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emmamarie0's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Abuse of person with locked in syndromerahanahava's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
3 1/2 stars and rounding to 4 since I don't think I've uncovered all the layers here.
This book has so many layers that I'm not sure I could ever uncover them all. The comparisons to Misery and The Vegetarian is what got my attention and while there are similarities I'm not sure that's a fair assessment. This is for sure a thriller, but it's not violent or gory or heart-pounding. It's terrifying on a more psychological level I think. I mean, waking up from a coma after a horrible car accident where you lost your wife and realizing your only salvation/caretaker/family left is your MIL? That's enough to drive any normal human into a dark hole. This is Oghi's descent into all the holes.
While The Hole does refer to a literal hole it also is referenced a few different times in other ways. Oghi has a hole in the middle of his life, he is alone and falling into a hole of despair, he references his favorite map that has a hole in the middle of it from a compass. I mean, the cover is beautiful and hits the bullseye when it comes to describing this story.
“To be human was to be saddled with emptiness.”
“The world's oldest map, the Babylonian Map of the World, had a little circle bored through the center. [...] That dark, narrow hole went as deep as the memory of an age that no one could ever return to. The only way to reach that lost age was through that hole, but the hole itself could never be reached.”
"So that's what I'll do. What my daughter couldn't. What she meant to do. What she wanted to do. I have to do it for her. And I will."
This book has so many layers that I'm not sure I could ever uncover them all. The comparisons to Misery and The Vegetarian is what got my attention and while there are similarities I'm not sure that's a fair assessment. This is for sure a thriller, but it's not violent or gory or heart-pounding. It's terrifying on a more psychological level I think. I mean, waking up from a coma after a horrible car accident where you lost your wife and realizing your only salvation/caretaker/family left is your MIL? That's enough to drive any normal human into a dark hole. This is Oghi's descent into all the holes.
While The Hole does refer to a literal hole it also is referenced a few different times in other ways. Oghi has a hole in the middle of his life, he is alone and falling into a hole of despair, he references his favorite map that has a hole in the middle of it from a compass. I mean, the cover is beautiful and hits the bullseye when it comes to describing this story.
“To be human was to be saddled with emptiness.”
“The world's oldest map, the Babylonian Map of the World, had a little circle bored through the center. [...] That dark, narrow hole went as deep as the memory of an age that no one could ever return to. The only way to reach that lost age was through that hole, but the hole itself could never be reached.”
"So that's what I'll do. What my daughter couldn't. What she meant to do. What she wanted to do. I have to do it for her. And I will."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Car accident, and Emotional abuse
rorikae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
‘The Hole’ by Hye-Young Pyun is a short novel that details the life of a man paralyzed after a horrific car accident that killed his wife. His mother-in-law begins to take care of him but things aren’t quite as they seem as she begins to dig a hole in the garden his wife created.
The Hole is a very quick book that I wish had been more suspenseful. We get a lot of meditations from the main character about being stuck in bed after the accident and the horrors of feeling out of control. I think this could have been ramped up even further. I was expecting more outright suspense and a threatening atmosphere but it was much slower and methodical of a book. The writing itself is good but I feel like this book could have benefited from creating more atmosphere. The last few chapters did exactly what I was expecting/hoping for and the end is sinister. I wish that this had been more present throughout the rest of the story since it is clear how well the author can create this sense of dread and suspense from the last few chapters.
This is much more literary fiction in the first half/two thirds of the book and I wish that the suspenseful/horrific aspects had been ramped up to more quickly.
The Hole is a very quick book that I wish had been more suspenseful. We get a lot of meditations from the main character about being stuck in bed after the accident and the horrors of feeling out of control. I think this could have been ramped up even further. I was expecting more outright suspense and a threatening atmosphere but it was much slower and methodical of a book. The writing itself is good but I feel like this book could have benefited from creating more atmosphere. The last few chapters did exactly what I was expecting/hoping for and the end is sinister. I wish that this had been more present throughout the rest of the story since it is clear how well the author can create this sense of dread and suspense from the last few chapters.
This is much more literary fiction in the first half/two thirds of the book and I wish that the suspenseful/horrific aspects had been ramped up to more quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Car accident, Confinement, and Grief
kou_'s review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Ableism, Emotional abuse, and Death
lady_bountiful's review against another edition
dark
tense
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
saint_eleanor's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this is an incredibly close and intimate look at human flaws and grief. Very raw and so depressing, a display of misery!! Kind of beautiful and very haunting though i do wish it was slightly less slow, and i also wanted some more creepy details about the MIL.
EDIT (1 yr later): adding .5 stars bc i haven't stopped thinking abt this book since i read it. That's how you know it got to ya
EDIT (1 yr later): adding .5 stars bc i haven't stopped thinking abt this book since i read it. That's how you know it got to ya
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Torture
fragoline's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Car accident
geeters14's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture and Emotional abuse
kwims's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse
apollinares's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A very short, very gripping story of a now-paralysed car crash survivor in the care of his mother in law, whose daughter had died in the same crash. I happen to find the "caretaker turns out to be abusive" trope particularly uncomfortable, and I also suffer from HORRIBLE second hand embarassment, so this novel felt like a personal little torture device. The audiobook was uncomfortable to sit through, and the claustrophobic atmosphere that's present throughout the story through its use of Oghi's senses - mainly him hearing things through the door, and the tactile sensations he does feel described in the vivid way of a character with no other outlet or focus - kept that sense of dread right up until the very end.
I've seen this trope done better, I've seen it done worse. I really liked the clues that hint at the wife's goals peppered throughout the book, as well as the broader cultural context. I also enjoyed the cinematic storytelling. I could picture some of the scenes as specific film shots - this would make great suspense film. Kind of reminded me of Bong Joon-ho's Parasite.
Alternating between Oghi's post-accident existence, primarily characterised by loneliness and neglect, and flashbacks to his marriage, the way the layers of the plot peel back slowly to reveal what was going on, really sat with me. It's not overly hand-hold-y, and I'm surprised at how uncomfortable it made me. Not even scared or upset, just so, so uneasy.
I've seen this trope done better, I've seen it done worse. I really liked the clues that hint at the wife's goals peppered throughout the book, as well as the broader cultural context. I also enjoyed the cinematic storytelling. I could picture some of the scenes as specific film shots - this would make great suspense film. Kind of reminded me of Bong Joon-ho's Parasite.
Alternating between Oghi's post-accident existence, primarily characterised by loneliness and neglect, and flashbacks to his marriage, the way the layers of the plot peel back slowly to reveal what was going on, really sat with me. It's not overly hand-hold-y, and I'm surprised at how uncomfortable it made me. Not even scared or upset, just so, so uneasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Medical trauma, Medical content, Death, Confinement, Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Grief, Gaslighting, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity