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sas_lk's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Something kept bothering me about this book. I really liked Kim Young-Ha's "A Diary of a Murderer and Other Stories", so i decided to pick this one up.
What I liked so much about that short story collection, is that one could feel what deep understanding Kim has for humanity. His short stories were so well written and depicted humanity so well.
However, with this book, it's like he did not understand humans, especially women. I only understood what bothered me when I read someone else's 1 star review:
"I guessed that the author is male [...] I’m just so tired of reading about disturbed young women who for some reason are always nyphomans. [...]"
And that pretty much sums up what I felt. These women are just really deeply traumatised and suicidal, and for some reason male authors think this concept is fascinating. It's just a book about men projecting their simple understanding of life onto women who have lived horrible pasts and lives, and then being confused when the women stand up for themselves or call them assholes.
I'm tired of these tropes now.
What I liked so much about that short story collection, is that one could feel what deep understanding Kim has for humanity. His short stories were so well written and depicted humanity so well.
However, with this book, it's like he did not understand humans, especially women. I only understood what bothered me when I read someone else's 1 star review:
"I guessed that the author is male [...] I’m just so tired of reading about disturbed young women who for some reason are always nyphomans. [...]"
And that pretty much sums up what I felt. These women are just really deeply traumatised and suicidal, and for some reason male authors think this concept is fascinating. It's just a book about men projecting their simple understanding of life onto women who have lived horrible pasts and lives, and then being confused when the women stand up for themselves or call them assholes.
I'm tired of these tropes now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
noella19's review
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
All in all be careful when you read the book. Very trigger warning conversations
The brothers felt even more like strangers at the end than in the beginning.
I feel for K and the fact that he attempted to reach out but was ignored by C. He seems very lost and the book ends with him unraveling.
C is quite literally the worst. He appears to believe himself the center of the universe but not to a degree were he consideres himself above everything and everyone else (at least not blatantly) but he’s just so stuck in his own world. Everyone appears like a prop in his life to keep his day going and even though some made an impact in his life but somehow not enough to ground him in reality. He seems not see people as people but pieces and some with more depth than others.
Mimi and Judith felt like text book manic pixie girls but yet were intriguing. Can’t say their choices surprised me but their explanations fell flat but maybe it’s because they were talking to c and were aware of how he views them. I wanted more from and for them.
The ominous voice that assisted with the decisions to exit was intriguing to say the least. At first I thought he was simply the embodiment of death himself but clearly he wasn’t but he was something else. His reasoning is realistic but unfair to most but he seemed to hold more compassion for the people he met and helped.
The book sad and the characters are broken but each one is finding a way to cope or make the pain go away.
All in all be careful. Take breaks if necessary.
The brothers felt even more like strangers at the end than in the beginning.
I feel for K and the fact that he attempted to reach out but was ignored by C. He seems very lost and the book ends with him unraveling.
C is quite literally the worst. He appears to believe himself the center of the universe but not to a degree were he consideres himself above everything and everyone else (at least not blatantly) but he’s just so stuck in his own world. Everyone appears like a prop in his life to keep his day going and even though some made an impact in his life but somehow not enough to ground him in reality. He seems not see people as people but pieces and some with more depth than others.
Mimi and Judith felt like text book manic pixie girls but yet were intriguing. Can’t say their choices surprised me but their explanations fell flat but maybe it’s because they were talking to c and were aware of how he views them. I wanted more from and for them.
The ominous voice that assisted with the decisions to exit was intriguing to say the least. At first I thought he was simply the embodiment of death himself but clearly he wasn’t but he was something else. His reasoning is realistic but unfair to most but he seemed to hold more compassion for the people he met and helped.
The book sad and the characters are broken but each one is finding a way to cope or make the pain go away.
All in all be careful. Take breaks if necessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
quills4days's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Abandonment, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Alcohol, Grief, and Toxic relationship
killerbeesbuzz's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Beautiful writing and an interesting concept but ultimately I wouldn't reread
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicide
bookcaseclosed's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Similar to Han Kangs "The Vegetarian", but with less story. The premise is pretty cool but the story is just a little bit too confusing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child abuse
abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Bleak and I loved it. Sometimes I find Korean fiction a little too obscure - like I’m almost getting it but I can’t quite grasp the full extent. Not so with I Have the Right to Destroy Myself, but it’s also not too on-the-nose. I loved the set up, a mysterious man on the hunt for clients - although I’ll not spoil the services he provides. Then there are stories within the main frame, stories of the people he encounters. It explores lust and art, and of course death, and it just reads so smoothly. Highly recommend, though heed the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
secrethistory's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Certain parts of this were painfully edgy, and the handling of women characters is questionable at best, but despite that I really liked the book and want to read more by the author. I was in a very dark place reading it, and the lack of clear morality and striking sadness of characters who sometimes don’t even realize how sad they really are resonated deeply. The ending with Mimi was stronger than Se-yeon’s story, but both were mostly good. I think the novel really explores negative feelings people have about life in a novel way, and the way the clients are built up is clever. We don’t know of any details of tragic histories, yet their sadness is obvious to everyone except the men sleeping with them. I think there was also am interesting difference in the narrator’s clients, who needed his services, and K, who seems ready to go on his own. It’s made me think about how people don’t always understand each other and what makes a life worth living. I think I’ll think about it for a long time.
Art features heavily in the book, which is interesting because it’s one of the things frequently cited as making life worth living, but is having that effect on none of the characters. The art discussed is always seductively violent, with one person who appears unmoved by the violence. A peaceful bathtub murder, an aroused woman with a severed head, a king watching over destruction, a fictional violent performance art. I appreciated the decision but need to think more on the role of art on the novel and it’s narrator.
All in all a thought provoking and good read, but again with the edgy man writing warning, and if you’re sensitive to sexual violence or suicide depictions turn away.
Art features heavily in the book, which is interesting because it’s one of the things frequently cited as making life worth living, but is having that effect on none of the characters. The art discussed is always seductively violent, with one person who appears unmoved by the violence. A peaceful bathtub murder, an aroused woman with a severed head, a king watching over destruction, a fictional violent performance art. I appreciated the decision but need to think more on the role of art on the novel and it’s narrator.
All in all a thought provoking and good read, but again with the edgy man writing warning, and if you’re sensitive to sexual violence or suicide depictions turn away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence
0325film's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
finished this book thinking it was a 2.5 star read; two days later, changed it to 3.75; then two days later decided it was a 4 star read. it has not left my mind for a week. while nothing much in terms of plot happens, it is deeply reflective and if you are keen to think hard about its messages and able to figure out kim’s thesis, then i’d definitely give this a shot. it’s an unsettling read but the psychology behind it is truly intriguing even though it’s heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
maybeillreadtoday's review
3.0
i think a lot of this went over my head but the overarching theme is whether or not people have the right to end their lives and thats a big and murky conversation to have that i dont think will ever have a concrete answer so ... neat? that the author took it upon themselves to try and explore that through this narrator who's sole job? purpose? is to assist people interested in ending their lives.
felt a little like a wong kar wai movie in which nothing really happens and its really just snippets of different characters' lives that are all connected in one way or another. admittedly not a huge fan of those movies for that exact reason but i can totally appreciate the art of those movies/this book.
felt a little like a wong kar wai movie in which nothing really happens and its really just snippets of different characters' lives that are all connected in one way or another. admittedly not a huge fan of those movies for that exact reason but i can totally appreciate the art of those movies/this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
emilia_reads's review
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content