Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

64 reviews

nenya's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was not quite what I had expected - i read it because of a recommendation and was told it would be all about these two best friends living their chaotic, broke and impulsive college live. Abd while that did happen and very much lived up to expectation, it only filled up the first couple chapters. After that, the best friend was rarely, if ever, mentioned. I don’t think it would‘ve bothered me as much if I didn‘t have such a set expectation for this book. However, I loved the best friend as a character and would‘ve lived to read more about her or even from her perspective. 
Nevertheless, this was a really great book and despite not having the most gripping plot, the writing style really carried it through for me. It also felt like a true retelling of someone‘s life instead of a novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol

gauriraut's review

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

angelo_vossen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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

"Love in the Big City" by Sang Young Park is a novel that deftly explores the complexities of modern life, love, and identity in Seoul. The book offers a vivid and poignant portrayal of queer experiences in contemporary South Korea, delivered with a blend of humor, melancholy, and candid introspection.

The narrative is structured in a series of loosely connected episodes, each exploring different facets of the protagonist, Young's life. These vignettes offer glimpses into his relationships, both platonic and romantic, his struggles with familial expectations, and his navigation through the urban landscape of Seoul. The non-linear storytelling adds depth and dimension to the narrative, highlighting the fluidity of life and the interconnectedness of experiences.

Young is a multifaceted character, whose unapologetic honesty and vulnerability make him relatable and compelling. His relationships with others, particularly his best friend Jaehee, his mother, and various lovers, are depicted with nuance and authenticity. These interactions reveal the complexities of love, from deep camaraderie to the pain of unrequited affection, and the tension between societal norms and personal desires.

At its core, the novel explores the search for love and belonging in a rapidly changing, often alienating urban environment. It delves into the challenges of being queer in a conservative society, the pressures of familial expectations, and the fleeting nature of youth. The book also addresses themes of loneliness, identity, and the pursuit of happiness, often with a sharp wit and a touch of melancholy.

Sang Young Park's writing is both poetic and raw, capturing the vibrant yet harsh realities of city life. The prose is laced with humor, even in moments of sadness, offering a refreshing take on serious topics. The author’s keen observations on the absurdities of life and the quirks of human nature lend the narrative a unique voice that is both critical and empathetic.

"Love in the Big City" is a beautifully crafted novel that offers a heartfelt and insightful exploration of love and identity in a modern metropolis. Sang Young Park's honest and engaging storytelling, combined with the novel's richly drawn characters and themes, make it a standout work in contemporary literature. It's a book that resonates with anyone who has ever felt lost in the chaos of city life or grappled with the complexities of love and self-discovery.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, and Outing

heir_of_regulus's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.75

For me personally this book was difficult to force myself through. I couldn't get myself to like the main character at all, which is a first for me, I've never had that problem before. Also all of the relationships are super toxic. None of them seem to have a purpose. The character didn't really seem to grow, just making horizontally bad decisions. Also there wasn't really an ending? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Cancer and Xenophobia

amberinpieces's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

ajb24's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Definitely an intriguing cast of characters, but the non-linear storytelling sometimes confused me. I wonder how much of that is affected by being a translation. Perhaps in the original Korean, it's more clear what "time" a certain passage is in.
Either way, it made for an interesting story, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Homophobia

Moderate: Cancer and Abortion

theliteraryteapot's review

reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No

3.5

For some reason I thought this book was auto-fiction until I read the author's interview.
The novel is divided into four stories. I didn't like the first one, didn't care about the characters nor the whole constantly drinking, partying and having sex cycle. But the three other stories were interesting and finally dived deeper into characters emotions and thoughts. I liked how the story was told as well (the 2nd pers. was used at times). And, as said in the author's interview and the translator's note, this is about the queer experience, and it's South Korean queer representation which is important. I'm glad I read the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Suicide and Murder

matoju's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, and Sexual content

kaneebli's review

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, and Abortion

Minor: Fatphobia and Forced institutionalization

raaj's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

I love how the author splices in different timelines to give context to the present in a way that also doesn’t break the stride of the narrative. Reading this, especially the end, gave me the same experience as watching Past Lives where I was lulled into the journey of the narrator and all of a sudden the book ended on a heart splitting note. Having read the author and translators notes at the end, I understand that this connects with so many people belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and even though I’m not in that community I could identify parts of my own relationship in the book which shows how well the author can communicate the universality of humanity. Beautiful read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Cancer

The use of metaphor to not only describe really abstract experiences but also add levity to heavy topics showed a great mastery of tone and added characterisation to the narrator as it could be seen as a defence mechanism.