Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

A light, almost melancholic read about life and where it leads us. Is it okay to do what you want in life? Is it okay to not want to be part of the rat race and live at your own pace?

Follow the lives of the employees of Hyunam-Dong bookshop as they struggle with the rat race and their decision to leave it, which brings together people from different walks of life but who have all asked the same question - is it worth it?

Relationships are masterfully woven without excess romance or spice, but just the slow, gentle appreciation that one person can have for another. The acknowledgement that who we are today might not be who we are tomorrow, and changing our lives is not always a bad thing.

This was a great cosy read that left me questioning my decisions in life, and made me more motivated to get to where I actually want to be, instead of where I think I should be.

Biased because this book perfectly fits slice of life at a bookshop niche, but this was a perfect read

The book starts off quite slow-paced, as we are introduced to a character who has decided to quit her job to run a local bookshop. I'll admit that at first I didn't see the point of it - I didn't feel like anything was happening plot-wise - but by the end I felt really charmed by this one.

As the bookshop becomes a community and a place for locals to gather, the owner starts to grow into her role as bookshop owner as well. By the end I really wanted to visit the bookshop myself.

When I was a kid I wanted to run a bookshop (and live on the second floor above it) which I'm sure is a common dream for bookworms. But I guess running a bookshop is often more about the people that come to the store rather than the books themselves. I'm not much of a people person so I guess I'm glad that dream didn't pan out 😂

My favorite fiction books are those focused on unique, well-crafted, characters who interact in a small area. In this book there are plenty of characters to choose from and all the story is within an environment I would be so happy to have access to. A bookstore that has tea and wants their customers to get comfortable and stay awhile.

There are some moments where the story stalled a bit but then picked back up. It was nice to see people mature, grow, and improve over the several years of the storyline.<spoiler>Also glad the store owner's sadness at the very beginning of the story was spelled out at the very end, rather than upfront, as so many authors like to do.</spoiler>

This was a nice book to listen to as it’s fairly light and has an uplifting feel to it.

I will say that it is a slow book, sometimes too slow. The book brings up a lot of good discussions but has them in a way that can sometimes be to long or over reinforce the ideas. I was in just the right mood for this book when I was listening to it but when I think about the book it leads me to thinking about other healing fiction that I have read. There is something missing to add that extra wow factor to.

It’s a good book but not a strong one at the same time. But if you are looking for a healing fiction book and something to slow down with, this is a good book to read.

I thought that I was having a difficult time getting through this book because I was having focus issues, but it turns out that this is meant to be a slow read, the type of book you'll want to savor and process as you take it in. It's meant to be a healing experience, something that makes you take stock of your own life and experiences as you read, taking in the characters' own experiences. This title is thought-provoking and insightful, but a lot of the depth of the interpersonal issues and themes of severing familial ties and immense individual guilt over not fitting into the intense work culture can be lost on readers who aren't familiar with Korean culture's tough stances on these things.

Overall, the book is a commentary on work culture and societal expectations with an overarching theme of rediscovering your passions and following through on fulfilling your life for yourself, not other peoples' expectations. If you're in a time of your life where you need to take a retrospective look at what you're doing and the path you're on, this is a book you need to read.

3.5 stars. An interesting character study, where each explores various paths seeking a way forward in the world while still heavily influenced by their past.

The translator did a decent job though I felt it was a bit awkward and distracting at times.

I read this book in January and it was a great one to start the year with.

This story is about slowing down, appreciating the small things and not getting lost in the hustle of life and work.

We have different characters, each one in their own quest of finding new meaning in their lives, for some of them after trying and failing to have a certain lifestyle. I found myself relating to almost all the characters, especially Yeongju, who rekindled her love and passion for books and reading.

This was a comforting, cozy read. I felt transported to Yeongju’s bookshop and the atmosphere it created.

I'm a sucker for slice-of-life character-driven novels and Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop is a complete vibe and I'm soaking up every bit of this cozy warm hug of a story.

I appreciated the cast of characters and how they had such impactful relationships helping each other navigate difficult life challenges, circumstances, and phases of life. I loved the thought-provoking conversations concerning work-life balance, finding joy and purpose in your life outside of career aspirations, and overcoming past insecurities to become present and confident in the life you live now so you can bravely pursue a better future.

I seriously feel reading this book at the end of the year was perfect timing as I feel so inspired and motivated to pursue my life with full abandon and chase my dreams and passions creating a life that makes me joyful and content. An amazing piece of literary fiction!

