Familiar Things

I did a bit of digging to see if I could find any Korean fantasy or scifi novels and this one was cited among the recommendations. While not exactly what I was looking for, both because it was very light on the fantasy element by having only slight supernatural elements and because I was looking for something a bit more traditional, Familiar Things was still a really good read. I was instantly invested in Bugeye and his journey from barely above the poverty line to below it, joining ‘Flower Island', a literal garbage heap of trash. While we think of South Korea as a hub of glittering lights, modernism and wealth, Hwang Sok-yong chooses to set his story very deliberately outside of that. Showcasing the waste that goes with consumerism and how it also impacts those who fall outside of those glittering lights. Filled with a host of characters and a world that felt Dickensian, I couldn't help but feel parallels to Dickens works which also dealt with the poverty-laden. I did feel like the end was rushed and one of the most emotional and pivotal moments seemed to go by SO fast that the impact felt a bit lackluster. Normally a moment like that would have had me sobbing and though I felt a definite pang of sorrow, it didn't quite hit the note I thought it should have, mostly because it happens so quickly and then everyone just moves on in the story. There was a lot of build up for that relationship and it seemed to deserve more of a prominent conclusion considering how heartbreaking it is. That would be the biggest reason I wouldn't give it a full 5 stars, but I do believe it is well worth a read!