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4.64 AVERAGE
4.64 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just started to read this and I'm going to review it chapter-wise.
I don't speak or read Korean so I'm reading a fan-translated version (https://archiveofourown.org/works/14618484/chapters/33784149). Thank you sigani_jina.
---------------------------------------------
Jonghyun's last words were 'let me go'. So, I hope he's in a better place now.
Jonghyun, you did well. :)
--------------------------------------------
Chapter 1:
SHINee's Jonghyun was a phenomenal songwriter, and you can see that Jonghyun in places but it's not the same. There are some sentences where his writing really shines but the rest of it is unfortunately drab in comparison. Maybe it's the translation that is to be blamed. Nonetheless, this chapter is insightful, mature, and very real.
Chapter 2:
This second chapter is wonderful. It is beautiful, nuanced, and simply perfect. This is how [a:Kim Jonghyun|7134291|Kim Jonghyun|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] lives on: His writing. He has an unparalleled 'it' factor that is glorious. If I could quote the entire chapter, I would.
Chapter 3:
This was a weird chapter. Actually, the letter was weird. Instead of being deep, it came across as pseudo-deep. Maybe it's the writing. Or maybe it's the lack of a back story. Who knows, let's see how this goes.
Chapter 4:
This is a very short chapter and I love the maturity.
Chapter 5:
More backstory. Yay! Infatuation at its best.
Chapter 6:
This chapter shows contrasting emotions so well. That being said, the man is erring on the side of creepy rather than romantic.
And the self-realization kicks in. Thank goodness.
Sigh. Conflicting emotions on point.
Chapter 7:
I'm simply concerned. The pace seems a bit too fast. I'm surprised it lasted 5 years.
Chapter 8:
I can't rave enough about Jonghyun. I read that all characters in this book were different versions of himself. Basically, a romance between a practical and a whimsical part of him. He communicates the complexity of human emotions perfectly. The longing for love, the pessimistic denial, the fear of dependency, the impossible selfishness, everything.
Chapter 9:
It hurts to stay together and it hurts to stay apart. The sad truth about not being able to move on.
Chapter 10:
Take how much ever time you need and ask for help if you need it.
Chapter 11:
This man is a genius. The complexity of emotions. His first book and he writes so well. Sadly, it's his only book.
Chapter 12:
This was a perfect conclusion. Throughout the whole book, there is only one name: Dani. And it's a dog's name. And I thought that was very creative and smart. You can be Her, you can be Him, or you can be them Both. Similar places can mean different things. Different places can mean similar things.
Chapter 13: Author's Note.
[a:Kim Jonghyun|7134291|Kim Jonghyun|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], you did well.
---------------------------------------------
I'm not sure who needs to hear it but I'm going to say it anyway:
If you're looking for a reason to continue living, I'm sorry, you won't be able to find it. People don't live because of a reason, people live because there is nothing else to do. People live because the familiarity of living is reassuring and it outweighs the fear of the unknown. Death is inevitable but it is also a mystery. You are anyway going to die, you might as well experience living. Life is not a race to reach death as fast as you can.
-----------------------------------------------
I just realized that (other than patients) I personally know too many people of different ages and genders who suffer from depression and they have very different stories. This is what I learned about depression and suicide.
1. 'Why?' doesn't matter when it comes to depression.
2. You will never know the whole story behind a suicide.
3. People may be surrounded and loved by hundreds and still be depressed.
4. There may be no signs and no reason for suicide.
5. The only way to help is just 'do the best you can'.
-----------------------------------------------
This book reminded be two kdramas, so, if you have the time, check them out.
1. Romance is a Bonus Book.
2. It's Okay to Not be Okay.
--------------------------------------------
Support SHINee and Jonghyun.
I don't speak or read Korean so I'm reading a fan-translated version (https://archiveofourown.org/works/14618484/chapters/33784149). Thank you sigani_jina.
---------------------------------------------
Jonghyun's last words were 'let me go'. So, I hope he's in a better place now.
