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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A beautiful, quiet and reflective book that shows us a small glimpse of the lives of our main cast of characters.
There is very little plot in this book, the focus is really on the characters , but not complete character arcs, just an in depth look into a brief period of their lives and the effect they have on each other. We follow a small cast of characters connected by this bookshop and its owner, and that's all there is to it really. Its a very quiet yet thoughtful for book that's very pondering and throws out ideas around work, capitalism, purpose and relationships in a way that feels very organic and introspective.
The love of books is obviously very prominent, but so is a love of the ordinary day to day lives of ordinary, unremarkable people just doing their best and living their lives day by day.
There is very little plot in this book, the focus is really on the characters , but not complete character arcs, just an in depth look into a brief period of their lives and the effect they have on each other. We follow a small cast of characters connected by this bookshop and its owner, and that's all there is to it really. Its a very quiet yet thoughtful for book that's very pondering and throws out ideas around work, capitalism, purpose and relationships in a way that feels very organic and introspective.
The love of books is obviously very prominent, but so is a love of the ordinary day to day lives of ordinary, unremarkable people just doing their best and living their lives day by day.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Like the subtle dripping of aromatic coffee, so too does Hwang Bo-Reum’s wisdom create the perfect blend of community and friendship over the shared dream of wanting to belong and to be accepted. Her gold nuggets are such a treasure, and I found myself slowing down my pace to savor each subtle morsel of existential meaning. Her writing, though perhaps not eloquent, held such a deep impact that I continue to ponder the meaning of life, dreams, success, and relationships. I love, too, that she does not hit you over the head with a 2x4 but rather gives you light wisps of smoke that mask a roaring fire underneath.
The chapters are short, the titles are perfect, offensive language and/or vulgar scenes are nonexistent (finally!), and the quotes could - well, do - fill the pages of a novel.
A sampling:
“We’re all inadequate, weak and ordinary beings. But because we’re capable of being kind, for a moment - no matter how fleeting- we can be extraordinary….Even a disappointing human like myself can still be, occasionally, a good person. The idea gives me strength. And for the days ahead, hope.”
“What propels life forward are decisions.”
“Just because you’ve achieved your dreams doesn’t mean you’ll always be happy.”
“Just as harmony and dissonance exist side by side in music, life is the same. Because harmony is preceded by dissonance, that’s why we think life is beautiful.”
Ironically, in the Hyunam-Dong bookstore, they choose not to stock bestsellers because they want to be diverse and promote lesser well-known authors because their work is just as good and just as important. I wonder, then, if the bookshop would include this bestseller?? Sometimes a novel is successful because the public is hungry for illiterate fluff, but sometimes the novel is popular because - like this one - it is hugely unique, impactful, and well worth the read. I, for one, hope that her store would carry the book so that everyone could enjoy this absolute and unexpected delicacy. I envy you, dear reader, for what you are about to experience!
The chapters are short, the titles are perfect, offensive language and/or vulgar scenes are nonexistent (finally!), and the quotes could - well, do - fill the pages of a novel.
A sampling:
“We’re all inadequate, weak and ordinary beings. But because we’re capable of being kind, for a moment - no matter how fleeting- we can be extraordinary….Even a disappointing human like myself can still be, occasionally, a good person. The idea gives me strength. And for the days ahead, hope.”
“What propels life forward are decisions.”
“Just because you’ve achieved your dreams doesn’t mean you’ll always be happy.”
“Just as harmony and dissonance exist side by side in music, life is the same. Because harmony is preceded by dissonance, that’s why we think life is beautiful.”
Ironically, in the Hyunam-Dong bookstore, they choose not to stock bestsellers because they want to be diverse and promote lesser well-known authors because their work is just as good and just as important. I wonder, then, if the bookshop would include this bestseller?? Sometimes a novel is successful because the public is hungry for illiterate fluff, but sometimes the novel is popular because - like this one - it is hugely unique, impactful, and well worth the read. I, for one, hope that her store would carry the book so that everyone could enjoy this absolute and unexpected delicacy. I envy you, dear reader, for what you are about to experience!
My expectations were high, but this turned out to be a very mediocre book. It feels like the author took some (amazing) lines from famous books + looked at some Pinterest quotes, and then crafted a story to bind them together.
The book meanders very slowly and the characters are rather boring. It's all very predictable.
I can see how some people might enjoy the feel-good vibes and the absence of any conflict or real struggle.
The book meanders very slowly and the characters are rather boring. It's all very predictable.
I can see how some people might enjoy the feel-good vibes and the absence of any conflict or real struggle.
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes