bernsgall's review
4.0
“사는 게 죽는 것보다 더 고통스러울 텐데, 그래도 살고 싶어?” 이 말이 제가 제일 좋아하는 책 대목 입니다.
이 책을 읽고 보니 한국어로 된 책이 영어로 된 책보다 더 잘 쓰여져 있는 것 같습니다. 그 한국어로된 책을 읽고 더 많은 감동을 받았습니다. 이런 세심한 감정적인 표현들을 다른 언어로 번역하는 건 당연히 어렵습니다.
책을 다 읽고 나니까 이야기가 생각보다 더욱 슬펐습니다. 주인공들에게 많은 고난과 역경이 있었고 이야기 내내 행복했던 적은 거의 찾아 볼 수 없었습니다.
솔직히 2편은 읽지 않으려고 합니다. 이제 기분 좋아지게 만드는 책을 읽고 싶습니다.
이 책을 읽고 보니 한국어로 된 책이 영어로 된 책보다 더 잘 쓰여져 있는 것 같습니다. 그 한국어로된 책을 읽고 더 많은 감동을 받았습니다. 이런 세심한 감정적인 표현들을 다른 언어로 번역하는 건 당연히 어렵습니다.
책을 다 읽고 나니까 이야기가 생각보다 더욱 슬펐습니다. 주인공들에게 많은 고난과 역경이 있었고 이야기 내내 행복했던 적은 거의 찾아 볼 수 없었습니다.
솔직히 2편은 읽지 않으려고 합니다. 이제 기분 좋아지게 만드는 책을 읽고 싶습니다.
yassy02's review
5.0
It is no surprise to ARMY that this book is not so happy or joyful, but it is certainly true to the HYYH era
petra_bpm's review
5.0
”The classroom door closed behind us. I suddenly realised—those days were gone, and they would never return.”
…
“As I ran into those flames, the only words I could manage to spit out were, “We promised to go to the beach together.”
…
“I knew there was no one in the world who didn’t have wounds. But why did anyone need such deep ones? Why were they necessary? Why did things like this happen?”
…
“As the mirror broke, the curtain opened and I felt like I was pushed into the cold wind.
And when I opened my eyes, it was April 11th.”
…
AND WHAT IF I CRIED?!
…
“As I ran into those flames, the only words I could manage to spit out were, “We promised to go to the beach together.”
…
“I knew there was no one in the world who didn’t have wounds. But why did anyone need such deep ones? Why were they necessary? Why did things like this happen?”
…
“As the mirror broke, the curtain opened and I felt like I was pushed into the cold wind.
And when I opened my eyes, it was April 11th.”
…
AND WHAT IF I CRIED?!
redmoondiary's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.5
I wanted to read this book for a long time now. Most of what is written in this book is also in BTS's MVs so there isn't that much new information that we like haven't seen, it just talks more about how the boys are feeling. I understand that the intended audience for this book is armys who already are familiar with the BU, but if an average reader would read this i doubt they would understand what is going on, which shows that it isn't really a good book alone as you need other resources to understand the story. I think like overall BigHit took over too big of a job with this universe and they themselves don't know where its going and so i think for readers and armys as well its very hard to understand what is overall happening in the story and how it will end if it will ever end. Also towards the end, it was very hard to get into the book and for the last 2 chapters i just kinda speed read because i wasn't really interested in the story anymore, that being said i will still read the 2nd part and see what happens there.
sometimesdazai's review
5.0
花樣年華 (huāyàng niánhuá) or 화양연화 (hwayangyeonhwa) are series based on BTS fictional universe. The characters are named of the seven members of BTS with Kim Seokjin as the main protagonist of the story who experiences an endless time-loop.
“Destiny. I didn’t want destiny to exist. I didn’t want anything to have been decided. I wanted everything to be possible or to be decided by one’s choice.” (Namjoon)
As the stories revolve around time travel, it is quite confusing and mind-bending; because every time Seokjin jumps back to the past and changes something, an alternate scenario is created. I personally also think that this book should have a trigger warning, as the plots include quite a lot of violence, suicide, self-harm, child and drug abuse, trauma and personality disorders, and so forth.
“I want to believe in him. Because believing something which is hard to believe is really believing.” (Taehyung)
A heartwarming, magical realism, with dark, investigative, and mystery around the characters. Unfortunately, it is still unfinished and I don’t know when the next installment will be released. This book is an official release from BigHit Entertainment (BTS agency), so the price is quite costly and sadly they don’t produce it anymore. There are only 200 thousand copies or so, makes it impossible for me to buy a new one. So I bought it secondhand from a very kind Taiwanese ARMY (BTS fan) who also gave me several packs of face mask and lots of skincare product samples as she owns a beauty shop. The book itself is in perfectly good condition and one of them was even still sealed since she bought only to collect them
“Destiny. I didn’t want destiny to exist. I didn’t want anything to have been decided. I wanted everything to be possible or to be decided by one’s choice.” (Namjoon)
As the stories revolve around time travel, it is quite confusing and mind-bending; because every time Seokjin jumps back to the past and changes something, an alternate scenario is created. I personally also think that this book should have a trigger warning, as the plots include quite a lot of violence, suicide, self-harm, child and drug abuse, trauma and personality disorders, and so forth.
