Reviews

The Story of Hong Gildong by Minsoo Kang, Unknown

Only show reviews with written explanations

bookook's review

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Hard to know how to rate this. It was interesting and cool as a window into a different time and culture (17th to 19th century Korea). It kind of has the feel of Robin Hood, although it turns out the main character just wants to recreate the unjust society he was born into, except with himself now in power. Way less subversive than it seemed set up to be.

benthewriter's review

Go to review page

adventurous funny fast-paced

5.0

Five stars for being a monumental cultural reference. The story is fun and quick, and reading it takes you into the mind of a reader of pop-fiction a hundred or more years ago in Joseon. Yes, obviously, there are plenty of plot holes and questionable choices by the writer, not to mention by the characters in the story, but that's not the point. The point is this book gets referenced nonstop in modern Korean media, and has been getting referenced for a long time. It's enjoyable to read the source material