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I Went to See My Father
An instant bestseller in Korea and the follow up to the international bestseller, Please Look After Mom; centering on a woman's efforts to reconnect with her aging father, uncovering long-held family secrets.
Two years after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, Hon finally returns to her home in the countryside to take care of her father. At first, her father only appears withdrawn and fragile, an aging man, awkward but kind around his own daughter. Then, after stumbling upon a chest of letters, Hon discovers the truth of her father's past and reconstructs her own family history.
Consumed with her own grief, Hon had been blind to her father's vulnerability and her family's fragility. Unraveling secret after secret and thanks to conversations with loving family and friends, Hon grows closer to her father, who proves to be more complex than she ever gave him credit for. After living through one of the most tumultuous times in Korean history, her father's life was once vibrant and ambitious, but spiraled during the postwar years. Now, after years of emotional isolation, Hon learns the whole truth, from her father's affair and involvement in a cult, to the dynamic lives of her own siblings, to her family's financial hardships.
What Hon uncovers about her father builds towards her understanding of the great scope of his sacrifice and heroism, and of her country as a whole. More than just the portrait of a single man, I Went to See My Father opens a window onto humankind, family, loss, and war. With this long-awaited follow-up to Please Look After Mom--flawlessly rendered by award-winning translator Anton Hur--Kyung-Sook Shin has crafted an ambitious, global, epic, and lasting novel.
Two years after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, Hon finally returns to her home in the countryside to take care of her father. At first, her father only appears withdrawn and fragile, an aging man, awkward but kind around his own daughter. Then, after stumbling upon a chest of letters, Hon discovers the truth of her father's past and reconstructs her own family history.
Consumed with her own grief, Hon had been blind to her father's vulnerability and her family's fragility. Unraveling secret after secret and thanks to conversations with loving family and friends, Hon grows closer to her father, who proves to be more complex than she ever gave him credit for. After living through one of the most tumultuous times in Korean history, her father's life was once vibrant and ambitious, but spiraled during the postwar years. Now, after years of emotional isolation, Hon learns the whole truth, from her father's affair and involvement in a cult, to the dynamic lives of her own siblings, to her family's financial hardships.
What Hon uncovers about her father builds towards her understanding of the great scope of his sacrifice and heroism, and of her country as a whole. More than just the portrait of a single man, I Went to See My Father opens a window onto humankind, family, loss, and war. With this long-awaited follow-up to Please Look After Mom--flawlessly rendered by award-winning translator Anton Hur--Kyung-Sook Shin has crafted an ambitious, global, epic, and lasting novel.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2021
315 people are currently reading
8451 people want to read
About the author
Kyung-Sook Shin
29 books1,562 followersAssociated Names:
* Shin Kyung-sook
* 신경숙
* 申京淑
Kyung-Sook Shin is a South Korean writer. She is the first South Korean and first woman to win the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012 for 'Please Look After Mom'.
* Shin Kyung-sook
* 신경숙
* 申京淑
Kyung-Sook Shin is a South Korean writer. She is the first South Korean and first woman to win the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012 for 'Please Look After Mom'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
April 25, 2023
Seemed too long. The writing is okay. Reads like a memoir. It’s the pacing and the characters that seem to be a bit offbeat now and then. I like these kind of books but this one just couldn’t hold my attention and I stopped caring just fifty percent into it.
May 4, 2023
I Went to see my father
Audiobook….read by Megan Affonso
….12 hours and 59 minutes
Honnie returns home to see her father in Seoul in South Korea two years after her daughter died. She’s not even close to feeling whole — she is still very low -depressed- living with grief.
Maybe being back home -visiting Father - helping him will help?/!
The entire tone of the book is sad — (I can do sad) — but blasé? (not as much)
The flow of this novel isn’t seamless….(disrupting itself transitioning between the past and the present.)
I kept thinking my mistake was choosing the audiobook…
Reading it might have been better the better choice
Either way — it’s rather slow in a mundane way.
But, i’d like to ‘read’ another book by Kyung-Sook Shin.
Audiobook….read by Megan Affonso
….12 hours and 59 minutes
Honnie returns home to see her father in Seoul in South Korea two years after her daughter died. She’s not even close to feeling whole — she is still very low -depressed- living with grief.
Maybe being back home -visiting Father - helping him will help?/!
The entire tone of the book is sad — (I can do sad) — but blasé? (not as much)
The flow of this novel isn’t seamless….(disrupting itself transitioning between the past and the present.)
I kept thinking my mistake was choosing the audiobook…
Reading it might have been better the better choice
Either way — it’s rather slow in a mundane way.
But, i’d like to ‘read’ another book by Kyung-Sook Shin.
January 22, 2024
aici despre: https://ramona.boldizsar.ro/vorbeste-...
Nu știam că Kyung-sook Shin a scris o carte despre bunicul meu, am aflat citind “Vorbește-mi despre tata”. Nu mai știu exact cu ce așteptări am plecat la drum pentru că sunt prea sceptică în general, deși era o carte pe care îmi doream mult s-o citesc. Dar m-a emoționat teribil și m-a bucurat și înspăimântat cât de veritabil a vorbit despre “tată”, un tată născut prin 1930 în Coreea de Sud care seamănă foarte bine cu un tată/bunic născut cam în același timp în România. I-a ieșit grozav ceea ce și-a propus, această idee de “tată anonim”, de fapt universal, care e parțial nevăzut și neînțeles, dar pe care îl descoperim treptat prin ochii copiilor săi care se apropie ei înșiși de vârsta pensionării. Am scris mai multe despre cartea asta pe blog. Mi-a mers la suflet, deci am plâns un pic pe alocuri. ❤️
Nu știam că Kyung-sook Shin a scris o carte despre bunicul meu, am aflat citind “Vorbește-mi despre tata”. Nu mai știu exact cu ce așteptări am plecat la drum pentru că sunt prea sceptică în general, deși era o carte pe care îmi doream mult s-o citesc. Dar m-a emoționat teribil și m-a bucurat și înspăimântat cât de veritabil a vorbit despre “tată”, un tată născut prin 1930 în Coreea de Sud care seamănă foarte bine cu un tată/bunic născut cam în același timp în România. I-a ieșit grozav ceea ce și-a propus, această idee de “tată anonim”, de fapt universal, care e parțial nevăzut și neînțeles, dar pe care îl descoperim treptat prin ochii copiilor săi care se apropie ei înșiși de vârsta pensionării. Am scris mai multe despre cartea asta pe blog. Mi-a mers la suflet, deci am plâns un pic pe alocuri. ❤️
October 21, 2023
My memories of Father exist in disparate and elusive fragments like the sound of the wind on some days, of the war on some days, of the flying bird on some days, of the snowfall on some days, and on some days, of the determination to keep living. And what of all the things suppressed within him, never expressed, disintegrating in silence, unspoken?
아버지는 어느날의 바람 소리, 어느날의 전쟁, 어느날의 날아가는 새, 어느날의 폭설, 어느날의 살아봐야겠다는 의지,로 겨우 메워져 덩어리진 익명의 존재. 아버지 내면에 억눌려 있는 표현되지 못하고 문드러져 있는 말해지지 않은 것들.
I Went To See My Father is Anton Hur's translation of 아버지에게 갔었어 by 신경숙 (Shin Kyung-sook).
The author's international (and domestic?) reputation perhaps rests on her 엄마를 부탁해 (Please Look After Mom in Chi Young Kim's translation) but that novel is perhaps rather more sentimental than many of her other works, and my least favourite of her novels I've read (5 including this). So that this is billed in English as a "follow up" to that work did give me some reservations before reading it.
The "follow up" certainly isn't that this is a direct sequel, but as the author explained:
『엄마를 부탁해』를 출간한 후 많은 분에게 아버지에 대한 작품은 쓸 생각이 없느냐는 질문을 받곤 했습니다. 그때마다 저는 참 단호하게도 쓸 생각이 없다고 대답했네요. 그래놓고는 십여년이 지나 이 작품을 썼으니 누군가, 엄마 이야기를 쓰더니 이젠 아버지 이야기야?
After the publication of "Please Look After Mom," I often received questions from many people asking if I had any plans to write a work about a father. Each time, I firmly replied that I had no intention to do so. Yet, here I am, after more than ten years, writing this piece, which focuses on a father's story instead of a mother's.
(translation by ChatGPT)
This for me though is a more literary work (and it must be said rather more fluidly translated), still sentimental but with that element dialled down in place of an overview of Korean history through the life of one man.
The novel is told from the perspective of a woman, the 4th child and eldest daughter in a family of six siblings. She lives in Seoul, working as a writer and for a publisher. The siblings' elderly parents (in their 80s) still live in the family home town of J-, on the border of North and South Cheolla and the different siblings take it in turn to visit them - or rather all do except the narrator, who hasn't been there for two years, still mourning the tragic death of her own daughter in an accident. But when her mother is taken to Seoul for urgent hospital treatment (a suspected stomach tumour) she decides to visit and take care of her father.
The novel reads more like a memoir than a novel, which is a mark of its success I think, as the narrator recalls and also learns various tales of her father's life. The novel was originally serialised, which in part account for the (successful) episodic and at times repetitive feel, and neatly the narrator herself talks about her time trying to edit a translation by multiple translators, making sure that the different parts were consistent in their style and use of names, which serves as a metaphor for the story of her father she pieces together from different accounts.
Aged 17 when the Korean war broke out, her father's life includes the 'mayhem', as he later called that time, the 4.19 혁명 protests that led to the overthrow of President Syngman Rhee and the First Republic, the short-lived Second Republic and the rather longer-lasting military dictatorship, the gradual move to democracy, as well as the economic opening up of the country including the import of US beef with negative consequences for cattle farmers.
But his own personal story (heroism and betrayal in the War, an affair, involvement with a cult religious movement) is as important:
This was also when I realised I had never, until that moment, regarded Father as an individual person in his own right. Being so used to baying regarded him as a farmer, part of a generation that lived through war, or someone who raises cows, I was vague on the details of Father as an individual and hadn't even tried to find out more.
나는 아버지를 한번도 개별적 인간으로 보지 않았다는 것도 그제야 깨달았다. 아버지를 농부로, 전쟁을 겪은 세대로, 소를 기르는 사람으로 뭉뚱그려서 생각하는 버릇이 들어서 아버지 개인에 대해서는 정확히 아는 게 없고 알려고 하지도 않았다는 것을.
An interesting read. 3.5 stars.
아버지는 어느날의 바람 소리, 어느날의 전쟁, 어느날의 날아가는 새, 어느날의 폭설, 어느날의 살아봐야겠다는 의지,로 겨우 메워져 덩어리진 익명의 존재. 아버지 내면에 억눌려 있는 표현되지 못하고 문드러져 있는 말해지지 않은 것들.
I Went To See My Father is Anton Hur's translation of 아버지에게 갔었어 by 신경숙 (Shin Kyung-sook).
The author's international (and domestic?) reputation perhaps rests on her 엄마를 부탁해 (Please Look After Mom in Chi Young Kim's translation) but that novel is perhaps rather more sentimental than many of her other works, and my least favourite of her novels I've read (5 including this). So that this is billed in English as a "follow up" to that work did give me some reservations before reading it.
The "follow up" certainly isn't that this is a direct sequel, but as the author explained:
『엄마를 부탁해』를 출간한 후 많은 분에게 아버지에 대한 작품은 쓸 생각이 없느냐는 질문을 받곤 했습니다. 그때마다 저는 참 단호하게도 쓸 생각이 없다고 대답했네요. 그래놓고는 십여년이 지나 이 작품을 썼으니 누군가, 엄마 이야기를 쓰더니 이젠 아버지 이야기야?
After the publication of "Please Look After Mom," I often received questions from many people asking if I had any plans to write a work about a father. Each time, I firmly replied that I had no intention to do so. Yet, here I am, after more than ten years, writing this piece, which focuses on a father's story instead of a mother's.
(translation by ChatGPT)
This for me though is a more literary work (and it must be said rather more fluidly translated), still sentimental but with that element dialled down in place of an overview of Korean history through the life of one man.
The novel is told from the perspective of a woman, the 4th child and eldest daughter in a family of six siblings. She lives in Seoul, working as a writer and for a publisher. The siblings' elderly parents (in their 80s) still live in the family home town of J-, on the border of North and South Cheolla and the different siblings take it in turn to visit them - or rather all do except the narrator, who hasn't been there for two years, still mourning the tragic death of her own daughter in an accident. But when her mother is taken to Seoul for urgent hospital treatment (a suspected stomach tumour) she decides to visit and take care of her father.
The novel reads more like a memoir than a novel, which is a mark of its success I think, as the narrator recalls and also learns various tales of her father's life. The novel was originally serialised, which in part account for the (successful) episodic and at times repetitive feel, and neatly the narrator herself talks about her time trying to edit a translation by multiple translators, making sure that the different parts were consistent in their style and use of names, which serves as a metaphor for the story of her father she pieces together from different accounts.
Aged 17 when the Korean war broke out, her father's life includes the 'mayhem', as he later called that time, the 4.19 혁명 protests that led to the overthrow of President Syngman Rhee and the First Republic, the short-lived Second Republic and the rather longer-lasting military dictatorship, the gradual move to democracy, as well as the economic opening up of the country including the import of US beef with negative consequences for cattle farmers.
