Almond: A Novel

Product Information

In her debut novel, film director and screenwriter Sohn Won-pyung (with the assistance of translator Sandy Joosun Lee) has created a tender exploration of adolescence — a universal experience complicated here by extraordinary circumstances. This is one of those books that deftly straddles the line between young adult and adult fiction; it has such a gentle heart that readers of all ages will recognize and sympathize with the characters' struggles and celebrate when they ultimately triumph. The second half of the book falls a little short. One of the great aspects throughout are the conversations between Yunjae and Gon, and how they discuss and explore the very different ways they feel and express their emotions. Gon is volatile, angry and larger-than-life in how he enacts his inability to regulate his emotions. It’s clear he’s very drawn to Yunjae and wants to be more like him. I felt the story may have been stronger if Sohn had focused only on developing this aspect. Instead, it veers into other narratives that are introduced too late and feel rushed.

Almond” - Medium 7 Reminders From Won-Pyung Sohn’s “Almond” - Medium

This was a very compelling read. I finished the book within a day — I was unable to put it down. My copy has since been riddled with highlights and notes scribbled in the margins.Llevo un tiempo debatiéndome entre las 4 y las 5 estrellas, así que lo dejaré [en mi cabeza, porque goodreads...] en 4'5. Me ha encantado casi absolutamente todo. El estilo narrativo es simple y directo, como Yunjae. Y pese a ser un personaje con el que, en un principio, no podría empatizar nunca por mi personalidad, me he sentido muy cerca de él en cada una de las palabras. Vas de la mano con el protagonista mientras te guía por su pequeña (y dura, vista desde fuera) vida, pero no es excesivamente dramático. No busca eso para nada, sino que busca la simpleza de alguien con alexitima, de alguien que es incapaz sentir. Y ha sido precioso. Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I'd never met and lives I'd never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn't experienced could all be found in those volumes.” People sometimes say how cool it’d be to be fearless, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. Fear is an instinctive defense mechanism necessary for survival. Not knowing fear doesn’t mean that you’re brave; it means you’re stupid enough to stay standing on the road when a car is charging towards you.”

Almond: A Novel by Won-pyung Sohn | WHSmith

Creo que el primer acierto es que esté narrada por Yunjae, con ese toque frío y robótico que transmite perfectamente esa falta de sentimientos. Solo narra los distintos momentos de su vida como si fuera un mero espectador. Sin embargo, sentí que eso va cambiado conforme va avanzando la novela y cada vez se muestra una narración mucho más sentida. O al menos eso he percibido yo. Y tanto es así que ha logrado emocionarme en muchísimas ocasiones. Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh.I couldn't see this book to be as impactful if it was taken from a different culture. The commentary on Korean society is what made this book to be compelling for a coming-of-age novel. And it is so ironic how this book was supposed to be about a boy with no emotion, yet was enigmatically emotional. I honestly enjoy this book and it is highly affecting, which is sure to delight readers of every age. Plus I’m a huge fan of BTS and I can easily connect this with a book! Because if you know BTS and watched their show “In the Soop” you’ll know that RM as well as SUGA read “Almond” during the show. ;-) So this is the perfect choice for “read a book recommended by a Korean celebrity”! It must be difficult to write a character without feelings, and the author didn't always succeed. Yunjae does feel things all along, otherwise some of his observations would have been different. There are a hundred answers to one question in this world. So it's hard for me to give you a correct answer" Trigger warnings for extreme bloody violence, bullying, animal harm (it was traumatising for me to read about it. Any living being cannot be tortured in any way. Period.)

Almond: A Novel - Won-pyung Sohn - Google Books Almond: A Novel - Won-pyung Sohn - Google Books

In what might be the first novel to feature a protagonist with alexithymia—an inability to identify and express one's feelings—Korean novelist Sohn's affecting debut arrives stateside...Winner of the prestigious Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction in Korea, Sohn presents a 15-year-old neurodiverse protagonist with much resonance. I mentioned earlier that Yunjae’s mother writes notes on how Yunjae should respond to someone’s actions. His mother teaches him how to react, claiming that it was out of love. However, he wonders if her actions are what love was: “But to me, it seemed more like we were doing this out of her own desperation not to have a child that was different.” So you must not have been scared when Gon hit you. But you do know that doesn’t mean you were brave, right? Almond follows the story of Yunjae, who was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions. And as the story unfolds, you can see how the author tries to portray this kind of condition to be something that is rarely understood in society and often leads to prejudice and discrimination. Yunjae was often labeled as a "monster" and got outcasted among his friends for his inability to feel anything.This could have been really good but it just didn't make much sense. The characters were not believable. For instance, the adults around him open up and tell him every little thing, as though he's their therapist. Another thing that didn't make sense is that his mother asked a friend to take care of Yunjae in the event she is ever unable to, but never told him anything about Yunjae's condition. Ooooo-kaaaaaaay. She wouldn't have, like, I don't know, said 'Hey, before you agree, I need to tell you that this kid has special needs that you'll need to know about and understand'? Obviously, as a psychology major, I was super-psyched (ha!) to receive a copy of this book from the publisher. It's also a translated work from Korea, which makes it an excellent choice for celebrating AAPI heritage month. Interestingly, I heard another reviewer saying that in Korea it's marketed to a young adult audience, but in the United States, it's been rebranded as an adult title. I can see why. This book is very dark. The teenage character sees his mother and grandmother bludgeoned and stabbed before him, killing his grandmother and putting his mother into the hospital. After their respective death and incapacitation, he is put into the care of a well-meaning neighbor, who lets him continue to live alone and run his mother's bookstore while he goes to school and tries to have some semblance of a normal life. The first two-thirds (basically part 1&2) of this book was easily 5 stars for me but then it unfortunately went a bit downhill. Like when he notes how easily people were to throw up their hands at the challenge of fixing remote problems, and in turn, cower in fear at the thought of fixing those nearest to them. There is a devastating eloquence in how Yunjae can express the complexities of human behavior and interactions with such simplicity, and through Yunjae’s eyes, the reader is given a different way of looking at the world. Given that the hero, Yunjae, has so much difficulty with empathy and relating to others, he often attracts negative attention. One day, this attention comes from a juvenile delinquent named Gon, who has a whole bunch of his own problems, one of which brings him into the sphere of Yunjae in the first place. As you learn more about them, their bond becomes one of contrasts: Yunjae is a "good boy" who feels nothing at all; Gon is a "bad boy" who feels far too much. Yunjae has no empathy and could do terrible things without remorse but doesn't. Gon, on the other hand, lashes out at everyone, even as it tears him up inside. It becomes a curious and fascinating study about societal norms and morality-- especially in the last act of the book, when Yunjae makes another friend named Dora.