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A review by xengisa
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
5.0
4.5 stars. I can't bring myself to give it 4 stars although 5 stars doesn't feel entirely right either. It's a book I'd like to buy (I borrowed it). It's quite memorable. Ramble rather than a review.
I think it's a good read! I can't say I felt it was similar to Wonder, or The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time (Not to mention that they have entirely different voices and struggles?). Almond reads a lot more starkly, but in somehow a voice that manages to be more detached than the usual narrator, and yet makes you empathise (or sometimes sympathise, I suppose) with the characters strongly. The characters were all written amazingly, aside from Dora, in my opinion. In particular, I thought that Yunjae (the narrator), his granny, his mother, Gon, and Professor Yun... and Dr Shim too, were written very nicely-- believable characters that you can feel for.
Many parts of the book were heartwrenching, and although Yunjae can't be said to be an 'average' person, the narrative style lends itself to try to understand more or less what he is going to. I suppose reading is empathy building of sorts, and this does capture that sort of meaning, I think. Beyond that, it also helps you reflect on what you consider as 'normal', and there's some delving into what life's about in general, which is a plus for me.
A big minus for me was Dora's arc. It's not entirely bad, per se, it's just lacking impact compared to Gon's friendship with Yunjae. It felt out of nowhere... and the feelings of having a crush, I felt like, there wasn't a meaningful conclusion to it. I mean, in real life you don't have to have to derive a meaning from every single thing but... it's fiction, and I couldn't see the significance of it. Of course, I felt for her, and was happy that Yunjae found a friend, or something more, in her, but at the same time I think it could have been more or less left out and the impact of the story would be the same. In that vein, the pages spent maybe could have been used on Steamed Bun, or more buildup to the meeting with Steel Wire. But that's just a personal suggestion, not that the book was worse because it lacked it, although I'm not sure how to phrase this properly.
I'm not sure if what Dr Shim said is really true, but like him, I'd like to believe it to be the case.
As a note for myself: The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf had a similar impact on me, although they are completely different.
Quotes:
- Mom said everything was for my sake, calling it love. But to me, it seemed more like we were doing this out of her own desperation not to have a child that was different. Love, according to Mom's actions, was nothing more than nagging about every little thing, with teary eyes, about how one should act such and such in this and that situation. If that was love, I'd rather neither give nor receive any. But of course, I didn't say that out loud. That was all thanks to one of Mom's code of conduct-- Too much honesty hurts others-- which I had memorized over and over so that it was stuck in my brain. (I think this parallels with Professor Yun and Gon, and later on Yunjae, when he... grows.)
- Gon: maybe someday, we might become people we never imagined we'd be.
Yunjae: Probably. For better or worse. That's life. (Later it is repeated in Dr Shim's words.)
- Dr Shim: A person who has no talent for skating will probably not become the best skater even after practicing for months. A tone-deaf person won't ever sing a perfect aria and get applause either. But with practice, you can at least stumble a step forward on the ice or manage to sing a measure of a song. That's what practice can offer-- miracles and also limitations.
- From what I understood, love was just an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force something undefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so easily, so often. People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks.
- Dora: It was their choice to have me, but that doesn't mean that I have to accomplish the missions they've set up. They keep threatening me that I'll regret this, but even if I do regret it, that's my choice to make. (kinda reflected in Gon's actions. I found this relatable... Well, it's a feeling we might get once in a while as teens.)
- (About 'It would have been better if Gon hadn't been born) Because, more than anything, he wouldn't have had to feel so much pain and loss. But everything loses its meaning if you think that way. Only purpose remains. Barren.
- People shut their eyes to a distant tragedy saying that there's nothing they could d, yet they didn't stand up for the one happening nearby either because they're too terrified. Most people could feel but didn't act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real.
I didn't want to live like that.
(Real... genuine sympathy? Still thinking about this.)
- Dr Shim: doctors like to put labels on patients. It helps them treat abnormal symptoms, or even abnormal people. Of course, labels can often be clear and useful, But the human brain is a rather strange thing. And I truly believe that the heart can prevail over the brain. What I'm trying to say it that you might have just grown in a way that's a little different from how other people grow.
Yunjae: Does growing mean changing?
Dr Shim: Probably. For better or for worse. (Here!)
