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anhii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Homophobia
Moderate: Cancer, Outing, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Fatphobia, Stalking, and Infidelity
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is really a slice of life character study of one gay Korean man and his hot mess of life and various (mostly failed) relationships. There's four 'stories' or sections, each following sequentially (more or less) with flashbacks.
Young is a fascinating character - often unwilling or unmotivated to do anything with his life besides pursue bad/mediocre sex with random men, earn enough money to pay for the necessities, and ignore his problems by drinking. We get a deep dive into his psyche with the interactions with his mom, the difficulties of being her caregiver, the ups and downs of being in relationships, and the mental stress/trauma of being gay and HIV+ in a society that still has a lot of work to do for LGBTQIA+ equality.
I kept turning the pages of this short novel to find out what Young would do next - and what his next rumination on life would be - because Park's writing and authorial voice was compelling and well realized. I haven't read the novel in the original Korean, but I think Hur did a great job capturing Young's personality and the setting of Seoul (it was basically a character, too).
Finally, I really appreciated both the author's note and translator's note - they both highlighted the importance of telling queer Korean stories and the power of seeing yourself and your lived experiences reflected in fiction.
Some quotes that I dog-eared:
"Umma was now lying on the grass and staring up at the sky. She looked incredibly calm. At peace. I wondered if that ninety-nine pound, fifty-eight year old woman staring at the fading firmament was feeling the same way I was feeling. That my life could not be summed up like the neat columns of numbers on a chart, that it could swerve in an unpredictable direction at any time. That the person I though I knew best just because we had blood ties could actually be the most mysterious and unknown. That there were times in life when you just have to stop holding on." (page 126)
"Rain still falls during the late rainy season, as do tears even when it's too late." (page 215)
"Lately I've felt like I'm crumbling away little by little. Like Guy-ho in my memories, I am breaking down and scattering into ashes. The feeling is so clear to me that it's hard to shake it off like I normally would. Sometimes his very existence to me is the existence of love itself." (page 215)
CW: fatphobia and discussions of the character gaining weight (not in a positive sense), homophobia, unsafe sex, cancer, temporary forced institutionalization/hospitalization of a teen, alcohol and unhealthy drinking habits
Moderate: Fatphobia, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Medical content
mistyyyy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Homophobia, Pregnancy, Abortion, Car accident, and Cancer
ankbert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Homophobia
buchherz_eva's review
Moderate: Cancer
martasshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved the dry humor and the serious reflective moments.
Also appreciated the writing of different relationships, not only romantic or good ones, like friends and family - Park's relationship with his mum tells us a lot about him.
Park sounds sometimes uncaring, like someone who goes through life lightly but he cares more than he shows. And the book is darker and sadder thank it feels when you think about it. In the end, it feels somehow familiar even if your reality couldn't be farther from Park's.
Moderate: Terminal illness, Abortion, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Cancer
marianaribeiro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Terminal illness, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
noahsingh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Fatphobia, and Cancer
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
daria_mm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cancer, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Abortion
Minor: Classism and Fatphobia
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, and Abortion
Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, and Sexual content
minor: experience being HIV positive