But his own personal story (heroism and betrayal in the War, an affair, involvement with a cult religious movement) is as important:
This was also when I realised I had never, until that moment, regarded Father as an individual person in his own right. Being so used to baying regarded him as a farmer, part of a generation that lived through war, or someone who raises cows, I was vague on the details of Father as an individual and hadn't even tried to find out more.
나는 아버지를 한번도 개별적 인간으로 보지 않았다는 것도 그제야 깨달았다. 아버지를 농부로, 전쟁을 겪은 세대로, 소를 기르는 사람으로 뭉뚱그려서 생각하는 버릇이 들어서 아버지 개인에 대해서는 정확히 아는 게 없고 알려고 하지도 않았다는 것을.
An interesting read. 3.5 stars.
May 9, 2023
This was criminally boring. I made it to 40% in and then just skipped to the very last 5% of the book. I feel like I missed absolutely nothing. It's just a bunch of non-linear reflections on the protagonist's relationship with her father. I felt nothing for the characters and was not interested in the 'story' at all.
A far cry from Please Look After Mom .
I received a free ARC from Netgalley.
A far cry from Please Look After Mom .
I received a free ARC from Netgalley.
May 12, 2024
This was such a sentimental read for me. I teared up multiple times reading this as it struck an emotional chord in me. What a beautiful story. A story that explores the meaning of family, fatherhood, the struggles of living up to expectations, the harsh nature of wars and political strife and most importantly the loss and grief of a mother whom also a daughter herself.
Shin Kyungsook masterfully weaved a story that speaks volumes on a figure we called father in this narrative told from Hon's perspective, a writer herself as she went back to her hometown to take care of her elderly father. Hon's father strange erratic behaviours at nights as he flailed in sleep, his forgetfulness, the constant crying led to Hon's worrying on her father. The story was told in various timeline from the tales told by her father on his childhood as an orphan, the war he went through, from voice recordings of her second brother, her mother, a man named Park Mulyeong and through the correspondence letters between her eldest brother and her father.
It was a touching story filled with sacrifices and loves, as we felt the love of the father towards his children and I couldnt form a word to describe of how much this book enraptured me just wanting to know about the father. Its heartwrenching, sad and devastating at times. I couldnt know the responsibilites of a father wanting the best for his childrens despite being only a poor farmer yet he always there for his children through thick and thin. A man of little words yet his gestures of love come from giving his family gifts or just being there for them. The letters scenes for me were the highlight where we see the true emotions and words of a loving father for his son and I'm emotional just thinking about it. There are also highlights on the struggles of being eldest child bearing responsibility to take care of the siblings, the pressure put on them. Talking about the siblings roles and how they feel their dynamics in the family felt so relatable that it hurts to read. The second child to me stating how he had resentment towards his parents could be something most can relate
There is some scenes that tackled on grief and loss where Hon losing her daughter was unable to cope with reality as she struggled to think of life without her daughter. Its heartbreaking to read as she doesnt want to broach the subject with her family and her denial on the loss. There is also the grief on losing both parents at young age for Hon's father and how he survived the tough times with his older sister and younger brother bearing the burden as the eldest son to take hold as the master of the family. You realized that responsibilities that need to be shouldered on as a filial son and at young age, he doesnt even get to grieve normally due to the situation. There are historical mentions of wars, the strife between South korean and North Korean, there is also mentions on the student protests in universities that get sweeped under the rug in history but are being mentioned so as they dont forget
Sometimes our parents maybe dont realize of their favoritism towards their first child and that can affect us emotionally which can potentially scarred us until adulthood but reading this, I realize that our parents are just humans whom probably unintentionally do that as they welcomed their firstborns. Its a reality which can be hard to swallow but even in this situation, we realize they aged and getting older by days and they cared so much for us growing up to the point we cant hate them because they are our parents
I love this one a lot and reading this made me valued each moment i had and will have with my parents
Thank you Definitely books and pansing for the review copy
Shin Kyungsook masterfully weaved a story that speaks volumes on a figure we called father in this narrative told from Hon's perspective, a writer herself as she went back to her hometown to take care of her elderly father. Hon's father strange erratic behaviours at nights as he flailed in sleep, his forgetfulness, the constant crying led to Hon's worrying on her father. The story was told in various timeline from the tales told by her father on his childhood as an orphan, the war he went through, from voice recordings of her second brother, her mother, a man named Park Mulyeong and through the correspondence letters between her eldest brother and her father.
It was a touching story filled with sacrifices and loves, as we felt the love of the father towards his children and I couldnt form a word to describe of how much this book enraptured me just wanting to know about the father. Its heartwrenching, sad and devastating at times. I couldnt know the responsibilites of a father wanting the best for his childrens despite being only a poor farmer yet he always there for his children through thick and thin. A man of little words yet his gestures of love come from giving his family gifts or just being there for them. The letters scenes for me were the highlight where we see the true emotions and words of a loving father for his son and I'm emotional just thinking about it. There are also highlights on the struggles of being eldest child bearing responsibility to take care of the siblings, the pressure put on them. Talking about the siblings roles and how they feel their dynamics in the family felt so relatable that it hurts to read. The second child to me stating how he had resentment towards his parents could be something most can relate
There is some scenes that tackled on grief and loss where Hon losing her daughter was unable to cope with reality as she struggled to think of life without her daughter. Its heartbreaking to read as she doesnt want to broach the subject with her family and her denial on the loss. There is also the grief on losing both parents at young age for Hon's father and how he survived the tough times with his older sister and younger brother bearing the burden as the eldest son to take hold as the master of the family. You realized that responsibilities that need to be shouldered on as a filial son and at young age, he doesnt even get to grieve normally due to the situation. There are historical mentions of wars, the strife between South korean and North Korean, there is also mentions on the student protests in universities that get sweeped under the rug in history but are being mentioned so as they dont forget
Sometimes our parents maybe dont realize of their favoritism towards their first child and that can affect us emotionally which can potentially scarred us until adulthood but reading this, I realize that our parents are just humans whom probably unintentionally do that as they welcomed their firstborns. Its a reality which can be hard to swallow but even in this situation, we realize they aged and getting older by days and they cared so much for us growing up to the point we cant hate them because they are our parents
I love this one a lot and reading this made me valued each moment i had and will have with my parents
Thank you Definitely books and pansing for the review copy
November 6, 2023
2,5*
Paskendau smulkmeniškume/detališkume ir įsijausti į istoriją jau nebeturėjau jėgų.
Paskendau smulkmeniškume/detališkume ir įsijausti į istoriją jau nebeturėjau jėgų.
February 18, 2023
I Went to See My Father
A masterpiece .... I think it's Kyung-sook Shin's best book and bookend her global bestselling Man Asian Prize winning, Please Look After Mom. The story of one father and all fathers -- the secrets our fathers hide from us and how , when we uncover them, we learn about the full complexity, sacrifice, pain, suffering, love, bravery and more.. that our fathers have endured as soldiers, brothers, sons, husbands, lovers and fathers. This is a forever book; an instant classic.
