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jbrugge's review against another edition
4.0
A moving, alarming story of life in North Korea and the China borderland around 2000. Much more powerful than reading news stories, it pulls you in to the landscape.
katiepope86's review against another edition
3.0
A sad, subtle, time-piece story set in China.
Talarigo writes in segments - often less than three pages at a time - and leaves nearly all of the characters nameless. While I didn't connect deeply to them, I found their stories gentle and touching.
...a quick read.
Talarigo writes in segments - often less than three pages at a time - and leaves nearly all of the characters nameless. While I didn't connect deeply to them, I found their stories gentle and touching.
...a quick read.
mecross75's review against another edition
4.0
A sparse, unflinching, beautiful, brutal glimpse into the life of a man and his memories. Harrowing and simple, it is evident that Talarigo was greatly influenced by his years in Asia, they seem to haunt him. His book will stay with me whenever I am in the woods.
mikolee's review against another edition
1.0
This was interesting tale about a man on the border of China and Korea. His attempt to live a simple farm life of collecting ancient ginseng becomes mired as more and more North Koreans cross the border and become entangled in his life. The main character was well drawn, but the females that he came into contact with were not so clearly delineated. It was definitely a downer and not with the strong educational component that would have made it worth it for me.
allisonb64133's review against another edition
Haunting story left me feeling every bit of my pampered sheltered pampered American life.
sophiamophia's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
akenny614's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in just a few days. Beautifully written, the story was engrossing, but very sad.
maddy_05's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
4.0
What I Liked
The overall meaning of this book I think can be easily lost, because it's easy to forget that the story isn't about the prostitute. It's about the Ginseng Hunter... and he is important because we are all the Ginseng Hunter. We may not always live right on the border of horrific atrocities, but we know that preventable tragedy - trafficking, hunger, poverty - is happening around us and we are complacent or afraid, just like the Ginseng Hunter. He is nameless because he is us.
The simplicity of the novel is what makes it impactful. I read The Ginseng Hunter within an hour or less. The storyline was brief and incredibly compelling.
What I Didn't Like
At times the prostitute telling her story was exploitative or somehow plastic. She laid out her story in a very bare, vulnerable way to a man that was using her for her body... and she told her story like a novelist.
The overall meaning of this book I think can be easily lost, because it's easy to forget that the story isn't about the prostitute. It's about the Ginseng Hunter... and he is important because we are all the Ginseng Hunter. We may not always live right on the border of horrific atrocities, but we know that preventable tragedy - trafficking, hunger, poverty - is happening around us and we are complacent or afraid, just like the Ginseng Hunter. He is nameless because he is us.
The simplicity of the novel is what makes it impactful. I read The Ginseng Hunter within an hour or less. The storyline was brief and incredibly compelling.
What I Didn't Like
At times the prostitute telling her story was exploitative or somehow plastic. She laid out her story in a very bare, vulnerable way to a man that was using her for her body... and she told her story like a novelist.