Jonghyun, you did well. :)
--------------------------------------------
Chapter 1:
"Love is a clown changing its mask many times who had ample time to play with those two."
SHINee's Jonghyun was a phenomenal songwriter, and you can see that Jonghyun in places but it's not the same. There are some sentences where his writing really shines but the rest of it is unfortunately drab in comparison. Maybe it's the translation that is to be blamed. Nonetheless, this chapter is insightful, mature, and very real.
Chapter 2:
"Endlessly romantic while still infinitely selfish."
"Loneliness is not a feeling of sorrow for me. Rather, I would say I enjoy loneliness."
“Being alone, I don’t see it as something that simply disappears once you take care of it. It’s just like a shadow that follows you through life, see. Still, some days I feel the need for a pat on the shoulder, and since the things I told you before comfort me greatly, I am going through healthy loneliness.”
This second chapter is wonderful. It is beautiful, nuanced, and simply perfect. This is how [a:Kim Jonghyun|7134291|Kim Jonghyun|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] lives on: His writing. He has an unparalleled 'it' factor that is glorious. If I could quote the entire chapter, I would.
Chapter 3:
“Don’t force yourself to cry.”
This was a weird chapter. Actually, the letter was weird. Instead of being deep, it came across as pseudo-deep. Maybe it's the writing. Or maybe it's the lack of a back story. Who knows, let's see how this goes.
Chapter 4:
“They left each other for their best, so now he could not just call her to ease his loneliness.”
This is a very short chapter and I love the maturity.
Chapter 5:
“The scene of a strange woman holding a little white umbrella under the rain, playing with his dog, laughing.”
More backstory. Yay! Infatuation at its best.
Chapter 6:
“Struggling in a chronic depression, the man eventually turned to escapism from reality.”
"The man had fallen for her at first sight, the first one to fall in love. Ever the impulsive decision-maker, the man was caught up in his emotions. Is there a mistake as deadly as putting one’s own feelings before the others? The woman rejected the young man’s confession, and he was stupidly wounded. However, the man’s heart was already in too deep to let the woman go like that."
This chapter shows contrasting emotions so well. That being said, the man is erring on the side of creepy rather than romantic.
"Could I really be deluded as she said? Am I getting too ahead of myself? Or could it be that I’m looking for any person to love because I’m bored?"
And the self-realization kicks in. Thank goodness.
"For the moment, his heart, out of answers, wondered whether this was love, and decided that the desire, longing, curiosity for her that spread through his body were clearly love."
Sigh. Conflicting emotions on point.
Chapter 7:
After I, feverish in love, infect you with my illness,
I pass it on and you will be warmer,
So that again you will pass it on, and I’ll be even hotter,
Come into my clothes and be infected with love’s fever.
I'm simply concerned. The pace seems a bit too fast. I'm surprised it lasted 5 years.
Chapter 8:
Greedy as it may be,
Eat together even if he jokes that she looks like a pig,
And hold his hand just because she can, even without wanting to,
And look into each other’s eyes even if it’s lifeless,
And listen to his charming words even if they sound like nagging,
Kiss him, even if it just feels like a habit...
I can't rave enough about Jonghyun. I read that all characters in this book were different versions of himself. Basically, a romance between a practical and a whimsical part of him. He communicates the complexity of human emotions perfectly. The longing for love, the pessimistic denial, the fear of dependency, the impossible selfishness, everything.
Chapter 9:
"Even the ring that was too troublesome to wear while we were together is now stuck on my finger."
It hurts to stay together and it hurts to stay apart. The sad truth about not being able to move on.
Chapter 10:
"It’s alright to only cheer up by tomorrow."
Take how much ever time you need and ask for help if you need it.
Chapter 11:
"...the man was overcome with relief that he did not see coming, and their relationship remained unchanged."
This man is a genius. The complexity of emotions. His first book and he writes so well. Sadly, it's his only book.