A masterpiece .... I think it's Kyung-sook Shin's best book and bookend her global bestselling Man Asian Prize winning, Please Look After Mom. The story of one father and all fathers -- the secrets our fathers hide from us and how , when we uncover them, we learn about the full complexity, sacrifice, pain, suffering, love, bravery and more.. that our fathers have endured as soldiers, brothers, sons, husbands, lovers and fathers. This is a forever book; an instant classic.
September 1, 2023
This get me a bit sentimental with its melodrama plotline, both haunting and heart-rending yet having an appealingly crafted storytelling that intricately interwoven a tautly explored fatherhood and familial theme with glimpses of historical and cultural related premise.
Told in a memoir sort of narrative, I followed the present and past stories of a father from his daughter’s eyes, Hon after she came home to take care of him when her mother had to be taken away for a treatment. Having to lost her daughter in an accident two years ago, Hon was still drowning in grief and seeing her frail aging father who cried after his wife went away gets her a bit mellow and wondering on how little she knows about her father. From a chest of letters that she found hidden in a room, Hon accidentally unraveled the truth about her father’s past that later has led her to uncover the untold story of her family history.
The plot can be quite dense and a bit hard to grasp for its no quotation marks format yet the exploration really struck me with an affecting wandering thoughts; of the beautiful dynamic in between Hon and father’s relationship, on responsibilities, compassion, the gripping generational contrast as well the historical gaze that highlighted both grief and the emotional isolation that was buried and forgotten. Those additional perspectives in the later part did add more charms to father’s backstory and I love that bits of literary related to Hon’s wonderful work as a writer also for that moment when father asking Hon to help him writing out something nearly the end.
Credit to the translator for his wonderful translated prose that carry both drama and father’s lifetime story so absorbingly well. It was such a startling almost powerful literary and familial plot to me overall, another gem from the author added to my fav-list. 4.5 stars to this!
Told in a memoir sort of narrative, I followed the present and past stories of a father from his daughter’s eyes, Hon after she came home to take care of him when her mother had to be taken away for a treatment. Having to lost her daughter in an accident two years ago, Hon was still drowning in grief and seeing her frail aging father who cried after his wife went away gets her a bit mellow and wondering on how little she knows about her father. From a chest of letters that she found hidden in a room, Hon accidentally unraveled the truth about her father’s past that later has led her to uncover the untold story of her family history.
The plot can be quite dense and a bit hard to grasp for its no quotation marks format yet the exploration really struck me with an affecting wandering thoughts; of the beautiful dynamic in between Hon and father’s relationship, on responsibilities, compassion, the gripping generational contrast as well the historical gaze that highlighted both grief and the emotional isolation that was buried and forgotten. Those additional perspectives in the later part did add more charms to father’s backstory and I love that bits of literary related to Hon’s wonderful work as a writer also for that moment when father asking Hon to help him writing out something nearly the end.
Credit to the translator for his wonderful translated prose that carry both drama and father’s lifetime story so absorbingly well. It was such a startling almost powerful literary and familial plot to me overall, another gem from the author added to my fav-list. 4.5 stars to this!
July 1, 2024
Nuooooobooooduuus... Esu korėjiečių rašytojų mėgėja, bet šis romanas buvo ne apie tai. Labai ištęstas, lėtas, marinantis, spaudžiantis, įkyriai nuobodus.
Read
May 12, 2023it's really good in painting the scenery, showcasing the minutiae and patterns and rhythms of rural life in that time period of SK, however after a while it just seemed to drag and the overall blue, melancholy tone didn't help, as not much happens but is described in a lot of detail. I found myself flipping quicker to the end.
September 30, 2023
Absoliuciai nuostabi. Giesmiu giesme teciams.
Jautri, paprasta, bet ypac gili knyga apie seima.
Man si autore yra tikra zvaigzde, kai kalbama apie autoriu, kuris savo knygomis paliecia skaitytojo siela iki paciu gelmiu ir tai islieka ilgam.
Jautri, paprasta, bet ypac gili knyga apie seima.
Man si autore yra tikra zvaigzde, kai kalbama apie autoriu, kuris savo knygomis paliecia skaitytojo siela iki paciu gelmiu ir tai islieka ilgam.
July 8, 2025
kao i u prethodnicama ("molim te, pazi na mamu" i "bit ću ondje"), autorica prolazi emotivno putovanje kroz obiteljske odnose, a ovdje je naglasak na oproštaju od oca koji, smlavljen bolestima i životom kao takvim, privodi svoj put kraju.
honnie, jedna od petero djece u obitelji, vraća se u rodni dom preuzeti brigu oko oca dok je majka u bolnici i, provodeći vrijeme s njime, prisjeća se njegove i obiteljske povijesti (ima tu ponešto i o povijesti koreje), usput otkrivajući i samu sebe.
fini je to i odmjeren tekst, teče kao mirna rijeka. likovi su prikazani realistično, bez pretjerivanja, doimaju se kao stvarne osobe zapakirane u vješto napisano pismo. ipak, za moj ukus ponešto preduga, ali s obzirom na čitljivost, to ne predstavlja veći problem (bit će problem ako se ne uspiješ povezati s likovima). kyung-sook shin ozbiljno pristupa svojem radu, ne prosipa se bezglavo na papir, osjeća se promišljenost iza svake rečenice, savjesno se bavila strukturom.
mala zamjerka izdavaču što nije objasnio pozamašan broj izraza -uglavnom prehrambenih namirnica- što bi pridonijelo dubljem razumijevanju teksta.
honnie, jedna od petero djece u obitelji, vraća se u rodni dom preuzeti brigu oko oca dok je majka u bolnici i, provodeći vrijeme s njime, prisjeća se njegove i obiteljske povijesti (ima tu ponešto i o povijesti koreje), usput otkrivajući i samu sebe.
fini je to i odmjeren tekst, teče kao mirna rijeka. likovi su prikazani realistično, bez pretjerivanja, doimaju se kao stvarne osobe zapakirane u vješto napisano pismo. ipak, za moj ukus ponešto preduga, ali s obzirom na čitljivost, to ne predstavlja veći problem (bit će problem ako se ne uspiješ povezati s likovima). kyung-sook shin ozbiljno pristupa svojem radu, ne prosipa se bezglavo na papir, osjeća se promišljenost iza svake rečenice, savjesno se bavila strukturom.
mala zamjerka izdavaču što nije objasnio pozamašan broj izraza -uglavnom prehrambenih namirnica- što bi pridonijelo dubljem razumijevanju teksta.
