Scan barcode
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
A sprawling family epic that was deeply engrossing. This is a slow-moving book, so not the kind of thing you want to pick up if you're looking for a fast-paced page-turner. However, I found the family story deeply compelling and often disturbing. As someone not of Asian descent born and bred in the U.S., this book covers a period of history about which I've known very little, much to my chagrin, so the cultural elements were extremely eye-opening for me.
The characters are all fully realized and flawed, some more profoundly and frustratingly than others, which is why I'm ultimately giving this 4 stars instead of 5. I got so frustrated with some of the characters that it made certain sections of the novel hard for me to read. Hansu in particular bothered me because to me the book felt too ambivalent about him.
I'm not sure exactly how I'd describe the prose. It felt almost sparse to me in some ways, but that's not because it's not detailed; rather, the storytelling is unadorned, and I admired the book for it. There are some scenes of great beauty and great tragedy that I think a more florid style would have undermined.
The characters are all fully realized and flawed, some more profoundly and frustratingly than others, which is why I'm ultimately giving this 4 stars instead of 5. I got so frustrated with some of the characters that it made certain sections of the novel hard for me to read. Hansu in particular bothered me because to me the book felt too ambivalent about him.
I'm not sure exactly how I'd describe the prose. It felt almost sparse to me in some ways, but that's not because it's not detailed; rather, the storytelling is unadorned, and I admired the book for it. There are some scenes of great beauty and great tragedy that I think a more florid style would have undermined.
page_karla's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Abortion, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexism
alyssabkaplan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
aud23's review
5.0
This book was amazing. Deeply painful and honest but so so good. Deals with humanity and identity and ethics and relationships. I recommend anyone and everyone read this book. I will be thinking abt it for a very long time
beckylaxtonbass's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jcordon6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thewhitewalters's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sah2024's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Interesting historical drama. Does a great job with illustrating through its characters the effects of Japanese imperialism and discrimination against Koreans living in Japan through generations
ashborrow's review against another edition
4.0
A good roadtrip listen. Was a really long book that I enjoyed until Solomon’s section. His part of the book didn’t feel as well integrated or purposeful as the rest of the family’s storylines.