It was a quick read. I have a soft corner for stories set in the Irish countryside. It evokes feelings of longing for an imagined slow country life that I never had. Strange. The story is well paced, and I especially loved how it managed to flush out the main character within so few pages. Bonus points for teaching me something that I previously had no knowledge about. I recommend jumping straight into the book without looking up what it’s about. ...
5/5 - The best book I’ve read this year. The story taught me a great deal about the fractured history of Korea - life under Japanese rule, the division into North and South after the second world war and so much more. The history of the land is seamlessly interwoven with the history of its people. The writing style is fluid and unique, with subtle writing choices that made it easy to digest and follow along the plot and the characters across this 900 something page behemoth of a book. ...
Great buildup with a disappointing ending. This would be the last Millennium book I pick up in a while.
I read the book after I had seen the movie, so I knew what was in store. The book still managed to surprise me by going deep into some of the dark corners that were left out from the movie. It adds a lot more dimension to some of the characters and bit more backstory around some of the events. It’s a tragic but endearing story; one that keeps you turning the pages. ...
A disappointing read that left me unfulfilled. The plot had potential, with multiple seemingly disconnected threads that I hoped would eventually converge. Hoped. The same hope of a grand reveal kept me turning the pages. The hope of something that would imbue every prior moment with new meaning; something that would make me look at the story in a new light. But alas, all I got was poor attempt at reconciliation. A pitiful way to tie everything together. An unsatisfying ending. ...