Beasts of a Little Land
Ratings11
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings11
Average rating3.7
"A spectacular debut filled with great characters and heart.” —Lisa See, author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan A Recommended Read from: USA Today * The Washington Post * Entertainment Weekly * The Today Show * Real Simple * Good Morning America * Harper's Bazaar * Buzzfeed * Fortune * Vulture * Goodreads * Lit Hub * Book Riot * PopSugar * E! Online * Ms. Magazine * Chicago Review of Books * Bustle * The Oregonian * The Millions An epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement, following the intertwined fates of a young girl sold to a courtesan school and the penniless son of a hunter In 1917, deep in the snowy mountains of occupied Korea, an impoverished local hunter on the brink of starvation saves a young Japanese officer from an attacking tiger. In an instant, their fates are connected—and from this encounter unfolds a saga that spans half a century. In the aftermath, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver’s courtesan school, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social status. When she befriends an orphan boy named JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets of Seoul, they form a deep friendship. As they come of age, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence, and Jade becomes a sought-after performer with a new romantic prospect of noble birth. Soon Jade must decide whether she will risk everything for the one who would do the same for her. From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, where battles rage, Juhea Kim’s unforgettable characters forge their own destinies as they wager their nation’s. Immersive and elegant, Beasts of a Little Land unveils a world where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes.
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I can't understand the reviews that describe this book as “beautifully written.” The writing is clunky, with awkward attempts at eloquence, hackneyed descriptions, and clichéd “wisdom” - here's a sample chosen at random: “The window was not so high, and he could see the tiled roofs and bare-branched trees shimmering in the orange light, and the birds singing and gliding across the sky. This, the everlasting stillness of morning, brought him unbearable joy and sorrow. Tears flowed down his cheeks raked by time. Death was such a small price to pay for life.”
Besides this uninspiring prose, the POV switched so often and so rapidly between so many different characters that I had a hard time caring much about any of them. The tragic central love triangle left me completely cold, and there were long stretches where not much of anything happened. The exciting tiger hunt at the beginning was by far the best part. Oh, and the cover is gorgeous.
As soon as I finished reading this book, I was tempted to write a review while still glowing with the beauty of the story. It talks about so many aspects of korean life of the early 20th century.
It is the tale of three girls primarily destined to be courtesans in a Korea of the early 1900s. Jade, Lotus and Luna's lives are intertwined in heartbreaking ways as they mature into beautiful women meeting both cruel and kind men along their way. They are brought up by Silver and then Dani to be courtesans and taught various arts deemed essential for them.
Korea's fight for independence from Japan is the backdrop for Jade's friendships with JungHo and HanChol. The occupation by the japanese and their brutality was palpable. “Rice was needed in Japan, the mother country. It is as when the body routes nutrients and fresh blood to the heart at the expense of a limb. Japan is the heart, and Korea an extremity. Also, these Josenjings are too well fed and energetic and full-blooded. They will be more docile when they are bled out”.
I loved the writing which could bring out the pain and the beauty of life most effectively and I was surprised to note that this is a debut. Relationships are complicated and evolve throughout our lives. Juhea Kim has brought out the truth of that engagingly so that it was difficult to put down the book so I finished it in three days.
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley to read in exchange for a review.
A very solid debut and one that covers a time period and region that hasn't been well-addressed in historical fiction until recently. I felt kept at arm's length for most of the book though, and had a hard time connecting with the characters as I felt there might be an opportunity to.
This is a complex book with a complex cast of characters. Ostensibly this book follows Jade, a girl born to poverty who finds her way to a life of riches and fame, and JungHo, a street urchin who has a fated run-in with Jade and the two become fast friends. Together, then apart, then together again, the two cross and re-cross paths repeatedly throughout this complex story taking place during the Korean independence movement in the early 1900s. There's a good story here for someone, unfortunately I never found it. The cast of characters is large and unwieldy, and even though each character's story is woven into the larger story of Jade and JungHo in some way, it was still hard for me to keep track of what was going on and who was who sometimes. I also never really connected with the story, such as it was. To me, the story felt like it was moving at a glacial speed, with large stretches where nothing really happens. I know lots of people love books where the pace is a little slower so they have time to get to know and understand the characters, but it felt extremely slow for my tastes.I think if you like books paced like [b:Pachinko 34051011 Pachinko Min Jin Lee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529845599l/34051011.SY75.jpg 50384116], you'll like this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.