From the author's note.
- I have come to think that love is what makes a person human, as well as what makes a monster. That's the story I wanted to tell.
I think it's a good read! I can't say I felt it was similar to Wonder, or The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time (Not to mention that they have entirely different voices and struggles?). Almond reads a lot more starkly, but in somehow a voice that manages to be more detached than the usual narrator, and yet makes you empathise (or sometimes sympathise, I suppose) with the characters strongly. The characters were all written amazingly, aside from Dora, in my opinion. In particular, I thought that Yunjae (the narrator), his granny, his mother, Gon, and Professor Yun... and Dr Shim too, were written very nicely-- believable characters that you can feel for.
Many parts of the book were heartwrenching, and although Yunjae can't be said to be an 'average' person, the narrative style lends itself to try to understand more or less what he is going to. I suppose reading is empathy building of sorts, and this does capture that sort of meaning, I think. Beyond that, it also helps you reflect on what you consider as 'normal', and there's some delving into what life's about in general, which is a plus for me.
A big minus for me was Dora's arc. It's not entirely bad, per se, it's just lacking impact compared to Gon's friendship with Yunjae. It felt out of nowhere... and the feelings of having a crush, I felt like, there wasn't a meaningful conclusion to it. I mean, in real life you don't have to have to derive a meaning from every single thing but... it's fiction, and I couldn't see the significance of it. Of course, I felt for her, and was happy that Yunjae found a friend, or something more, in her, but at the same time I think it could have been more or less left out and the impact of the story would be the same. In that vein, the pages spent maybe could have been used on Steamed Bun, or more buildup to the meeting with Steel Wire. But that's just a personal suggestion, not that the book was worse because it lacked it, although I'm not sure how to phrase this properly.
I'm not sure if what Dr Shim said is really true, but like him, I'd like to believe it to be the case.
As a note for myself: The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf had a similar impact on me, although they are completely different.
Quotes:
- Mom said everything was for my sake, calling it love. But to me, it seemed more like we were doing this out of her own desperation not to have a child that was different. Love, according to Mom's actions, was nothing more than nagging about every little thing, with teary eyes, about how one should act such and such in this and that situation. If that was love, I'd rather neither give nor receive any. But of course, I didn't say that out loud. That was all thanks to one of Mom's code of conduct-- Too much honesty hurts others-- which I had memorized over and over so that it was stuck in my brain. (I think this parallels with Professor Yun and Gon, and later on Yunjae, when he... grows.)
- Gon: maybe someday, we might become people we never imagined we'd be.
Yunjae: Probably. For better or worse. That's life. (Later it is repeated in Dr Shim's words.)
- Dr Shim: A person who has no talent for skating will probably not become the best skater even after practicing for months. A tone-deaf person won't ever sing a perfect aria and get applause either. But with practice, you can at least stumble a step forward on the ice or manage to sing a measure of a song. That's what practice can offer-- miracles and also limitations.
- From what I understood, love was just an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force something undefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so easily, so often. People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks.
- Dora: It was their choice to have me, but that doesn't mean that I have to accomplish the missions they've set up. They keep threatening me that I'll regret this, but even if I do regret it, that's my choice to make. (kinda reflected in Gon's actions. I found this relatable... Well, it's a feeling we might get once in a while as teens.)
- (About 'It would have been better if Gon hadn't been born) Because, more than anything, he wouldn't have had to feel so much pain and loss. But everything loses its meaning if you think that way. Only purpose remains. Barren.
- People shut their eyes to a distant tragedy saying that there's nothing they could d, yet they didn't stand up for the one happening nearby either because they're too terrified. Most people could feel but didn't act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real.
I didn't want to live like that.
(Real... genuine sympathy? Still thinking about this.)
- Dr Shim: doctors like to put labels on patients. It helps them treat abnormal symptoms, or even abnormal people. Of course, labels can often be clear and useful, But the human brain is a rather strange thing. And I truly believe that the heart can prevail over the brain. What I'm trying to say it that you might have just grown in a way that's a little different from how other people grow.
Yunjae: Does growing mean changing?
Dr Shim: Probably. For better or for worse. (Here!)
From the author's note.
- I have come to think that love is what makes a person human, as well as what makes a monster. That's the story I wanted to tell.