6

This made me want to go back to working at a library and pick up the story I started writing during covid

Hello to burnt out software engineers and other office workers!

This book hit the right spot at the right time. I loved all the characters. Didn't think it would be a found family book(shop) but it was so nice how everyone had things they were dealing with but still trying their best every day. Very human.

The translation was very good and didn't feel weird or clipped like some other older translations I've read. The book to read if you want to run away and open a bookshop because that's exactly what happened in this.

there is something comforting (and bizarre) about this book.

A superb treatise on finding yourself again after burnout from overwork.

The book gathers together a collection of characters who, in some way or other, have been the victims of overwork (and a teenager who worries about joining the workforce), and how they manage to change their lives to deal with the issues it has caused. They meet in Yeongju's new neighbourhood bookshop - beautifully described throughout the book and a place anyone would want to visit and start to heal again with the power of words and reading.

A great book to read - all about healing, the nature of work, how, why, and when we work and for what purpose. And how work is related to happiness and finding out what happiness actually is for each individual.

This made me feel like I could open up a bookshop! I love the frankness of the characters in regards to their thoughts. They own up to their flaws and strengths and I enjoyed the interactions they had with each other. The book slowed down for me with the details about editing and writing good sentences and then again with a bit of philosophy, but picked up again after that. It didn't grab me the way other recent bookshop books have, but I did enjoy it.

This book takes you on a journey with the main character as they learn how to carve a place for their bookshop. All the while exploring friendships, relationships, self worth, and how to find your place in this world.

While this book is a book that can generally be categorized as a cozy slice of life read. There are times when you will feel sadness and have introspective thoughts along with the characters.

My expectations were high, but this turned out to be a very mediocre book. It feels like the author took some (amazing) lines from famous books + looked at some Pinterest quotes, and then crafted a story to bind them together.

The book meanders very slowly and the characters are rather boring. It's all very predictable.

I can see how some people might enjoy the feel-good vibes and the absence of any conflict or real struggle.

I was so excited to read this for the longest time. I would say it was okay. I liked the theme, every book lovers dream it to open a book shop that servers books and coffee. It had its moments but nothing ground breaking, the characters are individually fascinating but then I felt like that they were not represented enough... also, I hate to say it but this can be tagged as forgettable. While at some point, it felt like a memoir of the author, I'm still giving it a 4 star because I did like the whole vibe.

3.5. Meandering and slow building, but in the end warming and quietly wholesome. Topical messages for the contemporary South Korean zeitgeist of escaping the capitalist ratrace and emancipation from older norms of traditional marriage.

Przytulenie w formie książki. Może trochę za długa?

Ciepła i przyjemna, działająca jak meliska lub ciepły kocyk, choć jednocześnie zostawiła mnie z wieloma przemyśleniami i mnóstwem zaznaczonych cytatów

Czy też tak macie, że książka, która powinna być przez was przeczytana w danym momencie, jakby przypadkiem sama na was czekała. Tak właśnie było z tą książką.

It's a cozy anti-capitalist tale that reads like a gauzy K-drama. Yeong-ju leaves the unrelenting grind of her engineering job, divorces her career obsessed husband, and decides to open up a bookshop in a quiet Seoul neighbourhood. She discovers a found family that is likewise escaping from the prevailing hyper-competitive, burnout inducing reality that is modern life.

Jungsuh left the corporate world behind to pursue knitting, Mincheol escaped the hagwon to spend his afternoons at the bookshop, and Minjun has thwarted his parents expectations by devoting his time to being the bookshop barista. All of them are renegotiating their lives and looking for new meaning at a different pace than what the world might expect of them.

It's an earnest, heart-on-its-sleeve story that mirrors the authors own experience leaving her career as a software engineer at LG to pursue writing, eventually winning a story contest, and publishing it as an ebook to nationwide acclaim. So maybe fairy-tales do come true.

Absolutely relaxing and easy to read piece of work, making you reflect on a lot of things you've done to get to the exact point you are in your life right now.
Each character had their own backstory, their own unique thing that made them them, as well as hardships, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem to others.
A brilliant read.
Rating: 5.0 ???????????????????? 

Brilliant book

Absolutely loved this book. Right now, I have no words to express how this book made me feel. Hopefully soon, I can pen a suitable review that will make everyone read this book.

Please read this book