Dlwlrma’s Reviews > Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop > Status Update

“When the evening breeze blows, I thank it for clearing up the stuffiness in me and letting me breathe easier. They say hell hath no wind, so thank goodness where I am now must not be hell. If I could capture a moment like this every day, I’ll be strong enough to keep going”

“it’s time to get out of this lethargy. Instead of curling up at the bottom of the well, I stretch my limbs and get up. Hey! This well isn’t as deep as I imagined it to be. I laugh at myself, at how I’ve been living in the dark all this time. Then, thirty-five degrees to my right, a light breeze caresses my face. That moment, I’m so thankful to be alive. The wind feels good.”

“Knowing that we’re not alone in our misery gives us strength. It’s like I’d thought I was the only miserable soul, but now I think, Oh, everyone’s the same. The pain remains, but somehow, it feels lighter. Has there ever been a person who has never fallen into the well once in their life? I thought about it and my answer is no, there hasn’t”

“Beans that could no longer be used should be thrown away without hesitation. Once a bad bean – even if it’s just one – was mixed with the rest, the coffee tasted somewhat disappointing. One bean was enough to make a difference.”

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“Every possibility starts from something small – like the apple juice you drink every morning – but it can change everything.”

“Her favourite among the Na PD programmes was Youth Over Flowers, in particular the episodes where the cast went to Africa and Australia.”

Youth over flowers mentioneddd

“Minjun had resolved to be like Seymour – to not regret his decision. But what he needed was not resolve. He needed courage. The courage not to waver in the face of disappointment from others, the courage to stick to his beliefs and choices.”
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“As I close the book, I think to myself – I should stop labelling myself an inadequate person. I still have opportunities, don’t I? Opportunities to act kindly, to speak with compassion. Even a disappointing human like myself can still be, occasionally, a good person. The idea gives me strength. And for the days ahead, hope.”

I could try that.

“I’m just an ordinary human being. No matter how hard I try, I am nothing more than an ordinary person. Because I’m ordinary, I end up hurting others or making them sad. We smile at each other at the same time as we hurt each other.”

“Yeongju wanted to lash out at her and demand to know what crime she had committed. No matter how she tried to expel the fury, the thorn remained stabbed in her heart, making it tender to the touch, as if full of bruises.”

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