Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Whale by Jae Won Chung, Cheon Myeong-kwan

9 reviews

abakedbean's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

Odd and off putting at times, but grows into something compelling. If you'd told me a couple chapters in that I'd cry at the end I'd have scoffed and yet...

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual violence

notthatcosta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I have a lot of strong feelings which I'm struggling to articulate right now...

Honestly for the first half I thought I was going to love this book but it really fell off towards the end. Even though the pacing and the distribution of the narratives was uneven, there was a sense of momentum and build towards purposeful twists and turns. However, the last act sadly descended into pure mystery porn. If I wanted to read A Little Life I would simply read A Little Life.

Compared to Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 (the only other Korean novel I've read to date), this was so much more vulgar, brutal and unabashed in a way that took me off guard but also kept me engaged. It had a lot to say and wasn't afraid to take big swings.

The parts focused on Geumbok (pre-transition, I stress) were excellent and I wish the rest was cropped out, because everything after the fire was frustrating and felt ultimately pointless compared to what came before it. Everything from prison onwards was a long, arduous and torturous indulgence into Chunhui's suffering with a payoff that felt as unearned as her suffering. It just didn't feel very purposeful like the story of her mother did...I just want to understand what the intention there was??? 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Abandonment, Bullying, Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexism, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Body horror, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Incest, Toxic relationship, War, and Mental illness

nerwenie's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

The more I read the more I lowered the rating which is a shame as it is well written. It feels like the author put anything that crossed his mind when he was writing. This book is full of sexism, rape, lots of description of women’s bodies, saying that when you get close to your 30s your youth and prime has passed and you are basically already old. 
I finished it completely but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all for a “bestseller and masterpiece in the Korean literature “.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Child death, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Infidelity, Death, and Abandonment

sawyertaylor's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury

cryskim's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Murder, Child abuse, Incest, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, and Abandonment

lorenag5's review against another edition

challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Child abuse, Colonisation, Mental illness, Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Torture, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

jayisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

First and foremost, I cannot emphasize enough that you should look at the content warnings for this book. Whale is a brutal and violent journey, and I can see why it has the reading community so divided in opinion. I was very skeptical when I was making my way through Part I. However, once I reached Part II, things really started to click and I realized what Cheon was trying to do.

Whale will make a lot more sense if you’re familiar with modern (South) Korean history. It will be a startlingly thought-provoking read as Cheon explores this history with incredible depth through his themes and characters as allegories of the brutality and violence that South Koreans have faced throughout the twentieth century. I can see why Cheon deliberately chose women as his protagonists, though I fully recognize the discomforts that come with a male writer putting female characters in horrific situations. It’s complicated, to say the least, and I’m still trying to process how I feel about all of this.

This probably isn’t the most insightful reflection, but it’s mostly because I need to sit with this book a bit longer. I will say, though, that this is the first time that I felt Cheon did wonders in addressing han throughout Whale. (I realize han is a disputed concept, with South Koreans not really thinking much of it while the Korean diaspora have made it a large part of their identity. I think it’s something well worth considering in Whale, though, when you historically contextualize it.)

I think this is one of those books that will have polarizing opinions. You’ll either find it repulsive, but others will find it brilliant. I happen to fall in the latter category, but it definitely comes with complicated feelings about the delivery.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Body shaming, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Police brutality, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Torture, War, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Self harm

ptibouh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Body horror, and Sexual assault

ddnreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book revolved around a family and their detailed lifestyle, adventures, and misfortunes. At first, we met the girl Chunhui, known as the queen of red brick. However, this book will take us back to people who live long before Chunhui, and the history of Chunhui mother herself, geumbok.

This book remind me a lot with Beauty is Wound by Eka Kurniawan. 

For me, the storytelling and pace is not my favourite. I'm just not patient enough and I found myself struggled to finish this book. It stretches going back and forth from the past to present.

Character wise, I have this love hate relationship with geumbok. For a woman in that time to be able to do what she did is an applause. However, there were questionable decisions of her that made me go 🤧.
The accountability for the characters' action is concerning. It threw so effortlessly rape and SA. I found it uncomfortable and disturbing. It might be common for the setting based on the time and place the book is in, but it doesn't make it bearable to read. 

If you love speculative fiction, magical realism combined with historical trivias, this book is perfect for you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Torture