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A review by catsy2022
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
An eArc was provided by NetGalley for this review.
One Hundred Shadows is a Kprean-authored surreal slice-of-life about two individuals: Mujae and Eungyo, who live a pretty ordinary country life until Eungyo becomes aware of moving shadows in their world.
The novel crafts a strange and dreamlike atmosphere evocative of typical Korean fiction, the story meandering and eerie as it progresses. I thought the scenes would translate so well into film, with the world built up so well and so many artistic scenes that are described with the viewpoint of a Korean author. The way that Korean fiction is written is typically translated like this.
I did enjoy the strange magical quality of the novel and I found the mystery drew me in but I felt little payoff from the conclusion - seeing the book as purely a snaphot of life might help one digest it. Additionally the choice to include zero quotations was interesting and reminded me of other literary authors (like Cormac McCarthy).
An interesting piece of Korean fiction and definitely worth exploring but possibly not something I would read again.
One Hundred Shadows is a Kprean-authored surreal slice-of-life about two individuals: Mujae and Eungyo, who live a pretty ordinary country life until Eungyo becomes aware of moving shadows in their world.
The novel crafts a strange and dreamlike atmosphere evocative of typical Korean fiction, the story meandering and eerie as it progresses. I thought the scenes would translate so well into film, with the world built up so well and so many artistic scenes that are described with the viewpoint of a Korean author. The way that Korean fiction is written is typically translated like this.
I did enjoy the strange magical quality of the novel and I found the mystery drew me in but I felt little payoff from the conclusion - seeing the book as purely a snaphot of life might help one digest it. Additionally the choice to include zero quotations was interesting and reminded me of other literary authors (like Cormac McCarthy).
An interesting piece of Korean fiction and definitely worth exploring but possibly not something I would read again.