A review by vexedfox
The Cabinet by Un-su Kim
challenging
dark
sad
slow-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? Yes
2.25
This novel was all vibes, very little plot, and unfortunately, I hated the vibes.
Very little happens for the first 80% of the book. Instead, we explore the characters within and connected to the Cabinet. This had the potential to be touching and effective, and it sometimes was, but there was a disdain and emotional distance with which everyone, including the our main character, is treated that made it very difficult for me force myself to this book. I also really wrestled with the unrelenting anti-fatness woven throughout.
The last bit of the novel had a jarring tonal shift and unexpected level of violence that left it feeling really disconnected from the rest of the story. I do think the ending was deliberately unsatisfying, and I was indeed unsatisfied. Overall, a very frustrating book.
Very little happens for the first 80% of the book. Instead, we explore the characters within and connected to the Cabinet. This had the potential to be touching and effective, and it sometimes was, but there was a disdain and emotional distance with which everyone, including the our main character, is treated that made it very difficult for me force myself to this book. I also really wrestled with the unrelenting anti-fatness woven throughout.
The last bit of the novel had a jarring tonal shift and unexpected level of violence that left it feeling really disconnected from the rest of the story. I do think the ending was deliberately unsatisfying, and I was indeed unsatisfied. Overall, a very frustrating book.