Scan barcode
lgmaxwell722's review against another edition
1.0
I found the writing lyrical in some of these short stories, but the book itself was less so. Each stand alone story connects to a theme facing Koreans and Korean Americans in various historical contexts. What made Drifting House a hard read was the depressing nature woven into each narrative. I yearned for one of the characters to find a glimmer of hope but was disappointed. If you like depressing reads, this is one for you.
julieh46's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jconte's review against another edition
3.0
There were many different characters introduced at different points in time...some were post-war, some modern Korean Americans, and although all of their identity stories were quite different, they are all presented with incredible difficulties and heartache. Several of these stories were very well written, but at the end when something "big" transpires it almost seems as the ending does not belong to the same narrative thread.
Character development is something Lee is very good at creating both archetypes (patriarchal male, subservient wife, dutiful children), and she has also created some rebels (the wife in the drifting house; the shaman family in At the End of the World). I truly cared about many of these characters, particularly the children.
My personal favorite was the Salaryman for the gut-wrenching nature of money lost is having in our current society, although I was thrown by Lee's narrative decision to have the story told in the second person. It made this story stick out like a sore thumb.
I wanted to love this book and hoped that it would be a true exploration of Korean-American culture. While I did find some of that here I also found sensationalistic endings that brought the stories far beyond what their limits should have been. I think alienation could have been handled just as hauntingly without including incest or murder. For this reason I could not remain glued to this book and I found it very difficult to finish. That said, I have rated this complete work a three but there were some five star stories in here most notably, A Temporary Marriage and At the Edge of the World.
I am looking forward to hearing more from Krys Lee.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through the GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
Character development is something Lee is very good at creating both archetypes (patriarchal male, subservient wife, dutiful children), and she has also created some rebels (the wife in the drifting house; the shaman family in At the End of the World). I truly cared about many of these characters, particularly the children.
My personal favorite was the Salaryman for the gut-wrenching nature of money lost is having in our current society, although I was thrown by Lee's narrative decision to have the story told in the second person. It made this story stick out like a sore thumb.
I wanted to love this book and hoped that it would be a true exploration of Korean-American culture. While I did find some of that here I also found sensationalistic endings that brought the stories far beyond what their limits should have been. I think alienation could have been handled just as hauntingly without including incest or murder. For this reason I could not remain glued to this book and I found it very difficult to finish. That said, I have rated this complete work a three but there were some five star stories in here most notably, A Temporary Marriage and At the Edge of the World.
I am looking forward to hearing more from Krys Lee.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through the GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
adammm's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this collection of stories. It featured what I know about Korea quite nicely as well as contributing further to my knowledge of it. The first half (up to, but not including, the story the collection was named after) was far stronger than the second half. I'm looking forward to reading more works by this author.
jelundberg's review against another edition
5.0
An astonishing collection, beautifully written, even as it describes incredible pain and sadness. Several of these stories broke my heart.
tiffym's review against another edition
3.0
I’m personally very interested in Korean history and biographical memoirs, and after visiting a panel with Krys Lee speaking at a Writing Festival in Singpore, there was no way I could miss out on her work. While this book is her debut, I will admit the writing style did not impress me as much as some other works, but the stories that comprise these pages are very touching. I’ve read several books about difficult personal journeys, in Korea and other parts of the world, and yet at times, I still let out a gasp from reading these fictional biographies or take a moment to appreciate how easy my life has been compared to these tales. While it is a fictional book, there are very real elements experienced by real people.
morganvermillion's review against another edition
4.0
This was certainly not a happy book, but it was beautifully written.
I often struggle rating short story collections, because some are great and some are not, but this collection was fantastic, pretty much across the board. I read one story every morning until I finished the book, and even though it wasn't a bright way to start my day, it was a good way to reflect on the lives of others and put myself in the mindset to care about people and their situations.
