One unexpected side effect of participating in the noon-time book-chats: I'm tired of looking at the same cover over and over. I found this one at Evene, where one can also find a summary of the book in French.While looking for an image for this post, I came across an audio interview with Nami Mun by Tom of Omnivoracious, which really helped my clarify my own thoughts.
I was expecting a glimmer of hope to appear at the end, and so is Mun--hoping, that is, that her readers will see the hope. After listening to the interview, I do see it. It's very subtle. Subtle, like the tiny dot at the end of this sentence. But it's there, in a bit of foreshadowing (does it count as foreshadowing, if it refers to something that happens after the timeline of the story?), and in a girl's refusal to walk away.
For me, the biggest glimmer of hope is Nami Mun herself. Like Joon, she left home at a very young age, and no doubt had a lot to overcome to get herself off the streets. She then spent eight years distilling the emotions and relationships she experienced, into fictional episodes that would become this book.
The soundtrack: It has to be Miles From Nowhere, by Cat Stevens. If the book didn't leave you with a sense of hope, the song will.
More wrap-up posts on: Pop culture Junkie and Presenting Lenore, and soon to come on J.Kaye's Book Blog.
Ooh...I much prefer that cover. I thought the fact that she realized that the reason she was in her predicament was because she was always leaving and decided NOT to leave the employment agency was hopeful and a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteEven tho I didn't participate, I do like the discussion format of reading a piece at a time. You have really demonstrated an online book club! congrats!
ReplyDeleteI could see the glimmer of hope, I was expecting more though. For me, the ending was a total letdown.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool cover! I think it may work better in fact. But i really like the cover being used too. Isn't very personal though. I did like that article you pointed out about the author. I liked her so i really wanted to like the book. I guess I liked it but didn't love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Care, it was really fun to do it as a "book club." I'll definitely do it again. After the holidays!
ReplyDeleteAlea and J.Kaye, I wanted to like the book more than I did, too. I loved some of the chapters, but the overall book was awfully depressing to me.
Lenore, I agree it was a step in the right direction, and I loved that she connected with the man emotionally in the end, because to me that was one of her hugest downfalls was the inability to connect with people.
Ali ~ I agree. Some of those chapters were a masterpiece. I love dark fiction, so the depressing didn't bother me. I just needed to know for sure Joon was going to be okay. I didn't trust she would, given her track record.
ReplyDeleteI've left comments on the other "noontime chat" bloggers sites this week ... I had forgotten I had this book!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it will take a lot of energy for me to read (and "get") this book! A challenge for the New Year!
I found it easy to read...sad and disturbing but easy. I should write my review...
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