Chapter 12:
"The man and the woman thought of how they wanted to be happy, and realized that for that to happen, it was time to let each other go."
This was a perfect conclusion. Throughout the whole book, there is only one name: Dani. And it's a dog's name. And I thought that was very creative and smart. You can be Her, you can be Him, or you can be them Both. Similar places can mean different things. Different places can mean similar things.
Chapter 13: Author's Note.
"Even though this is just a loose piece of writing, I hope that this book in its ambiguous genre as novel, lyrics, or essay, can become your own story with him and her and me."
[a:Kim Jonghyun|7134291|Kim Jonghyun|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], you did well.
---------------------------------------------
I'm not sure who needs to hear it but I'm going to say it anyway:
If you're looking for a reason to continue living, I'm sorry, you won't be able to find it. People don't live because of a reason, people live because there is nothing else to do. People live because the familiarity of living is reassuring and it outweighs the fear of the unknown. Death is inevitable but it is also a mystery. You are anyway going to die, you might as well experience living. Life is not a race to reach death as fast as you can.
-----------------------------------------------
I just realized that (other than patients) I personally know too many people of different ages and genders who suffer from depression and they have very different stories. This is what I learned about depression and suicide.
1. 'Why?' doesn't matter when it comes to depression.
2. You will never know the whole story behind a suicide.
3. People may be surrounded and loved by hundreds and still be depressed.
4. There may be no signs and no reason for suicide.
5. The only way to help is just 'do the best you can'.
-----------------------------------------------
This book reminded be two kdramas, so, if you have the time, check them out.
1. Romance is a Bonus Book.
2. It's Okay to Not be Okay.
--------------------------------------------
Support SHINee and Jonghyun.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
jesus. this is so lovely. the core theme of only being able to love once you release what you were trying to love… very ibsen. reminds me of his play “the lady from the sea,” which brings up similar ideas in a more familial context. it’s poignant in its simplicity, this love paradox, just like kim jonghyun’s story. its characters are nameless (with the exception of the dogs! beautiful choice), yet he makes the reader care and feel for them, perhaps because of how universal their emotions are.
kim jonghyun also plays with the metaliterary, making his own self visible in the figure of the radio singer first and foremost, a character who resonates with jonghyun’s artistic persona extremely intimately. there’s shades of him in the other characters as well, though, and all of them converge in a narrative that interweaves lyrics, prose and essay-like musings disguised as conversations. in fact –and i’m not saying this just because i’m reading her right now–, skeleton flower feels a little like what a sally rooney novelette could be. obviously, the connection is hardly intentionate, but there are strong echoes of her latest novel “beautiful world, where are you,” especially in the seamless way prose and nonfiction are interwoven.
this was a very pleasant experience that didn’t only come across as a prose narrative, but that incorporated music, radio broadcasting, essay and poetry into it in various ways. it’s a very unique piece, hard to describe and easy to enjoy. i wish it was longer—i think the themes and characters could have benefitted from a longer word count. still, i appreciate this little gem for what it is and invite you to give it a read, regardless of whether you’re familiar with its author or not.
kim jonghyun also plays with the metaliterary, making his own self visible in the figure of the radio singer first and foremost, a character who resonates with jonghyun’s artistic persona extremely intimately. there’s shades of him in the other characters as well, though, and all of them converge in a narrative that interweaves lyrics, prose and essay-like musings disguised as conversations. in fact –and i’m not saying this just because i’m reading her right now–, skeleton flower feels a little like what a sally rooney novelette could be. obviously, the connection is hardly intentionate, but there are strong echoes of her latest novel “beautiful world, where are you,” especially in the seamless way prose and nonfiction are interwoven.
this was a very pleasant experience that didn’t only come across as a prose narrative, but that incorporated music, radio broadcasting, essay and poetry into it in various ways. it’s a very unique piece, hard to describe and easy to enjoy. i wish it was longer—i think the themes and characters could have benefitted from a longer word count. still, i appreciate this little gem for what it is and invite you to give it a read, regardless of whether you’re familiar with its author or not.
