Hey, what’s up?

I recently read a Korean fiction novel that I randomly picked up just because it had such a nice cover. Back when I still had Netflix, I used to love watching Korean dramas, so I thought, why not give a Korean novel a try?

The book is Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun, translated by Shanna Tan. And honestly? It turned out to be such a great read. I’d rate the cover 10/10, and the book itself also gets a solid 10/10 from me.

The translation was really well done too. Shanna Tan kept some Korean terms that most people generally know, like Ajusshi, Ajumma, aigoo, and Unni. It honestly felt like I was watching a real Korean drama while reading the book, which made the experience even more enjoyable.

Now, onto the actual review.

The novel is basically a collection of five short stories that are all interconnected through the laundromat. I’ll share the titles of each story, but I’m keeping the characters a secret because you really need to experience them for yourself. The whole book felt so refreshing to read.

The stories are:

• Take Care of the Tomato Plant
• A Midsummer Romance
• The Umbrella
• Lost and Found
• Jujube Ssanghwa-tang

The author talks about the hardships people go through in real life, while reminding us that there’s always a silver lining behind every dark cloud. No matter how difficult life gets, things can eventually become better. Sometimes, all you can do is persevere and keep going.

A lot of the situations the characters experience felt very real — the kind of problems that almost all of us have faced, are facing, or might face someday. The book somehow opened my eyes and made me want to believe in good things again. It reminded me that there are still genuinely kind people out there… although, of course, there are also bad people we should be careful of.

I honestly don’t even know how to fully describe this book because it carries so many beautiful messages. But here are a few quotes from the book that I really liked:

“Even a billionaire is only young once.”

“There’ll come a time when the bitterness fades away, and life will be at its best.”

“Time, once gone, will never return.”

Alright, that’s the end of this short book review. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one. Bye!