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earlgreypls 's review for:
Beasts of a Little Land
by Juhea Kim
“Life is only bearable because time makes you forget everything. But life is worthwhile because love makes you remember everything.”
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I listened to the first 40% on audio, and I was really close to DNFing it. Once I switched to reading it physically about 40% in, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in almost a day.
This book is it’s own piece of art, so I hate comparing it to Pachinko since they are each so unique, but there are a lot of similarities between the two. Beasts of a Little Land is an epic historical fiction tale set during the Korean Independence Movement - following a large cast of characters that are connected in so many different ways. Ultimately, the story is about inyeon,or the ties between two people over the course of their lives.
I LOVED the complex characters and following their journeys across decades. There’s something I love so much about characterization that isn’t romanticized. While I was often disappointed in the decisions made by those in this story, I was never surprised. Friendships, family relationships, and romantic relationships are always messy and complicated — and they are heightened in this story because of the backdrop of war, treason, poverty, greed, heartbreak, and loss.
The ending felt so full circle, and it was satisfying in a way I wasn’t expecting.
My biggest trouble with this book towards the beginning is that there is a big focus on war and politics, which I don’t have much of an interest in. It was hard for me to feel invested in the story or the characters when so much of the focus was on war. However, I think part of my struggle there was with the audiobook narrator. Once I could take my time and sit with the prose while I read the book physically, I gained so much appreciation for the book as a whole.
I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a great historical fiction novel centered around Korean independence - although I wouldn’t recommend the ~audiobook~ specifically. I’m definitely glad I stuck it out and did not DNF!
“Death was such a small price to pay for life.”
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I listened to the first 40% on audio, and I was really close to DNFing it. Once I switched to reading it physically about 40% in, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in almost a day.
This book is it’s own piece of art, so I hate comparing it to Pachinko since they are each so unique, but there are a lot of similarities between the two. Beasts of a Little Land is an epic historical fiction tale set during the Korean Independence Movement - following a large cast of characters that are connected in so many different ways. Ultimately, the story is about inyeon,or the ties between two people over the course of their lives.
I LOVED the complex characters and following their journeys across decades. There’s something I love so much about characterization that isn’t romanticized. While I was often disappointed in the decisions made by those in this story, I was never surprised. Friendships, family relationships, and romantic relationships are always messy and complicated — and they are heightened in this story because of the backdrop of war, treason, poverty, greed, heartbreak, and loss.
The ending felt so full circle, and it was satisfying in a way I wasn’t expecting.
My biggest trouble with this book towards the beginning is that there is a big focus on war and politics, which I don’t have much of an interest in. It was hard for me to feel invested in the story or the characters when so much of the focus was on war. However, I think part of my struggle there was with the audiobook narrator. Once I could take my time and sit with the prose while I read the book physically, I gained so much appreciation for the book as a whole.
I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a great historical fiction novel centered around Korean independence - although I wouldn’t recommend the ~audiobook~ specifically. I’m definitely glad I stuck it out and did not DNF!
“Death was such a small price to pay for life.”