January 16, 2025
Itin sentimentali ir melancholiška knyga, labiau primenanti memuarus, o ne romaną. Knygoje aprašytas vienos korėjiečių šeimos portretas, kartu atspindintis ir visą XX a. Korėjos istoriją. Pasakojimas daugiasluoksnis, labai lėtas ir detalus. Pradžioje buvo sunku skaityti ir susigaudyti tarp skirtingų veikėjų ir laiko juostų. Todėl tai nėra knyga, nuo kurios reikėtų pradėti pažintį su šia rašytoja. Vis dėlto įpusėjus knygą pagaliau pavyko įsijausti į šeimos istoriją, kuri mane itin sugraudino ir privertė pagalvoti apie savo artimuosius. Beje, verta paminėti ir puikų vertėjo darbą.
July 8, 2025
Încă de la prima carte "Te rog, ai grijă de mama!" am apreciat sensibilitatea acestei autoare. Am regăsit și aici aceeași atenție la lucrurile simple dar de impact care conturează emoții profunde. Gesturile unor părinți care deși nu sunt grandioase sunt pline de semnificații și mai ales de iubire pentru copii. Acțiunea trece pe planul secundar pentru că ceea ce contează cu adevărat sunt emotiile curate, bucuriile mici și acele lucruri aparent nesemnificative care de fapt ne fac oameni.
O carte care se citește cu inima.
O carte care se citește cu inima.
March 20, 2023
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
3.75/5 Stars
This is such a heart-breaking and moving story of discovery. The main character, Hon, gets to spend time taking care of her old father and in the meantime she finally discovers who he really is and all the things that she hadn't realized when she was just a young girl living in the countryside with her parents and her siblings. Thus begins a research into the past, if that's what we want to call it, thanks to some old letters found in a shed and also to some family members and friends that talk to Hon and share their experiences and memories related to her father.
Overall it was a touching story that definitely had its moments and it also made me cry a bit. If you're into family stories I recommend you to check this out.
3.75/5 Stars
This is such a heart-breaking and moving story of discovery. The main character, Hon, gets to spend time taking care of her old father and in the meantime she finally discovers who he really is and all the things that she hadn't realized when she was just a young girl living in the countryside with her parents and her siblings. Thus begins a research into the past, if that's what we want to call it, thanks to some old letters found in a shed and also to some family members and friends that talk to Hon and share their experiences and memories related to her father.
Overall it was a touching story that definitely had its moments and it also made me cry a bit. If you're into family stories I recommend you to check this out.
April 11, 2023
Thank you, Netgalley and Astra House, for this ARC
Battling with her own loss, Hon, our middle-aged protagonist, hasn't seen her parents for a while. She hears about mother being taken to the hospital, and that father is alone at home. Her sister also tells her that father had cried when their mother left home.
Hearing about her father crying is enough for Hon to catch the train and go to visit him, bridging the distance she had built between them.
This beautiful novel is an offering from a daughter to her father – an offering of remembrance and acknowledgement. It is also an act of atonement the protagonist seeks for taking so much for granted. Spending time with her father, she becomes the child her daughter was to her – loved, adored, and missed. She also sees her father in a new light as she learns about his struggle-filled past in a country torn apart by war.
Kyung-Sook shin wonderfully blends the history of a place and how it shapes its people with personal histories, and how we ultimately reconnect with the lost halves of ourselves through memories.
There were many instances where I teared up thinking about my own parents. The palpable sadness Hon’s father experiences throughout packs a powerful punch.
With Hon, I took my own personal journey to my childhood home, where my ageing parents live on their own, waiting for my visits. Visits that are rare due to geographical distance.
Like Hon, I asked myself. When did my parents grow so old that they repeat the same things over and over again? When was the last time I hugged them or held their hands? When did the skin on the back of my mother’s hand grow so thin and stretchy?
This is an important novel for the times we live in, where family systems have constantly been challenged and redefined. It also bravely explores the meaning of growing old in a society that constantly capitalises on youth and productivity.
A big thanks to Anton Hur for this brilliant translation.
A translator brings readers closer together by bridging cultural divides. Translations make it possible to gain a greater understanding of other cultures and societies. A translator understands the nuances and subtleties of both languages in order to faithfully represent them. This is where Anton Hur’s beautiful and moving translation comes in. Hur’s translation of this novel is just brilliant. It establishes the fact how stories can move through languages and cultures and reach a widely varied world of readers and become relatable.
Battling with her own loss, Hon, our middle-aged protagonist, hasn't seen her parents for a while. She hears about mother being taken to the hospital, and that father is alone at home. Her sister also tells her that father had cried when their mother left home.
Hearing about her father crying is enough for Hon to catch the train and go to visit him, bridging the distance she had built between them.
This beautiful novel is an offering from a daughter to her father – an offering of remembrance and acknowledgement. It is also an act of atonement the protagonist seeks for taking so much for granted. Spending time with her father, she becomes the child her daughter was to her – loved, adored, and missed. She also sees her father in a new light as she learns about his struggle-filled past in a country torn apart by war.
Kyung-Sook shin wonderfully blends the history of a place and how it shapes its people with personal histories, and how we ultimately reconnect with the lost halves of ourselves through memories.
There were many instances where I teared up thinking about my own parents. The palpable sadness Hon’s father experiences throughout packs a powerful punch.
With Hon, I took my own personal journey to my childhood home, where my ageing parents live on their own, waiting for my visits. Visits that are rare due to geographical distance.
Like Hon, I asked myself. When did my parents grow so old that they repeat the same things over and over again? When was the last time I hugged them or held their hands? When did the skin on the back of my mother’s hand grow so thin and stretchy?
This is an important novel for the times we live in, where family systems have constantly been challenged and redefined. It also bravely explores the meaning of growing old in a society that constantly capitalises on youth and productivity.
A big thanks to Anton Hur for this brilliant translation.
A translator brings readers closer together by bridging cultural divides. Translations make it possible to gain a greater understanding of other cultures and societies. A translator understands the nuances and subtleties of both languages in order to faithfully represent them. This is where Anton Hur’s beautiful and moving translation comes in. Hur’s translation of this novel is just brilliant. It establishes the fact how stories can move through languages and cultures and reach a widely varied world of readers and become relatable.
March 29, 2023
Hon has been keeping distance from her parents while dealing with her own grief. When Hon's mother is hospitalized in Seoul, her father wept. Hon, therefore, gets to spend time taking care of her aging father.
Through flashbacks and letters from a wooden chest, Hon (and readers) get to know more about her father's story and the truth of his past. As Hon grows closer to her father, she learns about his sacrifices, suffering and vulnerability being a father, eldest son, brother, farmer, soldier and store owner. Hon lingers in the memory fragments of her father, allowing sadness and regret permeate within the passages. Shin tackles on Korean culture and traditions; loneliness and grief, the legacy passed on, what comes with aging and the secrets parents hide from us.
I thought that the long paragraphs felt distracting at times. Furthermore, some parts I enjoyed more than others (one interesting aspect was Hon's journey as a writer). Lastly, Anton Hur, as always, doesn't disappoint with the top-notch translation.
