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A review by laurareads87
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
"I wonder if they call this kind of place a slum, because if you called it someone's home or their livelihood that would make things awkward when it comes to tearing it down."
One Hundred Shadows is a novella that is inspired by, and reflects on, the 2009 Yongsan Disaster - an incident in which tenants threatened with eviction faced a a SWAT team in defense of their building, slated for 'redevelopment;' amidst the clash, a fire broke out and killed several people.
The novella's commentary is subtle. The storyline follows Eungyo and Mujae, two young people who work in electronics shops in Building B, one of five buildings that are being threatened with gentrification and displacement. This story almost fades into the background as the meandering text explores the characters' emerging relationship, several of their days out, and the strange phenomenon of people's shadows detaching and drifting away.
The book is atmospheric, and the moving shadows are eerie and foreboding, signalling an immanent risk of losing the individual entirely -- a hopelessness. I did struggle with the dialogue not being demarcated by quotation marks, and I found that the ending was far too abrupt. The writing is lovely, and the world-building is effective; I wish this was longer and that some aspects were elaborated upon more.
One Hundred Shadows is a novella that is inspired by, and reflects on, the 2009 Yongsan Disaster - an incident in which tenants threatened with eviction faced a a SWAT team in defense of their building, slated for 'redevelopment;' amidst the clash, a fire broke out and killed several people.
The novella's commentary is subtle. The storyline follows Eungyo and Mujae, two young people who work in electronics shops in Building B, one of five buildings that are being threatened with gentrification and displacement. This story almost fades into the background as the meandering text explores the characters' emerging relationship, several of their days out, and the strange phenomenon of people's shadows detaching and drifting away.
The book is atmospheric, and the moving shadows are eerie and foreboding, signalling an immanent risk of losing the individual entirely -- a hopelessness. I did struggle with the dialogue not being demarcated by quotation marks, and I found that the ending was far too abrupt. The writing is lovely, and the world-building is effective; I wish this was longer and that some aspects were elaborated upon more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism