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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
it's best to view the trigger warnings associated with this book before you proceed to reading it.
the book started off beautifully but immediately lost its appeal. the writing style is fragmented and it does not paint a clear picture of what's going on. we mostly see C and K, but their characters feel very flat to me and i have to struggle with the given information because they both feel very similar. the only thing that distinguished them apart from me is their occupation: C is an artist while K is a taxi driver. other than this, they feel so hollow and the text is so dragging.
there is a third unnamed character, a novelist, but the story reveals little about him. i was expecting more details but all i've received was continuous flashbacks, descriptions of travel, and elaborate methods of how to off oneself.
one thing that all these three men have in common is their blatant and perverse gaze towards the women mentioned in the novel. these women are mere objects of sexual interest and they seem to have no agency - kim young-ha focused more on describing how their bodies are attractive and how their occupation or habits make them appealing, but little attention is paid to their intent, behavior, and past. as a woman, this felt insulting for me to read. i can honestly say that more details were written on how the women characters were seductive to the point that only a little of the cookie was left for their dialogues: they reveal nothing about themselves and what they say felt so drab.
this book is fast paced, leaving me to finish it immediately, but it's safe to say that i wouldn't be reading the author's other works because of my bad experience with this one. the only redeeming thing about this book is how the author elaborately described western art and literature. these explanations took up a significant portion of the book, leaving little space for the characters to process their actions and behavior.
the book started off beautifully but immediately lost its appeal. the writing style is fragmented and it does not paint a clear picture of what's going on. we mostly see C and K, but their characters feel very flat to me and i have to struggle with the given information because they both feel very similar. the only thing that distinguished them apart from me is their occupation: C is an artist while K is a taxi driver. other than this, they feel so hollow and the text is so dragging.
there is a third unnamed character, a novelist, but the story reveals little about him. i was expecting more details but all i've received was continuous flashbacks, descriptions of travel, and elaborate methods of how to off oneself.
one thing that all these three men have in common is their blatant and perverse gaze towards the women mentioned in the novel. these women are mere objects of sexual interest and they seem to have no agency - kim young-ha focused more on describing how their bodies are attractive and how their occupation or habits make them appealing, but little attention is paid to their intent, behavior, and past. as a woman, this felt insulting for me to read. i can honestly say that more details were written on how the women characters were seductive to the point that only a little of the cookie was left for their dialogues: they reveal nothing about themselves and what they say felt so drab.
this book is fast paced, leaving me to finish it immediately, but it's safe to say that i wouldn't be reading the author's other works because of my bad experience with this one. the only redeeming thing about this book is how the author elaborately described western art and literature. these explanations took up a significant portion of the book, leaving little space for the characters to process their actions and behavior.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this years ago and remembered thinking it was really excellent. In re-reading it now, I'm not as enamored. It felt a bit gross and vague, and sexist also. However the writing is excellent and there are some really perfectly worded, thoughtful sentences.
Maybe 2.5 stars. I realized that the only part of the story I really didn't like was part 2 - I found C and K and Judith to be such annoying characters. The narrator was fascinating- I wish the story was more about him. C at least got a little more interesting when we find about his art, but K never gets developed. I just didn't care about their love triangle at all. It's not that I don't like dark books, but books like this or Hotel Iris don't move me when the characters are so underdeveloped- I don't feel their pain, and their depressions and nihilistic attitudes just seem weak and like "Oh woe is me" narcissism. Just seems like a cheap way to pile on tragedy. Not willing to write off Kim yet though- his other book seems interesting and I might yet check it out.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad
slow-paced
Scattered thoughts: saw a bit of myself in the character C, although this book seems to be less an examination of what it means to live than an explication of why death is necessary for life. Not necessarily incorrect, but framing suicide as a process of thrill-seeking before ending everything is a shallow and unempathetic view of what Kim does correctly identify as its cause: a deep seated boredom and hopelessness about that changing. Also, the connection of sex and death and art is all too cliched and dare I say not what life is really like.
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury
A beautifully slow novella, I’m sure I missed some of the meaning behind this story.
It comes with a haunting premise and a haunting message about life and of course death.
Not entirely sure how I feel about this novella, but if my rating seems low, it is not because of the skill of the author but because the meaning behind the story just didn’t vibe with me.
It comes with a haunting premise and a haunting message about life and of course death.
Not entirely sure how I feel about this novella, but if my rating seems low, it is not because of the skill of the author but because the meaning behind the story just didn’t vibe with me.