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A review by luluwoohoo
Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat
by Kim Jiyun
☀️☀️⛅
A series of interconnected stories that were sweet but not wholly captivating.
The concept of the laundromat being the connecting tissue between the lives of these various individuals is great. Some of the storylines, like Old Jang's, were intriguing and executed well. Others, like the musician and his "fairy", were too saccharine even for me. I found the escalating drama a bit jarring in the Lost And Found chapter but liked bringing everyone together, though having that resolved with one chapter left felt like an odd structural choice.
Jiyun's narrative voice was a bit clunky for my tastes; I don't think this is due to translation as I've read other works from the same translator. The stories didn't flow for me, and often I found that the internal monologues of the characters spelled things out too easily.
This was still very heartwarming and mostly enjoyable to read, but on reflection there are a lot of elements I wanted to be different for me to better appreciate the concept.
by Kim Jiyun
☀️☀️⛅
A series of interconnected stories that were sweet but not wholly captivating.
The concept of the laundromat being the connecting tissue between the lives of these various individuals is great. Some of the storylines, like Old Jang's, were intriguing and executed well. Others, like the musician and his "fairy", were too saccharine even for me. I found the escalating drama a bit jarring in the Lost And Found chapter but liked bringing everyone together, though having that resolved with one chapter left felt like an odd structural choice.
Jiyun's narrative voice was a bit clunky for my tastes; I don't think this is due to translation as I've read other works from the same translator. The stories didn't flow for me, and often I found that the internal monologues of the characters spelled things out too easily.
This was still very heartwarming and mostly enjoyable to read, but on reflection there are a lot of elements I wanted to be different for me to better appreciate the concept.
"There'll come a time where the bitterness fades away, and life will be at its best. Keep faith. That day will come! No matter where you go, take good care of your health."