Scan barcode
A review by strangebird
Shoko's Smile by Choi Eunyoung
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The very last book this year!
Shoko’s Smile is what you need to go after if you’re interested in Korea & the life there. Covering the issues, such as what it feels like being a woman living under the patriarchy, or the poverty, or getting to know the aftermath of Vietnam war & Sewol tragedy, or loneliness of getting old & being the old person, losing the one you love the most & dealing with grief, poking gender & sexuality matters, also friendship & such.
Just like the blurb on the cover: “balancing the personal with the political.”
Written in a gloomy way, as I like to call it. There are some translations that I don’t really get it, but it’s okay.
My favs are Shoko’s Smile—a tale of a Korean girl being a host of an exchanged Japanese girl, going through the dynamic with presence of mental health, sexuality, & things—& A Song from Afar about a Korean girl visiting Russia to reminisce the Sunbae—used to be her roommate back in Korea but moving out to pursue her master degree—who she looked up to & loved dearly who unfortunately died in a heart attack, all about dealing with grief.
Giving it 4.75 bcs there’s some translation that I don’t quite understand.
Shoko’s Smile is what you need to go after if you’re interested in Korea & the life there. Covering the issues, such as what it feels like being a woman living under the patriarchy, or the poverty, or getting to know the aftermath of Vietnam war & Sewol tragedy, or loneliness of getting old & being the old person, losing the one you love the most & dealing with grief, poking gender & sexuality matters, also friendship & such.
Just like the blurb on the cover: “balancing the personal with the political.”
Written in a gloomy way, as I like to call it. There are some translations that I don’t really get it, but it’s okay.
My favs are Shoko’s Smile—a tale of a Korean girl being a host of an exchanged Japanese girl, going through the dynamic with presence of mental health, sexuality, & things—& A Song from Afar about a Korean girl visiting Russia to reminisce the Sunbae—used to be her roommate back in Korea but moving out to pursue her master degree—who she looked up to & loved dearly who unfortunately died in a heart attack, all about dealing with grief.
Giving it 4.75 bcs there’s some translation that I don’t quite understand.