In the month of October, in the joint reading channel, we read the work of Kyung-Sook Shin “Please look after mom”, one of the best known works of this Korean author, who also has other books such as “Violet” and “I´ll be right there”.
This book has been published in 19 countries, becoming a literary success for the author who has been awarded multiple times thanks to her works, and has obtained important titles among them, being the first woman to win the Man Asian Literary Award in 2012 thanks to this book.
The book, which has a score of 3.85 in GoodReads, was published in 2008 and contains 240 pages. It belongs to the novel genre.
Analysis of the reading:
On the server there were divided opinions regarding this book and most agreed on the same thing: it is pretty difficult to read. At first, it can be a bit confusing and difficult to be able to connect with the story of these characters, as it is not captivating enough until you are in the middle of reading.
It is interesting how in each chapter the story is told from the perspective of each member of the family. They all have different memories that make us come into context and get an idea of what Park So-nyo was like: she was an exemplary mother and a good person.
The good thing about this book is that it makes us reflect a lot thanks to the characters’ stories. As they recount their memories of their mother, they all feel guilty that they weren’t good children and that they weren’t present at the time of her disappearance. Constant guilt makes this story get a little saturated, it is mentioned in every chapter of the book and it becomes a little tiring to read.
Despite all this, it shows a reality that we cannot deny. At some point we are all so focused on ourselves that we neglect what we have around us, this involves our loved ones. Park So-Nyo´s children did, and they waited for the worst to happen so they could become aware of this.
The value of the family is very important, let us appreciate our relatives and give them the time and love they deserve, that is the main theme of the book and which we must internalize. Without a doubt, this is a book that can be read by everyone since it is very generational and understandable, with a problem that is not new in society.
Review by: Angie Salavarria
