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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This inspired me to return to my love of clay. It’s so easy to tell yourself you’re wasting your time or being selfish… but you need to full your own cup first.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am admittedly a huge sucker for cozy Korean novels, but this is my favourite I've read to date by far. Unlike many other books in this genre, there is no magical realism element, and I almost loved it more for that.
The Healing Season of Pottery is undeniably a feel-good read, but it stands out as the characters have to do the difficult personal work necessary to get to that feel-good space, which gives the book depth. I particularly like that in Jungmin we get a character who overthinks relationships and interactions, and we follow her as she works through those.
The writing is lovely, as is the translation, with Yeon Somin's love for pottery really shining through.
The Healing Season of Pottery is undeniably a feel-good read, but it stands out as the characters have to do the difficult personal work necessary to get to that feel-good space, which gives the book depth. I particularly like that in Jungmin we get a character who overthinks relationships and interactions, and we follow her as she works through those.
The writing is lovely, as is the translation, with Yeon Somin's love for pottery really shining through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Grief, Car accident
Minor: Miscarriage
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Hornear cerámica es como nutrir tu alma con calor. Cuanto más pules y moldeas la arcilla con cuidado, más bella y bonita se vuelve".
i really liked this book but it was so calming and soothing that it was hard to get into right now, and i had it on loan from my local library and there were like 15 holds on it after me and i didnt want to keep it from others, so i choose to return it without finishing and maybe buy it so i can read it more leisurely because it was really nice
Ah, a novel that promises to be a "testament to the joy of slowing down." And slow down it does—so much so that I began to wonder if time itself had stopped. Yeon Somin’s debut is a delicate exploration of pottery, healing, and the art of making every character indistinguishable by giving them names that all start with "J." Was it Jungmin? Johee? Jihye? Or perhaps Jun? Who knows! By the end, I was convinced they were all the same person in different outfits.
The plot unfolds at the pace of wet clay drying in a cold room. Jungmin, our protagonist, spends months rediscovering herself through pottery. Sounds therapeutic, right? Except reading about it felt more like sitting through a five-hour documentary on the history of beige paint. The narrative meanders through her pottery lessons and emotional growth with all the excitement of watching someone glaze a bowl—meticulous, repetitive, and oddly devoid of any real tension.
As for the characters, they’re less people and more placeholders for vague archetypes. There’s the wise teacher, the quirky fellow students, and a friendly cat thrown in for good measure. But none of them ever truly come alive; they’re as flat as an unbaked slab of clay.
To be fair, there are moments when Yeon’s prose shines with sensory detail: the smell of clay, the warmth of coffee cups, the snow piling on windowsills. But even these glimpses of beauty can’t save a story that feels like it’s perpetually stuck in first gear.
In short, if you’re looking for a novel that moves at glacial speed and features characters who blend together like shades of grey, The Healing Season of Pottery might just be your cup of (lukewarm) tea. For me? Two stars—for the cat and the coffee.
The plot unfolds at the pace of wet clay drying in a cold room. Jungmin, our protagonist, spends months rediscovering herself through pottery. Sounds therapeutic, right? Except reading about it felt more like sitting through a five-hour documentary on the history of beige paint. The narrative meanders through her pottery lessons and emotional growth with all the excitement of watching someone glaze a bowl—meticulous, repetitive, and oddly devoid of any real tension.
As for the characters, they’re less people and more placeholders for vague archetypes. There’s the wise teacher, the quirky fellow students, and a friendly cat thrown in for good measure. But none of them ever truly come alive; they’re as flat as an unbaked slab of clay.
To be fair, there are moments when Yeon’s prose shines with sensory detail: the smell of clay, the warmth of coffee cups, the snow piling on windowsills. But even these glimpses of beauty can’t save a story that feels like it’s perpetually stuck in first gear.
In short, if you’re looking for a novel that moves at glacial speed and features characters who blend together like shades of grey, The Healing Season of Pottery might just be your cup of (lukewarm) tea. For me? Two stars—for the cat and the coffee.
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes