From the Bookshelf of Reading with Namjoon…

Almond

Sohn Won-Pyung,

Joosun Lee (Translator)

Start date: February 6, 2024

Finish date: March 31, 2024

Discussion: Novels

Why we're reading this: 1st read - 2020
2nd read - 2023
3rd read - 2024
[close] 1st read - 2020
2nd read - 2023
3rd read - 2024

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Showing 2 of 4 topics — 13 comments total

Novels

Reviews
By E L K Y · 3 posts · 75 views

last updated Jul 18, 2023 09:29AM

Favorite books
By E L K Y · 6 posts · 83 views

last updated Oct 08, 2022 03:07AM

What Members Thought

Jun 01, 2022 hae린 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

“그런데 내 머릿속의 아몬드는 어딘가 고장 난 모양이다. 자극이 주어져도 빨간 불이 잘 안 들어온다. 그래서 나는 남들이 왜 웃는지 우는지 잘 모른다. 내겐 기쁨도 슬픔도 사랑도 두려움도 희미하다. 감정이라는 단어도, 공감이라는 말도 내게는 그저 막연한 활자에 불과하다.” p. 29

Almond is about a boy named, Yoonjae, who is diagnosed with a brain condition called, alexithymia, which is the inability to identify emotions being experienced. He often gets called"monster" due to this condition. Yoonjae lives with his mom and grandmother, who later comes when his mom was incapable of taking care of Yoonjae a few years af “그런데 내 머릿속의 아몬드는 어딘가 고장 난 모양이다. 자극이 주어져도 빨간 불이 잘 안 들어온다. 그래서 나는 남들이 왜 웃는지 우는지 잘 모른다. 내겐 기쁨도 슬픔도 사랑도 두려움도 희미하다. 감정이라는 단어도, 공감이라는 말도 내게는 그저 막연한 활자에 불과하다.” p. 29

Almond is about a boy named, Yoonjae, who is diagnosed with a brain condition called, alexithymia, which is the inability to identify emotions being experienced. He often gets called"monster" due to this condition. Yoonjae lives with his mom and grandmother, who later comes when his mom was incapable of taking care of Yoonjae a few years after her husband or Yoonjae's father died. The main character's family tries to teach him emotions so he would be able to fit in the world. One day on christmas eve and Yoonjae's birthday, a man kills six people including his grandmother and injures his mom enough for her to fall into a coma. Yoonjae is alone in the world until dr. Shim, his neighbor, comes and becomes his"guardian.” Then he meets, professor Yoon and later his son, Gon, who becomes a big part of his life.

Yoonjae : I love Yoonjae, he was unable to feel emotions, his grandmother died and his mom is in a coma, and he’s treated unfairly in school. It’s amazing that he’s able to continue on with life. He reopens his family’s bookstore and goes back to school. No one understands his inability to feel emotions. I’m so glad he was able to feel emotions at the end. Son wrote Yoonjae’s character very well and he taught me many things. Being able to feel is a blessing and we shouldn’t be taking it for granted.
Gon : "나는 세상을 조금 더 이해하고 싶었다. 그런 의미에서 내겐 곤이가 필요했다."
Gon is probably my favorite character. I especially loved yoonjae's and gon's friendship. Their opposite personalities made their relationship more interesting as they both needed each other. Gon is a delinquent, doesn't want to feel, and has never felt any love in his life while Yoonjae is a boy who is so loved but unable to feel. I love how both of them learn from each other. The ending when Yoonjae saved Gon’s life broke my heart…Both boys deserve so much more! I hope there will be a book about Gon's point of view!
Dora : Dora is a girl in Yoonjae's school who made him experience a new emotion, love. I felt like she was randomly thrown into the story but I like Dora, she’s cool. Just like Gon, she taught him many emotions. But unlike Gon, instead of teaching pain and guilt, she taught him happier emotions.

The ending=😭

“툭, 내 얼굴 위에 눈물방울이 떨어진다. 뜨겁다. 델 만큼. 그 순간 가슴 한가운데서 뭔가가 탁, 하고 터졌다. 이상한 기분이 밀려들었다. 아니, 밀려드는 게 아니라 밀려 나갔다. 몸속 어딘가에 존재하던 둑이 터졌다. 울컥, 내 안의 무언가가 영원히 부서졌다." p. 248

Overall, i loved this book so much(one of my favorite reads), it was so emotional and heartbreaking. Impressive debut novel and good relationships between the characters. This was a short quick novel that taught me many lessons. Yoonjae and Gon are so amazing and this story is written super nicely! ✩Five Stars✩! Highly recommended! Don’t pick this up if you can't read books that include dark content, violence, death, animal cruelty, grief and swearing!

"아이들은 사랑을 갈구하지만, 동시에 가장 많은 사랑을 주는 존재들이다.” -손원평♡ ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2023 signe! rated it it was ok

Shelves: joon-recs

( 2.5 ☆ ) i'm so embarrassed that i didn't like this please could everyone just look away for a moment ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 17, 2023 BrooKe rated it really liked it

Shelves: namjoon

4.4/5 | 綺麗な................ 韓国語が分かればいいのに. 原文の翻訳はさらに驚くべきものに違いない. 英語と日本語... it will have to do.

“Neither you nor I nor anyone can ever know whether a story is happy or tragic. It may be impossible to categorise a story so neatly in the first place. Life takes on various flavours as it flows.”

My heart hurts. My head hurts even more.

“And May was the month that always reminded me I was different from the rest of the world. Everything on the earth glittered, vibrantly. Only me and my bedridden Mom we ...more

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May 22, 2023 Léa rated it it was amazing

Alors, j’ai beaucoup de choses à dire.
Dans un premier temps je vais parler de l’histoire. Histoire touchante du début à la fin. Nous sommes obligés de nous attacher au personnage principal et plus tard aux deux autres personnages qui vont l’accompagner. La traduction vulgarise plutôt bien le problème cérébrale de l’amygdale, c’est à porté de tous, de comprendre cette petite « amande » qui nous permette de ressentir la peur et les émotions.

Seconde chose sur la traduction. Je suis extrêmement dé ...more

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Aug 26, 2022 Livia rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned

Chef’s kith 😗🤌🏻

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 11, 2021 Miriam Cano rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Un libro que nos hala de las emociones como ningún otro lo ha echo. Una persona que no logra tener emociones puede no tener prejuicios y tomar la vida como viene, pero ¿nosotros nos permitiríamos hacer lo mismo o solo ignoramos lo que nosotros y los demás sienten?

"Quizá sea imposible desde el principio clasificar una existencia como una u otra. La vida no hace más que fluir imparable, guardándonos toda clase de sabores". ...more

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