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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"A man, made a single mistake that ruined his life."
This is my second korean psycohological thriller read this year and i'm pretty satisfied. Its thought provoking, full of suspense, twists and turns.
The author gave so many layers in the story. He creates the characters and feelings of creepiness towards the darkness of being in the lake, with the mist and fog at night, the emptiness of the submerged village, very descriptively. The abusive father just got into my mind for days. Its disturbingly good. By good I mean, he had successfully made the characters alive.
I got hooked instantly by the prologue, the story just keep building up, went to a steady flow until it meets the climatic, but a bit rushed end.
TW : Domestic violence, child and animal abuse
This is my second korean psycohological thriller read this year and i'm pretty satisfied. Its thought provoking, full of suspense, twists and turns.
The author gave so many layers in the story. He creates the characters and feelings of creepiness towards the darkness of being in the lake, with the mist and fog at night, the emptiness of the submerged village, very descriptively. The abusive father just got into my mind for days. Its disturbingly good. By good I mean, he had successfully made the characters alive.
I got hooked instantly by the prologue, the story just keep building up, went to a steady flow until it meets the climatic, but a bit rushed end.
TW : Domestic violence, child and animal abuse
A really nice crime/mystery story. Not a lot of twists, but it does keep you guessing. BTW, I noticed that laws differ greatly from this Asian country than my own country of America. Execution for accidentally running over someone!
Awalnya, gue mengira kalau buku ini akan bercerita tentang pencarian pelaku pembunuhan anak perempuan yang ditemukan tewas di danau. Tapi ternyata, buku ini lebih menceritakan tentang apa yang terjadi setelah kejadian tersebut.
Plotnya maju mundur, dari masa kini ke masa tujuh tahun yang lalu.
Yang bikin buku ini menarik buat gue adalah karena si penulis membuat ceritanya tetap menegangkan sekalipun "who and how it done"-nya udah ketauan dari halaman 130-an.
Dengan cara penulis menceritakan masa lalu dan kondisi psikis masing-masing tokohnya, juga dengan sedikit unsur horror yang diselipkan di dalamnya.
Plotnya maju mundur, dari masa kini ke masa tujuh tahun yang lalu.
Yang bikin buku ini menarik buat gue adalah karena si penulis membuat ceritanya tetap menegangkan sekalipun "who and how it done"-nya udah ketauan dari halaman 130-an.
Dengan cara penulis menceritakan masa lalu dan kondisi psikis masing-masing tokohnya, juga dengan sedikit unsur horror yang diselipkan di dalamnya.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Choi Hyonsu is awaiting execution for the murder of his wife, an 11 year old girl, and her father. He would also be charged for opening the Seryong Dam floodgates which wiped out half a town and drowned 4 policemen. Ever since, his son Sowon has pinballed from place to place. Anytime he would get comfortable, magazine articles would mysteriously appear on classmates desks, on landlord's doorstops, and dropped off at places of work. Revealed as the dead-eyed son of a mass murderer, Sowon would find himself forced to move again. It seems his only ally left in the world is Mr. Ahn.
Until Mr. Ahn disappears leaving a manuscript that recount the days leading up to the Seryong Lake Disaster. There's clearly more to the story than what Sowon has already pieced together.
What little mystery promised by the setup is easily teased together and so it becomes more an examination of moving forward when everything is already lost. How one reacts to personal tragedy - from retreating inwards to lashing out. It's that Korean obsession with outsized emotions and the work of struggling through the days. An existential thriller that spirals out into an overblown, climactic summer movie nail-biter.
Until Mr. Ahn disappears leaving a manuscript that recount the days leading up to the Seryong Lake Disaster. There's clearly more to the story than what Sowon has already pieced together.
What little mystery promised by the setup is easily teased together and so it becomes more an examination of moving forward when everything is already lost. How one reacts to personal tragedy - from retreating inwards to lashing out. It's that Korean obsession with outsized emotions and the work of struggling through the days. An existential thriller that spirals out into an overblown, climactic summer movie nail-biter.
Enthralling, incredibly well-written and superbly sad. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
I found this novel mostly enjoyable, but I would have liked a more nuanced approach in Oh Yongje’s character. Not that I want to feel sympathy for him (he’s disgusting), but it felt like his evil behavior was just a plot device without any connection to his personal history or upbringing. He wasn’t a convincing character. Maybe this is an issue with translation and it’s better reflected in the original language.
There could have been social critique on domestic violence and sexual abuse, which is an extremely prevalent issue in South Korea, particularly for the older generation. There is a popular saying that “dried fish and women are better after they are beaten.” Men who hit women are such losers, but spousal abuse is tied to patriarchal values/gender inequality, communities turning a blind eye to violence as a family matter, psychological issues (perhaps perceived loss of masculinity due to financial circumstances), alcohol usage, and a wide array of other factors. Think of how common it was for American women in the 1950s-60s to suffer at the whims of their husbands. There wasn’t a lot of legislation to protect women until the “Battered Women’s Movement” addressed this social ill.
There could have been social critique on domestic violence and sexual abuse, which is an extremely prevalent issue in South Korea, particularly for the older generation. There is a popular saying that “dried fish and women are better after they are beaten.” Men who hit women are such losers, but spousal abuse is tied to patriarchal values/gender inequality, communities turning a blind eye to violence as a family matter, psychological issues (perhaps perceived loss of masculinity due to financial circumstances), alcohol usage, and a wide array of other factors. Think of how common it was for American women in the 1950s-60s to suffer at the whims of their husbands. There wasn’t a lot of legislation to protect women until the “Battered Women’s Movement” addressed this social ill.