Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - Crying in H Mart

Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

528 reviews

zreadz's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This is a beautiful story. As an only child, I found myself relating deeply to Michelle Zauner, even though my relationship with my parents differs from hers. I went into this book blind, and I’m glad I did—knowing its content beforehand might have made it too painful to read, as I imagined myself in her shoes throughout. The memoir’s first-person perspective immerses you in one of life’s scariest and most certain realities: the death of those we love and the inevitability of having to move on afterward. When we witness this in others, we often distance ourselves to stay sane, avoiding the overwhelming grief of another. This book doesn’t allow for that distance, offering profound insight into the process of grieving someone who raised you, shaped you, and is a part of you. I also appreciated the exploration of Korean culture and being taken on a journey through grief, food, and, above all, everlasting love.

I recommend this book to both those who have lost loved ones and those who haven’t yet. I’d even recommend it to those who have witnessed or struggled to understand someone else’s grief, grappling with what it truly means and how it sits within you. It’s a tough and tragic read, but reducing it to just those two words would be an injustice. I loved reading about identity, coming of age, and the matriarchal dynamics that influence mother-daughter relationships. Like Zauner, I’m not religious, but like Nami, I’d like to believe our loved ones are happy somewhere, and that our ancestors help us navigate the enormous emotions of grief, love, sadness, anger, and joy that life brings. Our memories, our tastes our worldviews are gifts imparted on us by the ones we love.

Thank you Chongmi, Halmeoni, and Eunmi.

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emmalwooten's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

heartbreakingly beautiful

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imscrem's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

It’s difficult for me to understand how to feel about this book. It’s very sad, and it’s very good. I have yet to experience loss in the way that the author did, but I can only hope that writing this book helped her cope with it.

Some of what the author said about being half Korean/half American resonated with me, although I’m half American half Czech. I often feel lost in my heritage language and culture as well, dismayed when people switch to English to explain things to me, and often expecting others to tell me that I am “enough” to fit in.

It was also nice to recognize the names of Korean foods I’ve learned to cook, and understand a lot of the Korean phrases used throughout the book.

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ckingcolorado's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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claireeshelby's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Such an emotional, beautiful depiction of life, death, and family. Zauner’s poetic writing style hums on the page, and her colorful food descriptions made me excited to explore Korean cuisine. Cultural ties, connection through food, grief, becoming your caretaker’s caretaker, all impactful themes. I especially loved her description of pulling together threads of her mother through the parts of herself she’d shared with loved ones—and pulling together her image of herself without her mother’s knowledge to underpin it.

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jess_polishedcomma's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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komiification's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

I need to stop listening to the most gut-wrenching audiobooks of daughters talking about their relationships with their mothers when I’m at work because I am literally on the edge of tears all the time.

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