Reviews

The Law of Lines by Pyun Hye-young

aliencatl0rd's review

2.0

I'd give it a 2.5 if possible.

nabilahs's review

3.0

This book is about two young ladies who are not connected at all until one of protagonist's sister died.

For sure, I will read Hye Young Pyun works after this.

maryleong's review

3.0

If I had one word to describe this novel, it would be "bleak". This novel follows the lives of two women following the deaths of their family members, and their obsessive pursuits for truth and justice, respectively – but in a way that leaves you feeling somewhat hopeless. There's a hollow sadness that comes with the exploration of revenge and justice within an apathetic, morally bankrupt society.

kbrujv's review

to-read

bkish's review against another edition

4.0

I read this book which is the work of a Korean and is a translation.
I am sure this book is a reflection of the lives of Hye-Young Pyun's generation in Korea (Probably South).
It is a very strange story with very disengaged characters who are tho trying hard to fit in and to make money.
there are threads here of something very humane and yet the characters are all completely disengaged from this that are humane. So there are these flashes they all have that such a life and such a way of being does exist yet not in their worlds
It has 4 * as the author is a very good writer and seems to have some awareness of what is missing for people in her country and maybe elsewhere too

Judy

treandgro's review

5.0

This haunting novel favors character over conspiracy, and is all the stronger for it. From its explosive opening chapter, the story is certainly dark, but ultimately humanistic in its depiction of characters dealing with grief and the complicated duties of family and friendship. It made me care deeply about these characters as they came unraveled in the wake of loss and as the stories of their relationships unspooled. Even as tensions rose and the entangled treads tightened, the narrative focused on the toll the scheme took on the individuals wrapped up in it and how it warped their worlds. There were a few scenes describing the lives of desperate students that were very modest in scale but described with a haunting clarity that made them especially effective. This is one I'll be thinking about for a long time, and will likely return to. Highly recommended.

trilogy's review

reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

elsaofie's review

4.0

Debt, suicide, debt collector, poverty cycle

zhy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition

3.0

“어쩌다보니 그렇게 됐네.”

어쩌다보니 그렇게 된 일. 신기정은 그것이야말로 트집잡을 수 없는 인생의 유일한 법칙이라는 걸 알았다. 그렇다고는 해도 그 대답은 몹시 못마땅했다. 동생이 모든 걸 우연과 운에 맡기고 되는대로 사는 것 같아서였다. 어쩌다 그렇게 된 게 아니라 그저 삶을 방치한 것이었다.