Tender and heartbreaking, I WENT TO SEE MY FATHER is a love letter to her father and all fathers. If you enjoy a family story with all its fragility, this book is for you and will leave you drained of emotions.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Astra House books . All opinions are my own ]
Through flashbacks and letters from a wooden chest, Hon (and readers) get to know more about her father's story and the truth of his past. As Hon grows closer to her father, she learns about his sacrifices, suffering and vulnerability being a father, eldest son, brother, farmer, soldier and store owner. Hon lingers in the memory fragments of her father, allowing sadness and regret permeate within the passages. Shin tackles on Korean culture and traditions; loneliness and grief, the legacy passed on, what comes with aging and the secrets parents hide from us.
I thought that the long paragraphs felt distracting at times. Furthermore, some parts I enjoyed more than others (one interesting aspect was Hon's journey as a writer). Lastly, Anton Hur, as always, doesn't disappoint with the top-notch translation.
Tender and heartbreaking, I WENT TO SEE MY FATHER is a love letter to her father and all fathers. If you enjoy a family story with all its fragility, this book is for you and will leave you drained of emotions.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Astra House books . All opinions are my own ]
March 20, 2024
READING VLOG
"..𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧? 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴— 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴."
Less of a novel and more of the very experience of what it means to age beside someone in the last days of their life.
When now stands still and the past races, it's history recollected over letters, memory, Korea's unspoken history, and voice.
It's slow. It's sad. Much like sitting in hospice or retirement homes. If you've been there, you know. Time is aggravating. It waits for no one. And yet in these liminal spaces, boredom boasts its loud yawn.
This book reminds us that when in the last days of someone's life, please ask all. If not, regret will follow and wring you of so much light that you will know hunger all too quickly. For the case of this book, curiosity does not kill, but calls for life, the living of it, the going-through of it all.
"..𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧? 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴— 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴."
Less of a novel and more of the very experience of what it means to age beside someone in the last days of their life.
When now stands still and the past races, it's history recollected over letters, memory, Korea's unspoken history, and voice.
It's slow. It's sad. Much like sitting in hospice or retirement homes. If you've been there, you know. Time is aggravating. It waits for no one. And yet in these liminal spaces, boredom boasts its loud yawn.
This book reminds us that when in the last days of someone's life, please ask all. If not, regret will follow and wring you of so much light that you will know hunger all too quickly. For the case of this book, curiosity does not kill, but calls for life, the living of it, the going-through of it all.
May 10, 2023
I WENT TO SEE MY FATHER
Shin Kyung
OMG... I hung on for as long as humanly possible.... really I did. But all that random memory of her father crying, silent, and on and on it went. It was possibly one of the most boring reads I have ever had. I read and read and slept then read the same thing I read before I slept... finally I started skimming and it was even boring.
I thought it was going to be great. I would love to be talented enough to document my father's life, who was the greatest man I have ever known. I would assume it is very difficult as even Ms Kyung had a difficult time getting across how wonderful I am sure her father was. Two stars for the attempt.
2 stars
Happy Reading!
Shin Kyung
OMG... I hung on for as long as humanly possible.... really I did. But all that random memory of her father crying, silent, and on and on it went. It was possibly one of the most boring reads I have ever had. I read and read and slept then read the same thing I read before I slept... finally I started skimming and it was even boring.
I thought it was going to be great. I would love to be talented enough to document my father's life, who was the greatest man I have ever known. I would assume it is very difficult as even Ms Kyung had a difficult time getting across how wonderful I am sure her father was. Two stars for the attempt.
2 stars
Happy Reading!
January 2, 2024
Šiemet jau tikrai paskutinė. Ir kiek aš su ja privargau! Neatsimenu, kada taip sunkiai būčiau skaičius ir nemetus. 🤷♀️ Norėjau mest ties 50, ties 100, ties 200, paskui jau užsispyriau pabaigt, nes laukiau kokio nors nušvitimo. Nesulaukiau. Labai tolygiai, kaip pradėjo, taip baigė.
Iš vienos pusės, mane tikrai kabina žmogaus, tarsi labai labai artimo pažinumo tema. To, su kuriuo augi, kuris tampa lyg savaime suprantamas. Bet kiek iš tiesų mes žinome apie savo tėvus? Kiek mums yra parodoma? Kiek mes patys norime sužinot, atrast ir pamatyt. Šią temą autorė nagrinėja ir knygoje "Prašau, pasirūpink mama" ir ji mane tikrai sužavėjo!
Tai, klausit, kas taip kliuvo šioje? Skrupulingas dėmesys detalėms, neįtikėtinas lėtumas, šalutinės istorijos. Aš mėgstu lėtas knygas, bet ši man buvo next level lėtumo. Nejuokauju, kartais knapsėjau, bandžiau budintis, susikaupti, vis galvojau ar man čia kažkas negerai, ar knyga man taip labai stringa. 🤷♀️ Neatmetu galimybės, kad šventinis maratonas ištaškė, visam bėgime lėtumas ir susikaupimas gal nederėjo prie knygos nuotaikos?
Būdavo ir prašviesėjimo momentų, kuriuose tiesiogiai pasakojo apie tėvą, jos man buvo labai įdomios, jos ir ištempė visą knygą. Paknapsiu, pasinervinu, sulaukiu įdomesnio tiesioginio pasakojimo, tada galvoju - gal visgi verta skaityt toliau.
Atrodė, kad šalutinės istorijos pasirinktos tam, kad knyga storesnė būtų, bet man pilnai būtų užtekę vien tų, apie tėvą ir būčiau įvertinus labai teigiamai. Dabar šiaip ne taip nugriuvus prie finišo linijos sakau - kaip gerai, kad pagaliau baigiau. Nesu tikra ar buvo verta. Bet kantrybės mokė labai.
Iš vienos pusės, mane tikrai kabina žmogaus, tarsi labai labai artimo pažinumo tema. To, su kuriuo augi, kuris tampa lyg savaime suprantamas. Bet kiek iš tiesų mes žinome apie savo tėvus? Kiek mums yra parodoma? Kiek mes patys norime sužinot, atrast ir pamatyt. Šią temą autorė nagrinėja ir knygoje "Prašau, pasirūpink mama" ir ji mane tikrai sužavėjo!
Tai, klausit, kas taip kliuvo šioje? Skrupulingas dėmesys detalėms, neįtikėtinas lėtumas, šalutinės istorijos. Aš mėgstu lėtas knygas, bet ši man buvo next level lėtumo. Nejuokauju, kartais knapsėjau, bandžiau budintis, susikaupti, vis galvojau ar man čia kažkas negerai, ar knyga man taip labai stringa. 🤷♀️ Neatmetu galimybės, kad šventinis maratonas ištaškė, visam bėgime lėtumas ir susikaupimas gal nederėjo prie knygos nuotaikos?
