Review: Lincoln in the Bardo

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.9 stars
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I have considered DNF-ing this book numerous times halfway throughout. I'm so glad I didn't. The format takes a lot of time to get used to and the different tones adapted by the different characters constantly threw me off-balance. When I was just in the process of getting used to a character's specific way of speaking, a different tone and language will be adapted by the next character. During the first half, it was really difficult to follow. I can truly understand why a lot of readers didn't bother finishing this book. But I pushed through, because however difficult the format was, the story was so beautiful, and the characters were all so interesting.

The entire story revolved around the night of Willie Lincoln's internment, during which President Lincoln visited his son after the funeral. A war had just started, both in the world, and inside Abe Lincoln's heart. The turmoil and grief within President Lincoln was depicted holistically in the book; it was impossible to not get pulled in. Willie's arrival in the bardo became a source of excitement for the other "citizens" of the graveyard. During this night, characters from the graveyard got to tell their stories, and each story was as unique and heartbreaking as the next. I was rooting for Willie, but I was rooting more for Bevins, Vollman, and the Reverend. It was Willie's story, but it's as much as Bevin's and Vollman's stories too. While it revolves around historically facts of Willie's death, the entire book was wholly imaginative and unique, my mind refused to put it down.

I would have enjoyed this story much more if the format followed a more conventional type. But even with how it is written now, it was still beautiful and unforgettable.

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Review: Pachinko

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.8 stars
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To be honest, I dived into this book with the wrong mindset. During the first book, I was waiting for a noble and heroic twist to the story--something loud, grand, and thundering. Gradually, I realized this isn't always played out as such in real life. It’s usually a steady progress and manifolds from generation to generation. It's probably the reason why I didn't shed any tear on any tragedy the characters went through. That doesn't mean I didn't feel their pain, but it was subtler than resounding.

This book was not an easy read. A family saga told through four generations and gave me a glimpse of the relationship of Korea and Japan. Much like the author herself, before this book, I was not aware of the Japan Annexation of Korea. This book gave an insightful and educational tale of the state of Korea during World War II and the plights of Koreans in the hands of foreigners.

Review: Human Acts

Human Acts by Han Kang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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If I could rate this higher, I would.

It is set during different eras, and centers around the story of Dong-ho, a boy killed during the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 when Martial Law is still in effect in South Korea. This is rawness that goes straight to your core. Told through six point-of-views, the narrative echoes with pain, trauma, and guilt, effectively silencing my usual skittish thoughts. Dong-ho's soul and presence resonates all throughout the narrative. It is unsettling and riveting at the same time. Each chapter gives you different views of human suffering. Is cruelty and suffering all that makes one human? It bathes you with realization after realization of the weakness and tenacity of a human soul.