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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
5/5 I loved this book, it’s a heartbreaking story. I read the manga and when I saw it was an adaptation of a novel I had to read it. It made me cry and I loved how it was written. I think everyone should read this book at one point of their lives.
I've never read something that hits home as much as this did.
(I'll try to keep this short, but I have a lot of things in my head
This one was dnf-ed due to my declining mental health which relates very close to the contents of the book. I challenged myself to read this one, this heavy 263 pages book.
We have two individuals, both from dysfunctional families, victims of their own traumas and actions. Yujeong is suicidal and Yunsu is a convicted murderer. It all started when Yujeong refused to go for rehabilitation but instead insisted to follow her Aunt to prison to meet death row prisoners.
What seemed like a forced and cold meeting blossomed into warm sessions between the two of them, with the things they have in common, being suicidal and hating life, they grew into something more. Every Thursday, Yujeong would meet Yunsu and they'd spent three hours having real conversation.
Told in the 1st point of view, and narrated by Yunsu and Yujeong alternately, the book gives us a closer look of Yujeong emotions and Yunsu's past. Yujeong longer narratives usually tell everything in a complex way, as she takes everything in her life as hypocrisy. However, Yunsu chapters are simpler and on-the-go.
The contents. What the author was trying to say is actually something that we heard everyday. Mental health and crime. For the former is somehow always related to the latter. This is a story of two intertwined souls who found each other's peace in their of catastrophe. Learning how to forgive when it's something you couldn't even fathom of forgiving. Finding way back home after years of turning your back on God. It's not easy. This is one hell of reflection. Makes you think of all those times you wanted to end your life.
Strangely depressing, I almost dnf-ed it once again. My mental stability couldn't handle this. Which is why I called this book heavy, some of us can't handle this. Every single line makes you give yourself another chance, another chance in life, to stop thinking that life is not worth it, when in fact, our lives matter. Suicide is a huge thing in South Korea, so maybe this book is like an awareness, for us to keep ourselves from taking our lives for granted. Heavy themes in this book may not be for everyone, but religion plays a part in this book too. Completes the book like a puzzle.
4 out of 5 because of p. 141, I've never read something that hurtful.
"You can always make more money, but people don't come back from the dead. They never come back. Our lives are so short as it is. Don't take that time away from us."
(I'll try to keep this short, but I have a lot of things in my head
This one was dnf-ed due to my declining mental health which relates very close to the contents of the book. I challenged myself to read this one, this heavy 263 pages book.
We have two individuals, both from dysfunctional families, victims of their own traumas and actions. Yujeong is suicidal and Yunsu is a convicted murderer. It all started when Yujeong refused to go for rehabilitation but instead insisted to follow her Aunt to prison to meet death row prisoners.
What seemed like a forced and cold meeting blossomed into warm sessions between the two of them, with the things they have in common, being suicidal and hating life, they grew into something more. Every Thursday, Yujeong would meet Yunsu and they'd spent three hours having real conversation.
Told in the 1st point of view, and narrated by Yunsu and Yujeong alternately, the book gives us a closer look of Yujeong emotions and Yunsu's past. Yujeong longer narratives usually tell everything in a complex way, as she takes everything in her life as hypocrisy. However, Yunsu chapters are simpler and on-the-go.
The contents. What the author was trying to say is actually something that we heard everyday. Mental health and crime. For the former is somehow always related to the latter. This is a story of two intertwined souls who found each other's peace in their of catastrophe. Learning how to forgive when it's something you couldn't even fathom of forgiving. Finding way back home after years of turning your back on God. It's not easy. This is one hell of reflection. Makes you think of all those times you wanted to end your life.
Strangely depressing, I almost dnf-ed it once again. My mental stability couldn't handle this. Which is why I called this book heavy, some of us can't handle this. Every single line makes you give yourself another chance, another chance in life, to stop thinking that life is not worth it, when in fact, our lives matter. Suicide is a huge thing in South Korea, so maybe this book is like an awareness, for us to keep ourselves from taking our lives for granted. Heavy themes in this book may not be for everyone, but religion plays a part in this book too. Completes the book like a puzzle.
4 out of 5 because of p. 141, I've never read something that hurtful.