“I want to believe in him. Because believing something which is hard to believe is really believing.” (Taehyung)
A heartwarming, magical realism, with dark, investigative, and mystery around the characters. Unfortunately, it is still unfinished and I don’t know when the next installment will be released. This book is an official release from BigHit Entertainment (BTS agency), so the price is quite costly and sadly they don’t produce it anymore. There are only 200 thousand copies or so, makes it impossible for me to buy a new one. So I bought it secondhand from a very kind Taiwanese ARMY (BTS fan) who also gave me several packs of face mask and lots of skincare product samples as she owns a beauty shop. The book itself is in perfectly good condition and one of them was even still sealed since she bought only to collect them
ghendrian's review
4.0
The Notes is the much anticipated (by BTS fans) book form of the story that the band has been telling for the past 4ish years through their music videos and other content. This book is a compilation of "notes" that came with each physical copy of the last three BTS albums, along with some extended and new content. For those of us who have been theorizing over this story for the last few years, or for those who like stories filled with angst, coming-of-age, and , then this book will be right up your ally.
The story is presented in the form of what are basically diary entries, written by the seven young men that the story revolves around. Seokjin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook each tell snatches of their stories, all of which involve heavy subjects like suicide, loneliness, poverty, abandonment, childhood trauma, and murder. The seven meet in high school during detention and grow extremely close until eventually, their own personal demons drive them apart. At the center of everything is Seokjin, the eldest of the group, who has a mysterious past and an even more enigmatic relationship with his father. As the story progressively gets worse for each character, Seokjin's behavior becomes more mysterious, with his notes hinting Concluding with an open ending (please, we want a second book) and a wonderfully jarring little epilogue, this book is a quick study in self-reflection and friendship.
Putting aside my bias as part of the BTS ARMY, after reading the book I think they did quite a good job. I did knock one star off of my review, mostly for a few pacing moments in the book that were a bit clunky (though I think this is due mostly to the translation). If I could, I would give this 4.75 stars. I loved the book, both as a fan of the band and a reader. I do think that the plot could be slightly murky for those who have never delved into BTS's vast library of content (not to say that those of us who have aren't confused), but I would still recommend it. Overall, I think this book is a great start, and I am absolutely in love with the expansion of BTS content into the book world. To those who want more similar content, BigHit (BTS's label) also recently released a webtoon, "[b:Save Me - BTS Webtoon|43596716|Save Me - BTS Webtoon|BigHit Entertainment|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1547693107s/43596716.jpg|67830650]," that deals with the same characters and most of the same story (it is clearer in some respects, but this book does a deeper dive inside the minds of the characters).
For anyone who might be interested, here is the link to "I Need U," which is one of the MV's that deals directly with some of the events in this book: https://youtu.be/jjskoRh8GTE
Spoiler
time travelThe story is presented in the form of what are basically diary entries, written by the seven young men that the story revolves around. Seokjin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook each tell snatches of their stories, all of which involve heavy subjects like suicide, loneliness, poverty, abandonment, childhood trauma, and murder. The seven meet in high school during detention and grow extremely close until eventually, their own personal demons drive them apart. At the center of everything is Seokjin, the eldest of the group, who has a mysterious past and an even more enigmatic relationship with his father. As the story progressively gets worse for each character, Seokjin's behavior becomes more mysterious, with his notes hinting
Spoiler
at his ability to time travel. Apparently, Seokjin is continually going back in time and attempting to fix his friends' lives. Each time something goes wrong, time resets, and he returns to a certain date before everything falls apart.Putting aside my bias as part of the BTS ARMY, after reading the book I think they did quite a good job. I did knock one star off of my review, mostly for a few pacing moments in the book that were a bit clunky (though I think this is due mostly to the translation). If I could, I would give this 4.75 stars. I loved the book, both as a fan of the band and a reader. I do think that the plot could be slightly murky for those who have never delved into BTS's vast library of content (not to say that those of us who have aren't confused), but I would still recommend it. Overall, I think this book is a great start, and I am absolutely in love with the expansion of BTS content into the book world. To those who want more similar content, BigHit (BTS's label) also recently released a webtoon, "[b:Save Me - BTS Webtoon|43596716|Save Me - BTS Webtoon|BigHit Entertainment|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1547693107s/43596716.jpg|67830650]," that deals with the same characters and most of the same story (it is clearer in some respects, but this book does a deeper dive inside the minds of the characters).
For anyone who might be interested, here is the link to "I Need U," which is one of the MV's that deals directly with some of the events in this book: https://youtu.be/jjskoRh8GTE
shirasuki's review
5.0
Butuh waktu lama sampai akhirnya aku bisa punya dan baca buku ini.. ngikutin hyyh sejak 2017, now akhirnya banyak hal baru yang make sense buatku.. the story is tragic but also beautiful, I really love their friendship and now can't wait to read the second book because I'm curious about the next ride.. but I need time to recover first :')
vmontori's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
yooni's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I must survive."
I loved how important and sensitive topics like depression, suicide, addiction, alcoholism, loneliness, self-destruction, family trauma, childhood trauma and so many other were addressed Simply, depth and accuracy. A story about 7 young men who are desperately trying to survive. and how their paths intersected together to be a refuge and a reason for the success of some and a hope and role model for the other.
I enjoyed it quite a lot and i might have cried while reading! I loved them allso much. It's a perfect epitome of the phrase 花樣年華 or 'the most beautiful moment in life'.
I enjoyed it quite a lot and i might have cried while reading! I loved them allso much. It's a perfect epitome of the phrase 花樣年華 or 'the most beautiful moment in life'.