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I'll Be Right There (2014)

by Kyung-sook Shin(Favorite Author)
3.98 of 5 Votes: 1
ISBN
1590516737 (ISBN13: 9781590516737)
languge
English
genre
publisher
Other Press
review 1: This is a coming of age story from a best selling Korean writer. She wrote of the college students in the 1970s and 1980s who protested the strong-arm dictatorship. It is difficult to write a positive novel of youthful protest. The young have energy and optimism and believe that they are changing the world. But the dictatorships have power. And Shin demonstrates this over and over. This novel is about one young student and the people who come and go in her life, mostly go; by disappearing, by suicide, by open rebellion against the government. It is troublesome reading because it is real. And reality is often painful. Transitions are not always smooth and some of the major characters are hardly developed. This is a good novel to read if you are interested in recent... more history - except it is taken from real life.
review 2: While this is an intelligently written book, I had a hard time getting into it. As mentioned in her Author's Note, Shin purposely avoids mentioning the era or the political situation surrounding the story because she wants the reader to feel as if this could happen anywhere. However, the lack of such information left the story flat. I love historical fiction. Maybe the lack of details is why I didn't love this story as much as I thought I would. less
Reviews (see all)
greenspringnari
Beautiful writing but just so depressing. I found it to be very dark and upsetting.
nellie_long
How can a book be this good? Engrossing, delicate, emotional, real.
fibonnacci27
Beautifully written and a tragic tale. Really enjoyed it!
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