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livvym06 's review for:
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop
by Hwang Bo-Reum
3.5 stars rounded up
A cozy, sweet novel which incorporates a gentle examination of capitalism and intensive work cultures. The characters are distinct and likeable and I truly enjoyed journeying along with them for a while as they each make their own revelations about life. It has an interesting, almost simplified, writing style - which was well suited to a heartwarming and short novel like this. I liked the short essay type chapters which defined each thought topic.
It is not ground breaking and I understand some of the reviews which call it simplistic or even naive. But I think that this is a great introduction to the concepts it is trying to convey (which are not the norm in capitalist societies like S Korea or the UK) and if you are already familiar with those concepts then a reminder of what is truly important in our harsh world never really goes amiss. I think it's okay to put these things into plain terms sometimes. I didn't find it boring or patronising. It is true that there is no real conflict in the book, which makes it run a little too smoothly, but again I think that's part and parcel of the genre "healing fiction".
A book to read if you've ever thought of quitting your job and chasing a dream; or if you've ever considered giving up on big dreams and learning to appreciate a quiet life...
A cozy, sweet novel which incorporates a gentle examination of capitalism and intensive work cultures. The characters are distinct and likeable and I truly enjoyed journeying along with them for a while as they each make their own revelations about life. It has an interesting, almost simplified, writing style - which was well suited to a heartwarming and short novel like this. I liked the short essay type chapters which defined each thought topic.
It is not ground breaking and I understand some of the reviews which call it simplistic or even naive. But I think that this is a great introduction to the concepts it is trying to convey (which are not the norm in capitalist societies like S Korea or the UK) and if you are already familiar with those concepts then a reminder of what is truly important in our harsh world never really goes amiss. I think it's okay to put these things into plain terms sometimes. I didn't find it boring or patronising. It is true that there is no real conflict in the book, which makes it run a little too smoothly, but again I think that's part and parcel of the genre "healing fiction".
A book to read if you've ever thought of quitting your job and chasing a dream; or if you've ever considered giving up on big dreams and learning to appreciate a quiet life...