Quiero decir tanto de este libro que sé que nunca me van a salir todas las palabras. Hermoso, eso sí. Ya quiero poder leerlo en coreano.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
well, i can’t write an unbiased review but i do want to sum up my thoughts. it’s nearly impossible to get the original in 2022 so i resorted to reading a translation. i do believe that a lot got lost on the way which is why it was even more surprising for me to find jhs writing still so beeutiful and unique. i think you can find bits and pieces of him in every character, this story is wholly saturated in him. it feels a bit as if it is a book not only by jonghyun but also about him and maybe in some ways for him as well. i wish that i’ll be able to get my hands on the original someday so that i can truly understand his writings.
it’ll be okay, even if i am sad today, even if i am sad tomorrow.
잘했어 종현아
it’ll be okay, even if i am sad today, even if i am sad tomorrow.
잘했어 종현아
emotional
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Like a flower that falls as a little raindrop brushes by / You say those words like it’s nothing to you.”
I still remember that evening, four years ago, when I heard the news that Kim Jonghyun took his own life. Some people were saying, "He's not dead yet, the doctors haven't confirmed it", while others said, "He was confirmed dead just now". Amidst all that confusion about what to believe and what to not, what the hope for and what to not, the 13-year old me processed the suddenness of death for the very first time. It was, perhaps, his death that prepared me for all the loss I would encounter as the days go by.
I found myself being unable to listen to any of his songs in the years that followed, or even watch any videos he was in. In all the SHINee songs I loved dearly, his voice would be there, distinctly gorgeous, so smeared with emotions. But of course, as time sprinted on, the pain reduced and the music just became music again. 2021, I think, is the first time the SHINee members started talking about him more openly and freely since his death in 2017. With that, they showed they have moved on with him in their hearts, and maybe that affirmation helped me transfer his memories from that of pain to that of love. So I thought, what better time is there to read his book?
“A person’s heart is truly deceitful, you know. While it does not belong to me, I long to own it, yet in reality, when I do get my hands on it, it starts to wither like a plucked flower.”
And so I did. It was a short, smooth read about heartbreak, longing, loneliness, and love. It was about a man and a woman whose 5 years worth of love had dried out like unwatered flower petals. As they processed the end of their love with feelings that lingered and memories that oppressed, the man and the woman navigated through their daily lives as normally as they could. Eventually, they managed to let go of each other, bid the emotional farewell which is much more difficult than the physical one. This whole process, so full of longing and grappling with reality, was depicted so beautifully, so rawly. It was wonderful to read.
“Such as the ocean returns to stillness after a sweeping storm, the woman’s heart seemingly shaking non-stop, too, quieted down. She could not know when that would abruptly change again, but for now, she was alright. He was, slow and surely, being erased from her.”
This book was written in such simple prose, yet it pulled every string in my heart. At times, it was calming to read, other times comforting. Like a pat in the back that it's okay to take a break when things are too hard. I have never been in love nor have I ever went through a breakup, but my empathy and Jonghyun's poetic writing was deep enough for me to feel their pain. Perhaps it would have clutched my heart more if I had gone through those experience, but this is enough for now. What he wanted to say has reached me, and I couldn't be more grateful.
“Hm······ I think about loneliness. It’s a little past two and a half in the morning, then it’s too late to start a conversation with anyone, so I lament that.”
The loneliness depicted in this book is what resonated with me the most. Through the radio show runner and the man, two different sides of loneliness was shown—the healthy one and the unhealthy one. I found myself in both of them. Sometimes I embrace it as an inherent part of my existence, other times I desperately try to crawl away from it's periphery. And the fact that this was the kind of loneliness Jonghyun too, like most of us, must have felt reminded me once again just how important it is to always reach out to the people you love and care about.
Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free, is a window to a deep corner of Jonghyun's heart, one that the world failed to see until it was too late. I see him in a new glow now, with a deeper understanding than before, and while I will never know him fully, I know he was a good man. He had a good heart, one filled with music and love and kindness. I hope he will be remembered with the same. Truly a lost gem of the Korean music industry, but a gem nonetheless, that will remain precious for as long as songs exist.
To end this review, here is one of my most favorite excerpts from one of the poems in this book.
“If you’re still embarrassed of showing me all your wounds, then please just hug me tightly.
Even if I don’t see your scars, I want to feel them through your skin to know you entirely, and I believe so do you.”
I still remember that evening, four years ago, when I heard the news that Kim Jonghyun took his own life. Some people were saying, "He's not dead yet, the doctors haven't confirmed it", while others said, "He was confirmed dead just now". Amidst all that confusion about what to believe and what to not, what the hope for and what to not, the 13-year old me processed the suddenness of death for the very first time. It was, perhaps, his death that prepared me for all the loss I would encounter as the days go by.
I found myself being unable to listen to any of his songs in the years that followed, or even watch any videos he was in. In all the SHINee songs I loved dearly, his voice would be there, distinctly gorgeous, so smeared with emotions. But of course, as time sprinted on, the pain reduced and the music just became music again. 2021, I think, is the first time the SHINee members started talking about him more openly and freely since his death in 2017. With that, they showed they have moved on with him in their hearts, and maybe that affirmation helped me transfer his memories from that of pain to that of love. So I thought, what better time is there to read his book?
“A person’s heart is truly deceitful, you know. While it does not belong to me, I long to own it, yet in reality, when I do get my hands on it, it starts to wither like a plucked flower.”
And so I did. It was a short, smooth read about heartbreak, longing, loneliness, and love. It was about a man and a woman whose 5 years worth of love had dried out like unwatered flower petals. As they processed the end of their love with feelings that lingered and memories that oppressed, the man and the woman navigated through their daily lives as normally as they could. Eventually, they managed to let go of each other, bid the emotional farewell which is much more difficult than the physical one. This whole process, so full of longing and grappling with reality, was depicted so beautifully, so rawly. It was wonderful to read.
“Such as the ocean returns to stillness after a sweeping storm, the woman’s heart seemingly shaking non-stop, too, quieted down. She could not know when that would abruptly change again, but for now, she was alright. He was, slow and surely, being erased from her.”
This book was written in such simple prose, yet it pulled every string in my heart. At times, it was calming to read, other times comforting. Like a pat in the back that it's okay to take a break when things are too hard. I have never been in love nor have I ever went through a breakup, but my empathy and Jonghyun's poetic writing was deep enough for me to feel their pain. Perhaps it would have clutched my heart more if I had gone through those experience, but this is enough for now. What he wanted to say has reached me, and I couldn't be more grateful.
“Hm······ I think about loneliness. It’s a little past two and a half in the morning, then it’s too late to start a conversation with anyone, so I lament that.”
The loneliness depicted in this book is what resonated with me the most. Through the radio show runner and the man, two different sides of loneliness was shown—the healthy one and the unhealthy one. I found myself in both of them. Sometimes I embrace it as an inherent part of my existence, other times I desperately try to crawl away from it's periphery. And the fact that this was the kind of loneliness Jonghyun too, like most of us, must have felt reminded me once again just how important it is to always reach out to the people you love and care about.
Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free, is a window to a deep corner of Jonghyun's heart, one that the world failed to see until it was too late. I see him in a new glow now, with a deeper understanding than before, and while I will never know him fully, I know he was a good man. He had a good heart, one filled with music and love and kindness. I hope he will be remembered with the same. Truly a lost gem of the Korean music industry, but a gem nonetheless, that will remain precious for as long as songs exist.
To end this review, here is one of my most favorite excerpts from one of the poems in this book.
“If you’re still embarrassed of showing me all your wounds, then please just hug me tightly.
Even if I don’t see your scars, I want to feel them through your skin to know you entirely, and I believe so do you.”