Shoko's Smile: Stories

One sentence synopsis... Generational, political, and cultural differences express themselves through the experiences of South Korean women in this collection of short stories.

Read it if you like... clean, precise writing which is probably true of most short stories but feels particularly noteworthy in this case. Most of the characters have trouble expressing their emotions which makes the style impersonal in the extreme.

Further reading... for Korean fiction I preferred ‘Kim Jiyoung, born 1982' and for impersonal characters/writing style obviously Sally Rooney.

This book was a little dry and the pacing was a bit meandering at times, but the characters were layered and complex and beautiful. I really enjoyed the commentary on relationships and culture, and especially loved Shoko's Smile, A Song From Afar, and Hanji and Youngju.