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peachyseen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ariane_louise's review
4.0
Would’ve been higher if we saw more of Jaehee after her chapter. Harder to follow at times because of the fragmented timeline
rockyroadbutch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
eunjung's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wow. I wasn't really sure what to expect going in, and honestly I wasn't entirely sold as I read through the beginning but by the end I was more emotionally caught up in the novel than I thought I would have been. Korean novels are just so fundamentally different from American/western style novels, and honestly you do yourself a disservice by only reading English written novels. Obviously some things can get lost in translation, and I haven't picked up the original (not quite sure if I want to challenge my Korean skill level that much quite yet).
But honestly, this reminded me of Haruki Murakami's writing in a lot of ways except less pretentious lol. (Look if you're a Haruki Murakami fan that's fine but like the misogyny in his writing is undeniable and off putting to me.) The main character's voice is very distinct, and he's not quite a lovable character. He very undoubtedly has his flaws, many flaws. This novel is more slice of life than some plot driven narrative, so if you're looking for something plot heavy you'll want to pick up something else. It moved rather quickly, and it's not a big book. Personally I picked up to read about how being gay in South Korea is because well it's not really talked about and the homophobia is rampant. There are probably some things readers with a lack of Korean culture knowledge probably won't pick up, but overall it was pretty interesting read.
TL;DR - You probably won't like it if 1) you have to find a main character likable 2) prefer plot driven novels but otherwise it was a good read and emotionally poignant
But honestly, this reminded me of Haruki Murakami's writing in a lot of ways except less pretentious lol. (Look if you're a Haruki Murakami fan that's fine but like the misogyny in his writing is undeniable and off putting to me.) The main character's voice is very distinct, and he's not quite a lovable character. He very undoubtedly has his flaws, many flaws. This novel is more slice of life than some plot driven narrative, so if you're looking for something plot heavy you'll want to pick up something else. It moved rather quickly, and it's not a big book. Personally I picked up to read about how being gay in South Korea is because well it's not really talked about and the homophobia is rampant. There are probably some things readers with a lack of Korean culture knowledge probably won't pick up, but overall it was pretty interesting read.
TL;DR - You probably won't like it if 1) you have to find a main character likable 2) prefer plot driven novels but otherwise it was a good read and emotionally poignant
palatab's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sapphicamaya's review against another edition
3.0
gay son or thot daughter? except the thot daughter finds the one, marries him, and leaves her gay bestfriend behind for a life filled with tiny hells. but amidst it all, he finds gyu-ho, his only wish, a wish that will never come true because that’s just how real life is.
dembury's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 rounded up.
A bitingly honest, sharp, and messily funny novel about relationships, family, and queer love in modern Seoul, seen through the eyes of the cynical yet lovable narrator, Young. "Love in the Big City" doesn't shy away from looking at the ugly, awkward parts of life, giving these things just as much attention as the beautiful, tender moments; it really does such a stunning job of showcasing how these things all exist in tandem with one another and how we're all just doing our best in these various situations thrown at us. There's heartbreak, there's humor, there's HIV- sometimes all at once. This is a standout in modern queer lit and I'm excited to see what Sang Young Park writes next!
A bitingly honest, sharp, and messily funny novel about relationships, family, and queer love in modern Seoul, seen through the eyes of the cynical yet lovable narrator, Young. "Love in the Big City" doesn't shy away from looking at the ugly, awkward parts of life, giving these things just as much attention as the beautiful, tender moments; it really does such a stunning job of showcasing how these things all exist in tandem with one another and how we're all just doing our best in these various situations thrown at us. There's heartbreak, there's humor, there's HIV- sometimes all at once. This is a standout in modern queer lit and I'm excited to see what Sang Young Park writes next!
kaybmc's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
madaralindane's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My chaotic thoughts of it:
- It started strong (I really liked the sarcastic tone of narrator, liberating vibe & dynamics between two friends Young & Jaehee who spend their evenings partying & having sex) but lost it's magic in the middle.
- The narration of the book moves back and forth in time and at times (more towards the end of the book) I found it a bit confusing.
- Novel consists of 4 parts and I didn't like that the tone changed too much with each part, I missed a bit more cohesiveness so in the end this felt more like a short story collection than a novel.
- Also to everyone who wants to read this - blurb on the back is misleading as it tells the story only about the first part, the other parts are a whole different story of Young's life where Jaehee basically doesn't play any role in.
- The quote that stuck with me the most is: “Rain still falls during the late rainy season, as do tears even when it’s too late.”