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rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.5
I struggled to engage with the story and the characters, I think mostly because their past experiences and life circumstances are narrated in a very disjointed way, and it wasn't easy to match the pieces and get a complete picture. It was an overly ambiguous and blurred type of storytelling that didn't work very well, for me at least.
However, I can still appreciate the beautiful writing style. There were many moments when I re-read sentences and reflections just to savour how expertly and poetically they were constructed.
In the end, I think I was more disappointed because I've previously read and absolutely loved other books by Han Kang (namely Human Acts and The White Book) and I started this one with a lot of expectations.
However, I can still appreciate the beautiful writing style. There were many moments when I re-read sentences and reflections just to savour how expertly and poetically they were constructed.
In the end, I think I was more disappointed because I've previously read and absolutely loved other books by Han Kang (namely Human Acts and The White Book) and I started this one with a lot of expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Ableism, Grief, Racism, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Death
Minor: Child abuse, Body horror, Self harm, and Excrement
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