I often struggle rating short story collections, because some are great and some are not, but this collection was fantastic, pretty much across the board. I read one story every morning until I finished the book, and even though it wasn't a bright way to start my day, it was a good way to reflect on the lives of others and put myself in the mindset to care about people and their situations.
wenns's review against another edition
3.0
well written, but the content is at times disturbing...and cringeworthy
hsienhsien27's review against another edition
5.0
When it comes to books written by East Asians, the ones that tend to get the most recognition are Japanese. At least from what I've seen. I've never heard of Krys Lee, I literally found this on Bookoutlet for like four dollars and was attracted to the minimalist typography. (yes, I'm really that dorky.) It wasn't anything too surreal, no magical realism, no post-apocalypse. This was more like a slice-of-life\ collection, I thought it would also be similar to [b:Your Republic Is Calling You|8131789|Your Republic Is Calling You|Young-Ha Kim|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442704281s/8131789.jpg|12927766] by Young-Ha Kim. Which is kind of close in bleakness, with Murakami isolation and prose, and a sort of post-apocalyptic world that is silent and only occurs with the lack of human contact.
This was the best short story collection I have ever read in 2015 other than [b:From Here|22505230|From Here|Jen Michalski|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403010022s/22505230.jpg|41951969] by Jen Michalski. They both contain oddity, taboo, and societal otherness and isolation. Ranging in topics from Korean diaspora to death in the family to Korean fathers to Post WWII and the Korean War, there's a lot of different perspectives and lives to peek into. One of my favorite stories was "At the Edge of the World" a story about a son who's just discovering himself and navigating his path between Korean and American and a father who can't seem to get his tragic past out of his head. What really touched me the most about this story was the relationship between the father and son, the distance and the barrier, culturally, maybe linguistically, it was just super relatable to me.
Another favorite of mine is the last story in the collection called "Beautiful Women," about a fatherless daughter and her relationship with her mother. Depicted in this story is the stigmatization of a woman who's African American military husband died in the war and is single. Not only is she ostracized for her interracial relationships but is also treated as a second class citizen due to just being a woman. The story explores the world of single women and the daughters born into that world, where they are looked down upon for not fitting tradition. The daughter imagines throughout the story, her missing father figures, what they are like and the meaning of hers and their existence. It's another touching story on familial relationships and the missing fragments of our lives.
There is a lot of speculation in this collection, a lot of brow raising subjects like taboo relationships and the supernatural. There aren't any sci-fi or unicorns, but fantasy does tend to slip in throughout the collection, as the dysfunction and isolation in a character's life seems to break the barrier of logic, reason, and stability.
The writing style is all in third person view and Krys Lee manages to be one of the few writers who can pull it off wonderfully, without characters becoming too cardboard. They actually have physical and emotional movement, they are not merely a name mentioned throughout the story. Her prose is much like free verse poetry, seasoned with simile that just bring up the right imagery. It just works somehow.
Overall, Drifting House is pretty solid. Best short story collection I've read since the summer.
This was the best short story collection I have ever read in 2015 other than [b:From Here|22505230|From Here|Jen Michalski|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403010022s/22505230.jpg|41951969] by Jen Michalski. They both contain oddity, taboo, and societal otherness and isolation. Ranging in topics from Korean diaspora to death in the family to Korean fathers to Post WWII and the Korean War, there's a lot of different perspectives and lives to peek into. One of my favorite stories was "At the Edge of the World" a story about a son who's just discovering himself and navigating his path between Korean and American and a father who can't seem to get his tragic past out of his head. What really touched me the most about this story was the relationship between the father and son, the distance and the barrier, culturally, maybe linguistically, it was just super relatable to me.
Another favorite of mine is the last story in the collection called "Beautiful Women," about a fatherless daughter and her relationship with her mother. Depicted in this story is the stigmatization of a woman who's African American military husband died in the war and is single. Not only is she ostracized for her interracial relationships but is also treated as a second class citizen due to just being a woman. The story explores the world of single women and the daughters born into that world, where they are looked down upon for not fitting tradition. The daughter imagines throughout the story, her missing father figures, what they are like and the meaning of hers and their existence. It's another touching story on familial relationships and the missing fragments of our lives.
There is a lot of speculation in this collection, a lot of brow raising subjects like taboo relationships and the supernatural. There aren't any sci-fi or unicorns, but fantasy does tend to slip in throughout the collection, as the dysfunction and isolation in a character's life seems to break the barrier of logic, reason, and stability.
The writing style is all in third person view and Krys Lee manages to be one of the few writers who can pull it off wonderfully, without characters becoming too cardboard. They actually have physical and emotional movement, they are not merely a name mentioned throughout the story. Her prose is much like free verse poetry, seasoned with simile that just bring up the right imagery. It just works somehow.
Overall, Drifting House is pretty solid. Best short story collection I've read since the summer.