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sonalipawar26's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Princess Bari is heartrending. It will take you to hell and back along with Bari. Hwang retells the Korean folklore of ‘Princess Bari’ in a modern setting, dealing with timely yet difficult topics like human trafficking, destruction, war, and immigration.
Bari, which roughly translates to 'thrown away', was abandoned by her mother right after she was born as the sixth daughter of the family. But she was later saved by her grandmother, resulting in her name that was derived from the legend of 'Princess Bari', a tale her grandmother would narrate to her as a bedtime story time and again.
From a young age Bari is dealt a bad hand, forcing her to become an adult in adolescence. The world couldn't be crueler to her; from the North Korean famine of the 90s to running away to China, and finally fleeing to England as an undocumented immigrant, Bari had had to survive in the worst conditions possible. But along the way she meets kind souls as she goes on a quest to 'fetch the life-giving water'.
Hwang Sok-yong doesn't mince his words. He shows you the world as it is. Nor does he give you a cliched 'happy ending', making you dream of a better world. Perhaps he tries to give you some hope, but more than that, he tells you if you don't take action and be kind to others, the world will always be a cruel place. This book also acts as a reminder that we don't know others' stories and we see them with only one lens.
Princess Bari is a gripping and heartbreaking tale, as it forces one to remove their rose-tinted glasses and see the world as it really is.
It's a sad read; but it's an important read.
#alazywriterbookreviews23
Thanks for the copy, Scribe publications!
Bari, which roughly translates to 'thrown away', was abandoned by her mother right after she was born as the sixth daughter of the family. But she was later saved by her grandmother, resulting in her name that was derived from the legend of 'Princess Bari', a tale her grandmother would narrate to her as a bedtime story time and again.
From a young age Bari is dealt a bad hand, forcing her to become an adult in adolescence. The world couldn't be crueler to her; from the North Korean famine of the 90s to running away to China, and finally fleeing to England as an undocumented immigrant, Bari had had to survive in the worst conditions possible. But along the way she meets kind souls as she goes on a quest to 'fetch the life-giving water'.
Hwang Sok-yong doesn't mince his words. He shows you the world as it is. Nor does he give you a cliched 'happy ending', making you dream of a better world. Perhaps he tries to give you some hope, but more than that, he tells you if you don't take action and be kind to others, the world will always be a cruel place. This book also acts as a reminder that we don't know others' stories and we see them with only one lens.
Princess Bari is a gripping and heartbreaking tale, as it forces one to remove their rose-tinted glasses and see the world as it really is.
It's a sad read; but it's an important read.
#alazywriterbookreviews23
Thanks for the copy, Scribe publications!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, War, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
wonderlake's review
dark
emotional
sad
#koreanmarch 2023
Bought this on Kindle in Feb 2021 so nice to get it ticked off. Can't remember why I bought it in particular, apart from for Korean March I guess.
The story is based on the Korean folktale/myth of Princess Bari? As such I found myself struggling at times during the narrative as to whether the Bari in our book was real or an allegory.
The first section of the book, dealing with childhood in north Korean was naturally gripping and heart-wrenching. It made me think of my 11-year old.
However when the action moved to London I found the action become a lot more melodramatic. So many misfortunes continue to befall Bari that it seemed like she was a character in Eastenders.
The 15-day section where she is grieving towards the end almost felt like a video game was being described to me, with Bari using mgical items to further her path.
Bought this on Kindle in Feb 2021 so nice to get it ticked off. Can't remember why I bought it in particular, apart from for Korean March I guess.
The story is based on the Korean folktale/myth of Princess Bari? As such I found myself struggling at times during the narrative as to whether the Bari in our book was real or an allegory.
The first section of the book, dealing with childhood in north Korean was naturally gripping and heart-wrenching. It made me think of my 11-year old.
However when the action moved to London I found the action become a lot more melodramatic. So many misfortunes continue to befall Bari that it seemed like she was a character in Eastenders.
