A review by jayisreading
The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee 이미예

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

2.5

When I first heard about this novel, I was rather intrigued by the premise: a department store where you can purchase dreams? I figured there would be more to it than that, but I was taken to the idea and looked forward to picking it up. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed by the overall execution of the novel. There was very little plot (if at all), and Lee seemed more keen on crafting a novel that was more driven by “vibes” than anything. While I’m not one to entirely hate books that aren’t as clear about what direction they’re going, I do want to go somewhere… and that just doesn’t happen in this novel. In addition to the near-absent plot, the characters were incredibly flat and underdeveloped. I think the lack of character development was what really disappointed me, because if there isn’t going to be much of a plot, at least do something interesting with the characters, especially the protagonist (Penny). I didn’t even like or dislike Penny, because there just wasn’t much to her character for me to hold onto.

There were passing moments when something interesting came up, whether it be the type of dream that was discussed or a character actually had something worthwhile to say, but none of these ever panned out in a way that left an impression on me. Furthermore, I felt that there were instances when the author was a little too flippant about serious matters that could have been addressed with more time and grace.

Overall, I think this novel might appeal to some who are looking for something that fits the “feel good” vibe (and there have been a fair number of contemporary works by Japanese and Korean authors that encompass this). However, I feel that no amount of coziness that this novel exudes can hide the fact that there’s a lot left to be desired.
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