Beasts of a Little Land
Ratings14
Average rating3.5
'Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning achievement’ TLS 'Spectacular' Lisa See, author of The Island of Sea Women 'I loved it' Brandon Hobson, author of The Removed 'Unforgettable' Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing An epic story of love and war, set during the turbulent decades of Korea's fight for independence It is 1917, and Korea is under Japanese occupation; the country is yet to be divided into north and south. With the threat of famine looming, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver's courtesan school in cosmopolitan Pyongyang, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social class. But the city's days as a haven are numbered. Jade flees to Seoul where she forms a deep friendship with an orphan boy called JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets. As Jade becomes a sought-after performer with unexpected romantic prospects, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence. Soon, Jade must decide between following her own ambitions or risking everyone for the one she loves. From the perfumed chambers of the courtesan school to the glamorous cafés of a modernising Seoul, the unforgettable characters of Beasts of a Little Land unveil a world where friends become enemies and enemies become saviours, where 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.
