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challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Pros:
- The portrayal of the many, many female characters in the novel and how their backgrounds and circumstances explained the decisions they made and the behaviors they exhibited; even unlikeable characters like Hana could be sympathized with by the end of the book
- Sunja; she was easily my favorite and a stand-out character for making the tough but right choices time and time again, despite so many factors working against her; her indomitable spirit is admirable
- The complex evolution of the Koreans living in Japan and assimilating into Japanese culture and language but without being truly accepted into Japanese society and facing continuous racism
Cons:
- The author chose to often describe the naked bodies of the female characters in detail, but not for the male characters; this may have been purposeful by the author to highlight the sexualization of the women, but it didn't feel like these multiple depictions tied into the larger story in a neat way
- The length of the novel felt long once we moved into the last generation's story (Solomon); and jumping from many characters towards the end of the book (Haruki, Hana, etc.) felt scattered and less like an epic novel and more like short stories tied together
- I wish the book had just focused on Sunja's life and the people around her - transitioning to others like Haruki, Etsuko, etc. didn't hold my attention like the beginning of the book when it was more focused on Sunja
- The portrayal of the many, many female characters in the novel and how their backgrounds and circumstances explained the decisions they made and the behaviors they exhibited; even unlikeable characters like Hana could be sympathized with by the end of the book
- Sunja; she was easily my favorite and a stand-out character for making the tough but right choices time and time again, despite so many factors working against her; her indomitable spirit is admirable
- The complex evolution of the Koreans living in Japan and assimilating into Japanese culture and language but without being truly accepted into Japanese society and facing continuous racism
Cons:
- The author chose to often describe the naked bodies of the female characters in detail, but not for the male characters; this may have been purposeful by the author to highlight the sexualization of the women, but it didn't feel like these multiple depictions tied into the larger story in a neat way
- The length of the novel felt long once we moved into the last generation's story (Solomon); and jumping from many characters towards the end of the book (Haruki, Hana, etc.) felt scattered and less like an epic novel and more like short stories tied together
- I wish the book had just focused on Sunja's life and the people around her - transitioning to others like Haruki, Etsuko, etc. didn't hold my attention like the beginning of the book when it was more focused on Sunja
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Suicide
Minor: Addiction, Police brutality, Trafficking, Abortion, War