"You can always make more money, but people don't come back from the dead. They never come back. Our lives are so short as it is. Don't take that time away from us."
emotional
reflective
sad
Edit: I read this every year. It never fails to make me bawl my eyes out.
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** While it takes a little while to get into (it's somewhwat slow until Yunsu and Yujeong meet), once it gets going it takes a huge toll on your emotions-- in a good way.
The chapters about Yunsu were absolutely heartbreaking and it made me wish the ending was different. I don't think he should have died because he was clearly innocent, and seeing his past made you yearn for him to continue life.
Yujeong, I didn't really have too much pity for until we get deeper into her story and then the relateability factor increased tenfold.
The pacing was fine after they met, and the descriptions was amazing. The storytelling was what I could only have dreamed the book would be like.
I checked it out from my library, but I know I'm going to buy it as soon as I'm able to--whether in the original Korean or in English.
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** While it takes a little while to get into (it's somewhwat slow until Yunsu and Yujeong meet), once it gets going it takes a huge toll on your emotions-- in a good way.
The chapters about Yunsu were absolutely heartbreaking and it made me wish the ending was different. I don't think he should have died because he was clearly innocent, and seeing his past made you yearn for him to continue life.
Yujeong, I didn't really have too much pity for until we get deeper into her story and then the relateability factor increased tenfold.
The pacing was fine after they met, and the descriptions was amazing. The storytelling was what I could only have dreamed the book would be like.
I checked it out from my library, but I know I'm going to buy it as soon as I'm able to--whether in the original Korean or in English.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Sad book. But not without merit. The main character appears to still be trying to understand her position. Why her prayers are not answered and if praying is necessary. Not bad. Would try another by same author.
emotional
sad
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved how the subjects of life, death, forgiveness as well as justice was dealt in this book. She also talks about death penalty which is not abolished in South Korea. Gong Ji-young is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite Korean author. Her writing style is beautiful and I can’t wait to read more of her books.
challenging
emotional
sad
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Real rating: 4.5 stars
I don't normally read stuff like this. But occasionally I get the urge to, and I am always blown away by how amazing it is.
I couldn't put this one down. I'm not even sure what it was, but something in the prose and the story pulled me along and kept me reading all the way up to the tearful ending. Maybe it was how real the characters felt, very real, and very flawed, and yet still worthy of life and love, which was the message of the book. Our Happy Time deals with the controversial topic of the death penalty, and the author did such a good job with it. It was a terrifying novel to read, not because it was scary, but because I already knew what was going to happen and I dreaded reaching that part. I wanted it to keep going, to never reach the end, just as much as the characters themselves never wanted to reach the end. And then the end happened, just like everyone knew was going to happen, and I was sitting on a crowded train while trying not to cry because of everything I was reading.
The prose was beautiful in English, and since this was a translation from Korean, I went out and bought the Korean version as well. The only thing I had a problem with was there were a handful of typos that should have been caught when they were copy-editing. Other than that is was a wonderful, tragic, and heartbreaking story that really made me think, and reminded me of all the truths that I know. And I'm so glad I picked it up on a whim.
I don't normally read stuff like this. But occasionally I get the urge to, and I am always blown away by how amazing it is.
I couldn't put this one down. I'm not even sure what it was, but something in the prose and the story pulled me along and kept me reading all the way up to the tearful ending. Maybe it was how real the characters felt, very real, and very flawed, and yet still worthy of life and love, which was the message of the book. Our Happy Time deals with the controversial topic of the death penalty, and the author did such a good job with it. It was a terrifying novel to read, not because it was scary, but because I already knew what was going to happen and I dreaded reaching that part. I wanted it to keep going, to never reach the end, just as much as the characters themselves never wanted to reach the end. And then the end happened, just like everyone knew was going to happen, and I was sitting on a crowded train while trying not to cry because of everything I was reading.
The prose was beautiful in English, and since this was a translation from Korean, I went out and bought the Korean version as well. The only thing I had a problem with was there were a handful of typos that should have been caught when they were copy-editing. Other than that is was a wonderful, tragic, and heartbreaking story that really made me think, and reminded me of all the truths that I know. And I'm so glad I picked it up on a whim.