This book was something. Raw and direct to its purpose, it cuts no corners on its way to its point. The book is filled with descriptions of sensitive subjects. It deals with the ways in which different people based on their personalities handle life at its most difficult. It takes you on personal transformations in the most unseemly ways and leaves you with more questions than answers.

It's not a book for everyone, but it does get one thinking. How many situations are causing us harm that are self-inflicted? What separates art from artist? How can one deal with the absence of resilience? Can having too much order in life be detrimental to one's own good? Does rebelion to social norms constitute mental illness? If not, at what extent does it start to become problematic to one's own health?

Yet, the book answers none of the questions it poses. It sets them in an almost paranormal South Korean nature setting where the characters are all irrationally rational to themselves. The book is written from 3 different perspectives which help give the tone of subjectivity to reality. Upon progressing the storyline and as we learn more about the backgrounds of each of the narrators we can relate to their subjectivity which upon closer inspection highlights how insane the behavior might seem to an external person. All of this leads up to what feels like a deeply oppressive, morally strict and demanding community of characters that makes you grateful the book is only as short as it is.

The magic there being that the repugnance to the characters built by the author is on purpose which is worthy of mention on its own. To sum up, this read is not for everyone, but the ones it is for can understand its brilliance worthy of the merits that it has received. 3 because I don't vibe with the gloom.