for the title story, that was a disappointment. didn't really get it, and it felt like it was trying to be deep but all it came out with was "vroom vroom"
A SONG FOR SLEEP
yet another story where I didn't care!!! so surprising!!! this was supposed to be a look into the human existence and how confusing it is (and maybe a commentary of the inherent humanity of machines?) but it fell flat. it neglected to cultivate a connection with the old lady, so when we heard about her deteriorating condition and supposed to care, I just didn't.
2/5
SEED
meh. yet again, didn't care. this story tried to be waaaaaay to deep and didn't want to put in the effort to get that point across.
TO MEET HER
good message, horrid execution. hated it!!!
1/5
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bottom line: i pray that bora chung just tripped up here and not everywhere.
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THE CENTER FOR IMMORTALITY RESEARCH
meh. i didn't really.. care. the blurb about it in the synopsis made it out to be amazing and then we get pretty much nothing and then a half-assed twist at the end. just, meh.
2/5
THE END OF THE VOYAGE
a HUGE improvement from the first story. loved it a lot more, and I could really get into it. not perfect by any stretch but... baby steps!!!
3.75/5
A VERY ORDINARY MARRIAGE
well that went downhill again. better than the first story but I still didn't care and the motivations of both the husband and the mysterious people were unclear and really muddled the story.
2/5
MARIA GRATIA PLENA
phew wee. will this entire book be a tandem swing from good to bad? this story was very telling and personal, and you can tell that this author cared about the irl case that inspired this story.
4/5
YOUR UTOPIA
for the title story, that was a disappointment. didn't really get it, and it felt like it was trying to be deep but all it came out with was "vroom vroom"
A SONG FOR SLEEP
yet another story where I didn't care!!! so surprising!!! this was supposed to be a look into the human existence and how confusing it is (and maybe a commentary of the inherent humanity of machines?) but it fell flat. it neglected to cultivate a connection with the old lady, so when we heard about her deteriorating condition and supposed to care, I just didn't.
2/5
SEED
meh. yet again, didn't care. this story tried to be waaaaaay to deep and didn't want to put in the effort to get that point across.
TO MEET HER
good message, horrid execution. hated it!!!
1/5
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bottom line: i pray that bora chung just tripped up here and not everywhere.
yuzutart's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Cursed Bunny was one of my unexpected favorites of 2023, so I was excited to read Your Utopia. While Cursed Bunny leans more into horror, this collection of eight stories deals with futuristic technology and society.
tbh I am never sure if I GET short stories, but I enjoyed this collection! Standouts for me were "A Very Ordinary Marriage", in which a man realizes his wife is not who he thinks she is in more ways than one, "A Song for Sleep", in which I became emotionally wrecked from a story about an elevator, and "The Center for Immortality Research", in which office bureaucracy goes on.... immortally.
tbh I am never sure if I GET short stories, but I enjoyed this collection! Standouts for me were "A Very Ordinary Marriage", in which a man realizes his wife is not who he thinks she is in more ways than one, "A Song for Sleep", in which I became emotionally wrecked from a story about an elevator, and "The Center for Immortality Research", in which office bureaucracy goes on.... immortally.
metamorfosa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
antiintellectual's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
The stories "Seed" and "A Song For Sleep" will stick with me, and gave me much to think about. Love them. The rest did not follow through for me, but Bora Chung writes in a way which keeps me reading regardless.
rdh217's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
capy's review against another edition
2.25
nour... favorite story was 'a song for sleep' and 'to meet her'; otherwise, this was just okay for me... don't think i'm a big fan of the last minute plot twists as a hail mary to make everything else interesting
guitarpotato's review
5.0
The Center for Immortality Research 4 Stars
The End of the Voyage 5 Stars
A Very Ordinary Marriage 5 Stars
Maria, Gratia Plena 5 Stars
Maria, Gratia Plena 5 Stars
Your Utopia 5 Stars
A Song for Sleep 5 Stars
Seed 4 Stars
To Meet Her 5 Stars
Bora Chung is a genius. And Anton Hur is amazing for translating her works. I love it when these two work together. The short stories read like an episode of Black Mirror. Surreal with plot twists that keep me thinking about each story for days. Left me contemplating about what it is that constitutes life and emotions. I was a huge fan of Cursed Bunny and Chung truly outdid herself with this short story collection. I can’t wait to read more of her works. I want to devour them all. She is probably my favorite contemporary Korean writer. I’m a huge fan.
From this collection of short stories „A Very Ordinary Marriage“, „The End of the Voyage“ and „A Song for Sleep“ are especially memorable stories for me – the first of these definitely leaving the largest impact on my mind.