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A review by mesal
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Volume 1 by singNsong, 싱숑
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.5
I've read books about writers; I've read books about readers; I've read webnovels about writers and readers entering the worlds they wrote or read about, subsequently attempting to survive within said worlds. Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint was the first such novel I read where the reader, even after entering the world of his favorite novel, remained a reader. Kim Dokja doesn't get hit by a truck and wake up in someone else's body; he doesn't become the protagonist or antagonist or even a forgotten side character of his beloved Ways of Survival, an event far too common in other stories of the same genre. The novel he reads comes to life around him, and he attempts to use his knowledge gathered through years of reading it in order not only to stay alive but also to reach his desired conclusion.
Though for the most part Dokja's progression in skills is pretty balanced—he starts off with the poorest physique on the planet, and has to spend a significant amount of time and money to level himself up—his unreliable narrative style can get a bit annoying. He knows everything that will happen in the future but refuses to share it with us readers (if you think this is metafiction, wait till you read the series ending), choosing instead to act uninformed in front of both us and the characters he's trying to fool until the very last second. After the first few "Aha!" moments, it starts to get a bit tired. Regardless, he's a very fun protagonist (God, this review is hard to write) to read from the perspective of, since he isn't morally averse to making decisions that upright personalities would try to avoid; his stance contrasts sharply with those of characters like Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah, who remain optimistic that they can survive all the scenarios without killing or harming anyone.
Yoo Joonghyuk, the actual protagonist of Dokja's favorite webnovel, features far less than I expected. He's often mentioned in passing as pursuing hidden scenarios and acquiring items, but his actual presence in the vicinity of our narrator comes only occasionally. Nevertheless, the dynamic between the two—one having read about the other for the past twelve years of his life, the other not recognizing this new player in a game he believed he knew best—is enjoyable to explore and read about, particularly with the author's commentary on contemporary consumption of media underlying every interaction.
The novel's choppy translation had me wavering about continuing during the first several chapters, but the plot, characterization, and worldbuilding were all strong enough to keep me going until I got used to the translation style and could immerse myself fully in the narrative.
Though for the most part Dokja's progression in skills is pretty balanced—he starts off with the poorest physique on the planet, and has to spend a significant amount of time and money to level himself up—his unreliable narrative style can get a bit annoying. He knows everything that will happen in the future but refuses to share it with us readers (if you think this is metafiction, wait till you read the series ending), choosing instead to act uninformed in front of both us and the characters he's trying to fool until the very last second. After the first few "Aha!" moments, it starts to get a bit tired. Regardless, he's a very fun protagonist (God, this review is hard to write) to read from the perspective of, since he isn't morally averse to making decisions that upright personalities would try to avoid; his stance contrasts sharply with those of characters like Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah, who remain optimistic that they can survive all the scenarios without killing or harming anyone.
Yoo Joonghyuk, the actual protagonist of Dokja's favorite webnovel, features far less than I expected. He's often mentioned in passing as pursuing hidden scenarios and acquiring items, but his actual presence in the vicinity of our narrator comes only occasionally. Nevertheless, the dynamic between the two—one having read about the other for the past twelve years of his life, the other not recognizing this new player in a game he believed he knew best—is enjoyable to explore and read about, particularly with the author's commentary on contemporary consumption of media underlying every interaction.
The novel's choppy translation had me wavering about continuing during the first several chapters, but the plot, characterization, and worldbuilding were all strong enough to keep me going until I got used to the translation style and could immerse myself fully in the narrative.