{"id":3408,"date":"2024-04-01T05:12:36","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T05:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3408"},"modified":"2024-09-18T15:50:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T15:50:33","slug":"book-recommendation-whale-by-cheon-myeong-kwan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3408","title":{"rendered":"Book Recommendation: Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hi Readers! I promised a review of The Whale for you, so it\u2019s finally here! When it comes to books I rate at 5 stars, I always have trouble reviewing them. I never wrote a review for some of my favorite books like All the Light You Cannot See, A Fine Balance, The Covenant of Water<\/strong><\/mark>! I think this is because I am OVERHWHELMED<\/mark><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A book becomes a five star for me if it invokes all kinds of emotions. And, so when I finish reading them, I am still emotional while processing the book. And somehow, this emotional processing time never ends, but I move on to reading other books. So, I remember how the book made me feel, but I can never tell you the detailed plots of those books.<\/strong><\/mark> I really didn\u2019t want that to happen to The Whale, because while I am still emotionally processing it, there\u2019s more to emotions to this book, so I can be objective as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While “Whale” begins with Chunhee, a mysterious young brickmaker of imposing physicality who cannot speak, introduced as the Queen of Red Bricks, it quickly situates her story within a longer multi-generational saga composed of three parts. While we learn of Chunhee’s tragic path to her becoming someone who makes bricks of the highest quality, the novel retraces the familial circumstances that shaped her. While poignant yet brutal, “Whale” is also a satire of how we the general public, mass media, even artists and writers tend to romanticize voiceless figures of history.<\/p>\n\n\n

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~~TRIGGER WARNINGS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rape, Violence, Physical Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Animal Cruelty, Death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~~THOUGHTS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The moment you start reading Whale, you are immediately immersed in its powerful fast-paced storytelling that describes a life with lyrical prose, unforgettable characters, vivid imagery and emotional fulfilment.<\/strong><\/mark> For some reviews, you have to think of grand words and nuanced writing to have a tenth of an impact of the actual book. But, this review is not going to be like that, because the book is not like that either. It\u2019s not about reading between the lines or beyond the pages. It\u2019s not about some deep social commentary. It\u2019s not stream of consciousness where you have to concentrate to read a single page. It\u2019s simply a story. Perhaps, the equivalent of a bed time fable, but designed for adults as an escape from our routine. It\u2019s not an important book. But, I think its importance will be felt by core fiction readers. Yes, it has content where there would be a greater meaning attached, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. It can simply be a story, and that\u2019s what it was for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a reader and reviewer, there is no respite from all these intellectual books. I typically don\u2019t read a book just because everyone is reading it or because it\u2019s a bestseller. I read only because I want to read it. Even so, that underlying influence always lingers. So, when I was reading Whale, I was very happily reminded of the reason I started reading books in the first place, and it was a wonderful reminder.<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n

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We are led to believe that Whale is the story of Chunhui. And, what would a person be without the story of how they got there. So, Whale is actually the story of Chunhui\u2019s mother Geumbok<\/strong><\/mark>. A woman who I will think about whenever the topic of legendary fictional women is discussed. She went from being born in a little mountain village to becoming a businesswoman. I loved her intellect, I loved her ‘so-what? attitude’, I loved her leadership. I loved how she was fascinated by a whale and how she was a whale herself \u2013 larger than life, intelligent, solitary & who doesn\u2019t mate for life.<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whale has struggle and riches, loss and enterprise, helplessness and ambition, change and stability all in the backdrop of pre and post war-torn Korea. At times, it\u2019s a satire but also magical realism. Some times, it\u2019s just a mystery but also a memoir. A few times, it\u2019s dark but humorous. But at all times, it is captivating in all its mystic glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking about any more than this would be a taint on the book itself. If you love reading stories, you should read this book. If you love character-focused books, you should read this book. If you love plot-focused books, you should read this book. Basically, if you are a reader, you should read this book! I have rated Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan, translated by Jae Won Chung at 5\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n

