Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Violets by Kyung-sook Shin

1 review

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad 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

1.75

i dont think violets is for me. as a whole, the story and themes of shin's book are v much valid: a tale of a young woman stumbling thru city life, working at a flower shop while still beholden to her past trauma and dealing w/ shitty men.

i think the use of flowers and planting as a metaphor and stylistic tool in the novel's interesting and has great potential, however in its current form it unfortunately skewers the story's narrative form. shin's execution renders the book a meandering slog to soldier thru esp in the beginning, one whose focus shifts between the flowers and san's mental state, and when all's said and done, that doesnt make for an enjoyable reading experience for me, despite how compelling it can be at times.

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