Būdavo ir prašviesėjimo momentų, kuriuose tiesiogiai pasakojo apie tėvą, jos man buvo labai įdomios, jos ir ištempė visą knygą. Paknapsiu, pasinervinu, sulaukiu įdomesnio tiesioginio pasakojimo, tada galvoju - gal visgi verta skaityt toliau.
Atrodė, kad šalutinės istorijos pasirinktos tam, kad knyga storesnė būtų, bet man pilnai būtų užtekę vien tų, apie tėvą ir būčiau įvertinus labai teigiamai. Dabar šiaip ne taip nugriuvus prie finišo linijos sakau - kaip gerai, kad pagaliau baigiau. Nesu tikra ar buvo verta. Bet kantrybės mokė labai.
April 4, 2023
A novelist returns home to take care of her father, who has been unbeknownst to her been walking in his sleep, waking up disoriented, but of late been unable to stop crying. He seems to be reliving things from his past but as a very terse man, it's hard to extract what he's thinking and feeling. Until Honnie finds a chest in the attic of old letters -
In a similar vein to PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM, there is a multitude of voices and perspectives chiming in on their relationship to the dad in present day but also in the past, which helps Honnie to take what pieces she knows of her father and form a fuller picture of who he was and even who is now. Shin does this, in part, with the device of letters and also by one-sided narration in the form of interviews, which allows our characters to enter stream of consciousness, a bit more vulnerable but also more wending in their reflections.
It's a slow build of many layers of memories. In many ways in this book, the characters feel that past is something that is left best untouched, undisturbed and unnamed. Less of chance of that by naming it, can it hurt you. But even though you bury it in darkness, these things have a way of reaching the surface and piercing through over time. Honnie is likewise dealing with things she'd rather leave buried.
"It was because we can misremember and misunderstand that we can endure certain moments in life."
"How weak we are, and also how strong we are. How endlessly good, and yet endlessly violent. People for whom things have not turn out the way they wanted, who fought unhappiness all their lives - they leave they leave a trace of themselves. Traces of having endured unspeakable situations."
In a similar vein to PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM, there is a multitude of voices and perspectives chiming in on their relationship to the dad in present day but also in the past, which helps Honnie to take what pieces she knows of her father and form a fuller picture of who he was and even who is now. Shin does this, in part, with the device of letters and also by one-sided narration in the form of interviews, which allows our characters to enter stream of consciousness, a bit more vulnerable but also more wending in their reflections.
It's a slow build of many layers of memories. In many ways in this book, the characters feel that past is something that is left best untouched, undisturbed and unnamed. Less of chance of that by naming it, can it hurt you. But even though you bury it in darkness, these things have a way of reaching the surface and piercing through over time. Honnie is likewise dealing with things she'd rather leave buried.
"It was because we can misremember and misunderstand that we can endure certain moments in life."
"How weak we are, and also how strong we are. How endlessly good, and yet endlessly violent. People for whom things have not turn out the way they wanted, who fought unhappiness all their lives - they leave they leave a trace of themselves. Traces of having endured unspeakable situations."
March 24, 2024
Modul fascinant de a descrie situatii, oameni si mai ales lucrurile care nu-si gasesc adesea cuvintele e admirabil la coreeni. Mă bucur sa descopăr această carte dupa ce am vazut filmul "Zile Perfecte", cumva am vazut in multe fragmente o paralela la viata simpla, la templul acesta interior pe care il avem cu totii, si mai ales la "medicamentul" pe care natura il picura in noi cand deschidem ochii spre ea.
Foarte emotionant romanul, m-a purtat intr-o introspectie si cautare de amintiri din copilarie, mi-a dat sclipiri de scoica, ecou al vietii pe ca o traiesc. Desi stiam de cartea asta de ceva vreme, a ajuns la mine prin sora mea mai mare, careia ii multumesc.
Foarte emotionant romanul, m-a purtat intr-o introspectie si cautare de amintiri din copilarie, mi-a dat sclipiri de scoica, ecou al vietii pe ca o traiesc. Desi stiam de cartea asta de ceva vreme, a ajuns la mine prin sora mea mai mare, careia ii multumesc.
March 18, 2024
A difficult book to get engrossed in! I personally couldn't get into it, as it seems more like a memoir than a novel. Whenever I felt like I was grasping some of its depth my interest would wane. Perhaps it was a mistake to listen to the audio book rather than read the text. I strongly advise reading the text instead!!!
December 9, 2025
Roman "Očima mog oca" donosi emotivnu i složenu priču o odnosu između kćerke i oca, ispreplićući očevu, ali i porodičnu historiju s unutrašnjim putovanjem glavne junakinje. Kroz veoma miran i refleksivan ton, autorka otkriva slojeve šutnje, neizgovorenih trauma i podnesenih žrtava koje godinama oblikuju život jedne porodice. Jedna od najvećih vrijednosti knjige leži u tome što nas podsjeća koliko malo znamo o životnim stazama, borbama i teretima koje su naši roditelji nosili i podnijeli, koliko kasno postanemo svjesni njihove tihe i neiscrpne snage.
Ipak, uprkos emocionalnoj dubini, roman pati od pretjerane dužine. Pojedini dijelovi djeluju rastegnuto i nisu nužno doprinijeli napetosti niti razvoju likova, što može usporiti čitanje. Međutim, sama poruka da pod slojevima svakodnevnice postoje ogromne, nevidljive bitke koje roditelji vode, ostaje impaktna i dirljiva. U konačnici, ovaj roman je topla, introspektivna knjiga koja nagrađuje strpljivog čitaoca iskrenim, ljudskim uvidima i dubokom zahvalnošću prema roditeljskoj ljubavi.
Ipak, uprkos emocionalnoj dubini, roman pati od pretjerane dužine. Pojedini dijelovi djeluju rastegnuto i nisu nužno doprinijeli napetosti niti razvoju likova, što može usporiti čitanje. Međutim, sama poruka da pod slojevima svakodnevnice postoje ogromne, nevidljive bitke koje roditelji vode, ostaje impaktna i dirljiva. U konačnici, ovaj roman je topla, introspektivna knjiga koja nagrađuje strpljivog čitaoca iskrenim, ljudskim uvidima i dubokom zahvalnošću prema roditeljskoj ljubavi.
August 12, 2023
idk why ppl were saying this book is boring! i found it sweet and i liked how the dad was portrayed, it cured me
March 19, 2024
Vorbește-mi despre tata este o carte scrisă cu atenție, în care fiecare frază are locul ei fix în cadrul romanului, precum este și un roman care reabilitează cu succes o figură paternă. Nu numai romanul în sine este o bijuterie, modul în care a fost tradus în română este pur și simplu superb, absolut încântător de lecturat.