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Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi Readers! I promised a review of The Whale for you, so it\u2019s finally here! When it comes to books I rate at 5 stars, I always have trouble reviewing them. I never wrote a review for some of my favorite books like All the Light You Cannot See, A Fine Balance, The Covenant of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,23,3],"tags":[38],"class_list":["post-3408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-books","category-book-reviews","category-mindscape-reviews","tag-favorite-books"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Picsart_24-03-28_16-51-48-341-01.jpg?fit=2500%2C2500&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3825,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3825","url_meta":{"origin":3408,"position":0},"title":"Top 8 Books of 2024 \u2013 Year in Review (Part 1)","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the 2024 Year in Review series!!!For those who have been with Mindscape in Words long enough, would know that every year I share a few posts in a series called \u2018Year in Review\u2019. And, for\u00a0those who started following me recently, you are in for a treat this year.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PSX_20241221_122912-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PSX_20241221_122912-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PSX_20241221_122912-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PSX_20241221_122912-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PSX_20241221_122912-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3387,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3387","url_meta":{"origin":3408,"position":1},"title":"March 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"March 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! I love March and I loved March this year too. I read a lot of good books. I spent time with family and friends. I travelled. I planned another trip. I went to the Van Gogh 360\u00b0 immersive experience. I overperformed at work. I watched terrible movies. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2422,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2422","url_meta":{"origin":3408,"position":2},"title":"Top 12 Books of 2022 \u2013 Year in Review (Part 2)","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! I am back with the second year in review post. This one is the best one because it\u2019s all about books! I didn\u2019t have specific targets for this year, because I wanted it to be stress-free. But even so, I was of course, stressed. ~~Part One: 2022 Reading\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mindscape Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Mindscape Reviews","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/PSX_20221218_100202-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/PSX_20221218_100202-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/PSX_20221218_100202-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/PSX_20221218_100202-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/PSX_20221218_100202-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3151,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3151","url_meta":{"origin":3408,"position":3},"title":"Top 12 Books of 2023 \u2013 Year in Review (Part 1)","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! Welcome to the first of the three year-end review posts of 2023! We begin with books, of course. My reading in 2023 was quite erratic because I had set no reading goal. I thought doing that would give me the freedom to read whatever I wanted; be it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100005-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100005-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100005-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100005-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100005-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2798,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2798","url_meta":{"origin":3408,"position":4},"title":"Still Born: Motherhood\u2019s To Be or Not To Be","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"May 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! I usually don\u2019t get myself too invested in the Booker Prize or International Booker Prize. Something about those books just don\u2019t call out to me. It\u2019s either the lack of a plot or too technical literary writing or simply because of my prejudice. But, all of that went\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Picsart_23-05-27_21-50-37-982-01-02.jpeg?fit=1080%2C1079&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Picsart_23-05-27_21-50-37-982-01-02.jpeg?fit=1080%2C1079&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Picsart_23-05-27_21-50-37-982-01-02.jpeg?fit=1080%2C1079&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Picsart_23-05-27_21-50-37-982-01-02.jpeg?fit=1080%2C1079&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Picsart_23-05-27_21-50-37-982-01-02.jpeg?fit=1080%2C1079&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1604,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1604","url_meta":{"origin":3408,"position":5},"title":"Top 12 Books of 2021 \u2013 Year in Review (Part 2)","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! You can check out my Year in Review (Part 1) here, where I have written about my 21 Things to do in 2021! And, here's part two! One of the most prioritised goals for me every year is reading. So, welcome to my reading review of the year!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PicsArt_12-10-10.18.19-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PicsArt_12-10-10.18.19-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PicsArt_12-10-10.18.19-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PicsArt_12-10-10.18.19-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/PicsArt_12-10-10.18.19-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3408"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3417,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3408\/revisions\/3417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}