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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
dark
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I would have liked this book a little more if the ending wasn’t given away by all the marketing materials.
I am also guessing that this book has a lot of Korean wordplay which gets missed here.
I am also guessing that this book has a lot of Korean wordplay which gets missed here.
I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve read a translated Korean horror book.
After reading this book, I don’t think I would classify it as “horror“. But, it certainly was very dark and some horrible things happened in it.
After reading this book, I don’t think I would classify it as “horror“. But, it certainly was very dark and some horrible things happened in it.
I stopped at chapter 2/11% in because there's just SO much telling about his backstory and his life with his wife and it's not even very interesting. I'm not in the mood.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think books that are translated from another language often get the misfortune of not receiving glowing ratings on Goodreads, has anyone else noticed that? It's an interesting phenomenon that makes me wonder what causes it: poor translation? Cultural dissonance between the writer and the reader? I'd be curious to know because almost every time I read one, I'm totally engaged with the story that's happening. That might be more that I'm just not much of a harsh critic. *shrug*
All that aside, I really enjoyed this read. It's a horror piece that delves into a more real kind of horror that has nothing to do with serial killers, ghosts or other common horror tropes/elements. This is the kind of psychological horror that deals with neglect, ableism, loneliness and it all becomes so pervasive and polarizing to the point where your mind breaks. It was definitely uncomfortable to be the silent bystander to this character's story. This is a fairly fast read, and the plot twist is less of a shock factor, but a slow unveiling of hidden truths to paint a better picture of the reality of our main character's truly bleak existence. By the end of the story, the person that I felt the most empathy for was not the person you initially started out feeling for, and that alone is what makes me really respect Pyun Hye-Young for writing this, because the overlying 'thesis' of this story is much more subtle.
CW: mentions of genitalia (non-sexual), body fluids, death, abuse (neglect, verbal)
All that aside, I really enjoyed this read. It's a horror piece that delves into a more real kind of horror that has nothing to do with serial killers, ghosts or other common horror tropes/elements. This is the kind of psychological horror that deals with neglect, ableism, loneliness and it all becomes so pervasive and polarizing to the point where your mind breaks. It was definitely uncomfortable to be the silent bystander to this character's story. This is a fairly fast read, and the plot twist is less of a shock factor, but a slow unveiling of hidden truths to paint a better picture of the reality of our main character's truly bleak existence. By the end of the story, the person that I felt the most empathy for was not the person you initially started out feeling for, and that alone is what makes me really respect Pyun Hye-Young for writing this, because the overlying 'thesis' of this story is much more subtle.
CW: mentions of genitalia (non-sexual), body fluids, death, abuse (neglect, verbal)
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes