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A review by aoki_reads
The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
3.0
”So I think sleep and dreams are… like a comma God meticulously designed in the middle of a breathless sentence called life!”
Tucked away in the subconscious minds of those who have fallen fast asleep stands a whimsical little town. And in this town, you’ll find The Dallergut Dream Department Store— a store that is catered to dreams.
The Dallergut Dream Department Store is an adorable, cozy translated work of Korean literature that takes you on an adventure through a dream world where various dreams are bought through emotions by sleeping customers.
The story follows a girl named Penny, who lives in this eccentric fantasy world. She’s been dying to work at a dream department store and lands an interview at Dallergut. After nailing her interview with the owner, Dallergut himself (who is a rumored descendant of Time and highly respected)— she becomes the newest member of the team.
Through Penny’s new job, the reader learns about the department store and all that it entails. From the different genres of dreams created by their respective dreammakers, to different forms of payment dependent on emotions and feelings— the ins and outs of the store and of how dreams work are through Penny’s eyes.
Author Mi-ye Lee also provides insight on the power of dreams through various dreamers who visit the store. Some stories are sad, others heartwarming and redeeming— but ultimately, she depicts the different trials and tribulations people go through in life by using their dreams to tell the story.
This book was charming, but a bit flat. I felt all of the enchanting, whimsical elements that it was going for— but the story itself wasn’t much of a story at all. In a town where furry creatures and leprechauns roam, people take up careers in creating dreams, and thousands of people wander sleepily through a subconscious place—there was so much room to take those elements even further. Most of the novel felt like reading a whimsy version of a textbook focused on dreaming, if that makes sense. Maybe the next book hones in on character development and world-building.
Overall, I didn’t love this book— but I didn’t hate it. It was endearing and warm. You learn a lot about the impact of dreams, how they are created, and how Dallergut runs his business.
The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a ★ ★ ★ out of five stars for its creativity and quirkiness, as those qualities were the most redeeming. And though not my favorite— I’m still looking forward to reading the second novel to see where Penny lands and what else she learns after her first full year working at the store.
Tucked away in the subconscious minds of those who have fallen fast asleep stands a whimsical little town. And in this town, you’ll find The Dallergut Dream Department Store— a store that is catered to dreams.
The Dallergut Dream Department Store is an adorable, cozy translated work of Korean literature that takes you on an adventure through a dream world where various dreams are bought through emotions by sleeping customers.
The story follows a girl named Penny, who lives in this eccentric fantasy world. She’s been dying to work at a dream department store and lands an interview at Dallergut. After nailing her interview with the owner, Dallergut himself (who is a rumored descendant of Time and highly respected)— she becomes the newest member of the team.
Through Penny’s new job, the reader learns about the department store and all that it entails. From the different genres of dreams created by their respective dreammakers, to different forms of payment dependent on emotions and feelings— the ins and outs of the store and of how dreams work are through Penny’s eyes.
Author Mi-ye Lee also provides insight on the power of dreams through various dreamers who visit the store. Some stories are sad, others heartwarming and redeeming— but ultimately, she depicts the different trials and tribulations people go through in life by using their dreams to tell the story.
This book was charming, but a bit flat. I felt all of the enchanting, whimsical elements that it was going for— but the story itself wasn’t much of a story at all. In a town where furry creatures and leprechauns roam, people take up careers in creating dreams, and thousands of people wander sleepily through a subconscious place—there was so much room to take those elements even further. Most of the novel felt like reading a whimsy version of a textbook focused on dreaming, if that makes sense. Maybe the next book hones in on character development and world-building.
Overall, I didn’t love this book— but I didn’t hate it. It was endearing and warm. You learn a lot about the impact of dreams, how they are created, and how Dallergut runs his business.
The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a ★ ★ ★ out of five stars for its creativity and quirkiness, as those qualities were the most redeeming. And though not my favorite— I’m still looking forward to reading the second novel to see where Penny lands and what else she learns after her first full year working at the store.