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lorenag5's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
jayisreading's review against another edition
4.75
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.
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Self harm
thomasdj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and War