floatinthevoid's reviews
229 reviews

I'm not very familiar with trans history in general, so this is an enlightening read, personally.

The main goal of this book is expanding trans history. To do a careful approach that is anti-racist, anti-imperialist and anti-sexist to trans history. This way of doing history in order to be as inclusive as possible to refer the historical archives of people disrupting gender– to me is an experience of unlearning. Occasionally I partake in queer discourse without actually investigating where a certain narrative comes from, or what and how the social political and cultural plays a role in making that narrative. That's why I think this book is an eye-opening experience in which I am unlearning my own ignorance about the diversity of queer lives through trans gaze presented with so much nuance. So much nuance that I have to grit my teeth, trying to comprehend that even such a vile and vain person can play an important role to achieve gender-affirming rights for trans people and yes I'm talking about Roberta Cowell.

Although some talking points are a little bit repetitive, I think that is what this book wants to do, to remind us again and again that "... trans gaze is what allows us to look at a case of historical gender nonconformity and remain open to the full spectrum of possibilities it represents."

This reflective semi-autobiographical history book is enriched by credible sources that supported the narrative it is trying to achieve coupled with accessible language and exploration of nuance that portrayed the messiness of trans lives, making this book an incredible read for me. 

Highly recommend! 

For some people who lived a monotonous life, working paycheck to paycheck with minimum wage, the world may look bleak, dry, and dull. In this book, that is the world that the main character is living in. Eun Gyo is a drop out who work in a small repair shop in Seoul. But, there's a sprinkle of fantasy in this world. Unfortunately it doesn't make it less gray. People in this world can have their shadows rising depending on the circumstances that they're in. Throughout the book, I am trying to figure out what this shadow does, what causes this shadow to rise, but it seems that there's not enough pointer to fully grasp what it actually is. To me, the shadow is the visualization of one's internal turmoil. There's a scene about someone who grieved and the shadow has grown so much bigger and it can grow to the point that they have their own entity separated from the person. The bigger the emotional anguish, the wilder the shadow gets. When someone is depressed, sometimes you can spot it with your eyes that said person looks like they have a shadow hovering above them. I can relate to that. 

So that's as far as the magical realism world building goes. I admit I love the very intimate yet at the same time distant narrative about the place Eun Gyo lived, the buildings near her work place, what stores are there, and the kind of people near the area. Hwang Jungeun is really nailing that writing style where everything seems as they're abandoned and desolate. It's great.

But.. this book is a big miss for me. There's a lot of time skip so out of the blue that as a reader, i feel frustrated as to what the characters are doing prior the start of time skip. I don't mind time skips, I don't mind fragmentary style, but it needs something that either tied it up in the end, or it being consistently jumping around from the beginning, I would have enjoy it more. The pace is slow and jagged. 

Other than that, there's barely any plot. I mean, Eun Gyo's work place and the near buildings are demolished but that only happens nearing the end of the book. The rest is so random and insignificant.  don't think this can be considered all vibe no plot either, because there is no vibe. 

The characterization? At least there's Mr. Yeo, Eun Gyo's boss that I think is interesting enough to go through the story. Eun Gyo and Mujae was sooooo plain and indistinguishable. Their love story... instant love trope where the readers are barely introduced what kind of characters they are, why they are interested in each other, or any build-up as to what made them a couple in the first place?? So, Thank you Mr. Yeo for existing in the story.  

The ending, eh. It was fine. At this point I have no expectation anymore. The premise of the book is great, what it aims to be is interesting, but for me the execution is lacking in many aspects.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC to review this book.  

 Grotesque. Gross. And I mean gross. An interesting peek of the characters in the beginning, but gets really slow in the middle, then pick up fast towards the and. The pace made me lose my excitement, I don't particularly curious during the middle part of the book. Love the last part when things started going awry and the implicit symbolism I do not have any energy to explore and articulate in this review. I thought that this should end in tragedy, it is expected, nothing twisty but when done right you could have a Das Parfum-esque (I made that word up) chef's kiss ending. I love the atmospheric writing, arguably so, and all the references to film I have never watch. I think people who are cinephile with the same taste as Paradise would love this more than I. 

This book destroyed me.