Reviews - The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness

63 reviews for:

The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness

Kyung-sook Shin

3.69 AVERAGE

random_pages's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

wenda's review against another edition

4.0

Wonderful. Kyung-Sook Shin delves into her past, into writing, into what memories do with a person, creating a fascinating autobiographically inspired book.

As someone not very familiar with Korean history, many historical references passed me by even when the oppressive political atmosphere came across clearly enough at any time. The perspective goes back and forth between the narrator in the past as a sixteen to twenty year old and her thirty two year old present. Changes are often abrupt and references to people and events vague, which tunes you in to the narrator's own ignorance to what's going on at times (although some might also get frustrated with this jumping back and forth).

What I enjoyed most was the struggle with writing and the writing process. How the words do not always come out as planned, might take her anywhere. To me that is very similar to how memories are as well, they are hard to influence, to steer in the direction you want them to. And they are so powerful, they will take you over completely. So can writing when you find those missing words.

notdels's review against another edition

3.0

emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This legit dragged on and on for me, though there are some parts that I enjoyed. Good ending sentence. However, I think the translation felt awkward in some places. If I decide to read another book of hers I'll try to get an Arabic translation to compare.

itscaahhrrie's review against another edition

2.0

Woooof this was hard to get through. I listened to it and it kept going on and on. Some of the language was beautiful and other parts were very strangely translated.

oysterie's review against another edition

5.0

[4.5 stars rounded up]

This was one of the most heartfelt, bittersweet, phenomenal, and human novels that I have ever read. It is heavily based off of the author's own experience as a girl who moved from the country to work in a factory and attend high school night classes. The book is structured as partially in the past about (1978-80) and the present (1995) as the MC begins to write about her experiences This is so palpable throughout the novel as we view little vignettes about the character's, and I imagine the author's, experiences in this situation.