Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

i read this book as part of a book club and i think i couldn’t have chosen a better time in my life to do that. the central theme of burnout and trying to find healing within a capitalist system felt very relevant and relatable to me. the writing was easy to digest too!

quote from the author’s note:

In other words, I wanted to write what I want to read. Stories of people who find their own pace and direction, of people who believe in others and wait by their side as they go through difficult times, lost in worry. Stories of those who support others, who celebrate small efforts and resolve in a society that puts people—and everything about them—down once they take a fall. Stories that bring comfort, providing a pat on the shoulder for those who've lost the joy in life, having pushed themselves too hard to do well.

side note: i’m just nitpicking here but a lot of korean terms were used as is without being translated. readers who don’t speak korean will have to search the meanings up themselves and that can be time-consuming. it would’ve been nice if this had been taken into consideration for the translation.

prescindible. m’hi he quedat per saber com l’autora resolia el tema aquest de deixar la teva feina d’oficina que és la teva vida fins que tens un burnout i decideixes deixar-ho i obrir una llibreria perquè llegir era el teu hobby d’adolescent i acabes convertint la teva vida en la teva feina de nou perquè oh sorpresa t’has fet empresària i ara treballar 24/7 sembla que sí que està bé i portes una vida feliç i en ordre amb els nous amics que has fet a la teva nova feina (però que és el barista que has contractat, veïns del barri i un autor que fa un curs d’escriptura a la llibreria). en resum: convertir el teu hobby en la teva feina si eres addicte a treballar no canviarà que segueixis dedicant la teva vida a la feina i no està clar que hagis d’estar més feliç per treballar del que t’agrada…

This is not my usual type of read - in fact, I almost put it down early on, but then I identified so hard with the first Minjun chapter that I stuck with it.

It's very much like a version of Bookshops & Bonedust without the fantasy trappings and the larger plot - characters with a variety of personal issues come together around a bookshop.

It's well written (and well translated! which is not a given!) - what I'm really missing is something actually happening. The characters each go through their different journeys of personal discovery and/or growth, but nothing is materially different at the end of the book. 🤷