The 15-day section where she is grieving towards the end almost felt like a video game was being described to me, with Bari using mgical items to further her path.
neiwly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
chelseamartinez's review
4.0
I'm generally not one for fantasy and fairy tales, but this story is a lovely modern fairy tale (that I couldn't tell was modern till very late).
loldesh's review against another edition
2.0
50/14
Şu kitaba yorum yapmaya mecalim yok. Nasıl emekler verildiğini bildiğim, kıyamadığımçin pek huyum değildir Dost Körpe dışında çevirmenlere sallamak ama, n'aptın be abim sayın Prof. Dr. Sırrı Göksel Türközü, abim Çilsonğ diye isim mi çevrilir abim valla yordun okuru, yordun abim.
Yazarda işleyememiş olabilir konuyu çokta şeyapamıyorum. Aslında konu çok iyi nur topu gibi wkdjosoe AY NEYSE.
Şu kitaba yorum yapmaya mecalim yok. Nasıl emekler verildiğini bildiğim, kıyamadığımçin pek huyum değildir Dost Körpe dışında çevirmenlere sallamak ama, n'aptın be abim sayın Prof. Dr. Sırrı Göksel Türközü, abim Çilsonğ diye isim mi çevrilir abim valla yordun okuru, yordun abim.
Yazarda işleyememiş olabilir konuyu çokta şeyapamıyorum. Aslında konu çok iyi nur topu gibi wkdjosoe AY NEYSE.
celestia_cq's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
scribepub's review against another edition
Hwang Sok-yong is undoubtedly the most powerful voice of the novel in Asia today.
Kenzaburo Oe, Winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature
Drawing on an old Korean folktale about a princess on a quest and intertwining it with modern life in China and London, Sok-yong chronicles Bari’s journey in an enchanting style that explores Korean culture, beautifully balances reality with magic, and presents an immigrant’s perspective of the world.
Yen Magazine
An evocative, modern-day quest from one of Korea's most renowned novelists … a story of the search for home and a timely, surreal reminder of the cost of war and the desperate measures people will take to escape.
BMA Magazine
A mesmerizing odyssey through the beauty, suffering, and rage that flow from the irrepressible desire to live.
Kirkus
Compelling and heartrending … In Hwang’s probing, compassionate work, Western readers unfamiliar with Eastern philosophy and culture will experience new takes on folkloric wisdom born of the enduring collective imagination.
Los Angeles Review of Books
Hwang Sok-Yong sets Princess Bari in the midst of Korean history, giving the reader insight not only into his characters, but into the history of his home country. He paints a picture of a family living through this horrific time, but intertwines it with the fantastical mythology of the great Princess Bari, known to many Koreans as Barigongju (바리공주) … perhaps we can use the mythology of Princess Bari as a response to the questions of today – as a guide to release from suffering.
Corrie Hulse, The Mantle
Hwang is perhaps the most intensely compassionate writer I’ve ever encountered, telling stories of great suffering with great tenderness and without sensationalism.
Nerd Daily
Kenzaburo Oe, Winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature
Drawing on an old Korean folktale about a princess on a quest and intertwining it with modern life in China and London, Sok-yong chronicles Bari’s journey in an enchanting style that explores Korean culture, beautifully balances reality with magic, and presents an immigrant’s perspective of the world.
Yen Magazine
An evocative, modern-day quest from one of Korea's most renowned novelists … a story of the search for home and a timely, surreal reminder of the cost of war and the desperate measures people will take to escape.
BMA Magazine
A mesmerizing odyssey through the beauty, suffering, and rage that flow from the irrepressible desire to live.
Kirkus
Compelling and heartrending … In Hwang’s probing, compassionate work, Western readers unfamiliar with Eastern philosophy and culture will experience new takes on folkloric wisdom born of the enduring collective imagination.
Los Angeles Review of Books
Hwang Sok-Yong sets Princess Bari in the midst of Korean history, giving the reader insight not only into his characters, but into the history of his home country. He paints a picture of a family living through this horrific time, but intertwines it with the fantastical mythology of the great Princess Bari, known to many Koreans as Barigongju (바리공주) … perhaps we can use the mythology of Princess Bari as a response to the questions of today – as a guide to release from suffering.
Corrie Hulse, The Mantle
Hwang is perhaps the most intensely compassionate writer I’ve ever encountered, telling stories of great suffering with great tenderness and without sensationalism.
Nerd Daily
ianridewood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
itsmelauren's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-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
4.5