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A review by nd2712
Marilyn and Me by Ji-min Lee
4.0
Set against the very raw aftermath of the Korean War, this little gem of a novel examines how post-war Korea welcomed Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe through the eyes of the PTSD-addled translator who guided her through the country. Though the translator is fictional, the realities of the war she suffered through are harrowing, intimate and horrifying, with Lee's brilliant prose expertly soaking up the atmosphere of being trapped in a war zone.
For being so small- this book just about hits 160 pages- there is so much detail packed into every page. The horrors of war are embedded on every single pore of the main character, Alice. Lee captures with great skill the disillusion of post-war Korea, of the struggle between capitalism and communism that played out on their shores, of the refugee crisis and the struggle to return to normality once the conflict has played out. The author describes in her note as 'the forgotten war', and this book is a brilliant way to learn about the conflict, particularly if you are in the West.
This novel not only offers a brief glimpse into the life of the troubled movie star, but her very appearance in this book mirrors the absurdity of the post-war Korean state and is a brilliant subject for this story. Though she doesn't feature often, she is important: she represents all that one could become, even when the image up close is not as beautiful as it could be. An astonishing, accomplished debut about unlikely friendship and the aftermath of war on the women.
For being so small- this book just about hits 160 pages- there is so much detail packed into every page. The horrors of war are embedded on every single pore of the main character, Alice. Lee captures with great skill the disillusion of post-war Korea, of the struggle between capitalism and communism that played out on their shores, of the refugee crisis and the struggle to return to normality once the conflict has played out. The author describes in her note as 'the forgotten war', and this book is a brilliant way to learn about the conflict, particularly if you are in the West.
This novel not only offers a brief glimpse into the life of the troubled movie star, but her very appearance in this book mirrors the absurdity of the post-war Korean state and is a brilliant subject for this story. Though she doesn't feature often, she is important: she represents all that one could become, even when the image up close is not as beautiful as it could be. An astonishing, accomplished debut about unlikely friendship and the aftermath of war on the women.