A review by ddnreads
Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan

challenging emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book revolved around a family and their detailed lifestyle, adventures, and misfortunes. At first, we met the girl Chunhui, known as the queen of red brick. However, this book will take us back to people who live long before Chunhui, and the history of Chunhui mother herself, geumbok.

This book remind me a lot with Beauty is Wound by Eka Kurniawan. 

For me, the storytelling and pace is not my favourite. I'm just not patient enough and I found myself struggled to finish this book. It stretches going back and forth from the past to present.

Character wise, I have this love hate relationship with geumbok. For a woman in that time to be able to do what she did is an applause. However, there were questionable decisions of her that made me go 🤧.
The accountability for the characters' action is concerning. It threw so effortlessly rape and SA. I found it uncomfortable and disturbing. It might be common for the setting based on the time and place the book is in, but it doesn't make it bearable to read. 

If you love speculative fiction, magical realism combined with historical trivias, this book is perfect for you.
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