April 25, 2023
“Life has ambushes…..But to live through it, that is human.”
A middle-aged mother dealing with the unexpected loss of her only child chooses to re-engage in the familial duties when she opts to look after her father when other siblings take their mother away to the hospital in Seoul. This involves a trip to the rural Korean countryside where she was reared as a farmer’s daughter. Her father is an elderly, resourceful, and sensitive man who is highly respected in the community. When she witnesses her father’s bouts of melancholy including rivers of tears that stream randomly from a lifetime of painful memories, and nights filled with insomnia or violent thrashing caused by nightmares – she realizes that there is much she doesn’t know about the man who raised a household of successful children amid abject poverty.
The novel pivots when a chest of letters is discovered and the daughter probes her father’s memory, finds long lost friends, and questions her mother and siblings’ recollection about key events. This is where the novel shined for me – through the examination of one man’s life, it reveals several decades of Korean history – specifically the devastating effects (starvation, malnutrition, pestilence, illness, violence/torture, etc) on the rural poor during the Korean War, Japanese occupation and in the aftermath of failed government programs and social policies on its disenfranchised, undereducated citizens. It delves deeper when the author imparts how the culture and traditional belief systems stemming around birth order (and the responsibilities that accompany it), gender, etc. shaped their daily living and choices that affected lives and caused emotional wounds. In short, her father’s experiences represent the trials and tribulations of the Korean people. Throughout the novel, her father’s humanity was tried and tested repeatedly through a hard-lived life; his survival and sacrifices were truly a testament of his determination and resistance to ensure the survival and prosperity of his children (and future generations).
The passages are very descriptive and pacing is fairly slow. Combine this with the use of what seemed like elongated “stream-of-consciousness” passages from various characters to convey their observations and memories – it came across as pages of ramblings. Granted there were key points embedded, but this style was a bit taxing for me to get through (I don’t think the Kindle formatting helped here either) and I found myself skimming just to get to the embedded points (which were quite essential to the plot/story). However, it could just be a personal nit of mine; others may not mind this style. Highly recommended for the historical content – emotionally engaging – but not so much on the delivery.
Thanks to Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for the opportunity to review in exchange for an honest review.
A middle-aged mother dealing with the unexpected loss of her only child chooses to re-engage in the familial duties when she opts to look after her father when other siblings take their mother away to the hospital in Seoul. This involves a trip to the rural Korean countryside where she was reared as a farmer’s daughter. Her father is an elderly, resourceful, and sensitive man who is highly respected in the community. When she witnesses her father’s bouts of melancholy including rivers of tears that stream randomly from a lifetime of painful memories, and nights filled with insomnia or violent thrashing caused by nightmares – she realizes that there is much she doesn’t know about the man who raised a household of successful children amid abject poverty.
The novel pivots when a chest of letters is discovered and the daughter probes her father’s memory, finds long lost friends, and questions her mother and siblings’ recollection about key events. This is where the novel shined for me – through the examination of one man’s life, it reveals several decades of Korean history – specifically the devastating effects (starvation, malnutrition, pestilence, illness, violence/torture, etc) on the rural poor during the Korean War, Japanese occupation and in the aftermath of failed government programs and social policies on its disenfranchised, undereducated citizens. It delves deeper when the author imparts how the culture and traditional belief systems stemming around birth order (and the responsibilities that accompany it), gender, etc. shaped their daily living and choices that affected lives and caused emotional wounds. In short, her father’s experiences represent the trials and tribulations of the Korean people. Throughout the novel, her father’s humanity was tried and tested repeatedly through a hard-lived life; his survival and sacrifices were truly a testament of his determination and resistance to ensure the survival and prosperity of his children (and future generations).
The passages are very descriptive and pacing is fairly slow. Combine this with the use of what seemed like elongated “stream-of-consciousness” passages from various characters to convey their observations and memories – it came across as pages of ramblings. Granted there were key points embedded, but this style was a bit taxing for me to get through (I don’t think the Kindle formatting helped here either) and I found myself skimming just to get to the embedded points (which were quite essential to the plot/story). However, it could just be a personal nit of mine; others may not mind this style. Highly recommended for the historical content – emotionally engaging – but not so much on the delivery.
Thanks to Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for the opportunity to review in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2024
4.25/5, chắc tại mình thấy bóng dáng của bố trong này nên đọc xúc động quá, đôi khi nghẹn ngào, đôi lúc thì khóc nức nở luôn. Thương cho mũi sụt sịt của tôi.
Nếu giản lược đi một số chi tiết kể lể dông dài không ảnh hưởng lắm đến mạch truyện thì chắc chắn sẽ cho 5 sao. Nhưng nhìn chung thì đây là một cuốn sách về cha mà mọi người thực sự nên đọc. Nhiều đoạn viết đã chạm đến trái tim mình, giống như ai đấy đã khoét một lỗ vào đó, và khảm vào nơi ấy những cảm xúc lẫn lộn. Bật lên trên cả là sự day dứt, tiếc nuối, tội lỗi, đan cài cả cảm giác yêu thương và tự hào về cha vô ngần.
Là con nhưng nhiều khi cũng tá hoả nhận ra, rằng mình không thực sự hiểu bố như mình nghĩ. Và mình sẽ ráng khắc phục “lỗ hổng kiến thức” nghiêm trọng này thật nghiêm túc!
Một trải nghiệm đọc tuyệt vời.
Nếu giản lược đi một số chi tiết kể lể dông dài không ảnh hưởng lắm đến mạch truyện thì chắc chắn sẽ cho 5 sao. Nhưng nhìn chung thì đây là một cuốn sách về cha mà mọi người thực sự nên đọc. Nhiều đoạn viết đã chạm đến trái tim mình, giống như ai đấy đã khoét một lỗ vào đó, và khảm vào nơi ấy những cảm xúc lẫn lộn. Bật lên trên cả là sự day dứt, tiếc nuối, tội lỗi, đan cài cả cảm giác yêu thương và tự hào về cha vô ngần.
Là con nhưng nhiều khi cũng tá hoả nhận ra, rằng mình không thực sự hiểu bố như mình nghĩ. Và mình sẽ ráng khắc phục “lỗ hổng kiến thức” nghiêm trọng này thật nghiêm túc!
Một trải nghiệm đọc tuyệt vời.
June 14, 2023
The dull beauty of the descriptions, the banality of poor feeling — he cried, he was crying, his face was full of sadness. Let him weep now, a lifetime later. Let him go to the shed in the middle of the night and let her say Father, father, let her call. No one is asking anything of you, you are barely there. Look away if your patience runs low. This is not for you or anyone, this is how it is.
Update 6/14/23: a mini, casual, close reading https://tinyletter.com/liliecup/lette...
Update 6/14/23: a mini, casual, close reading https://tinyletter.com/liliecup/lette...
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