Everything Belongs to Us

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

I’ve reviewed books that have uncommon narrative styles before, but this is the first time I found myself lost in cultural differences, not just between my culture and theirs but within their culture and the different social strata. No, this is not a criticism. It was fascinating to catch myself having expectations because of the seemingly traditional narrative approach only to have them turned upside down.

Basically, Everything Belongs to Us is a small story, or rather a collection of small stories, that became a deep dive into the culture of South Korea starting around 1978, long enough for a new generation to grow up after the Korean War. This is critical because of the consequences and show more impact the war left behind in both the physical world and the social structures while the main characters have neither experienced the time before nor the war itself.

The economic disparity, the focus on education and children as the guardians of the future, and the political rhetoric is presented in a matter-of-fact manner that begs you to reflect on what you’re seeing. This is not a simple story despite being shown through often uncritical eyes because it reveals the tradeoffs and consequences both within families and the larger picture. It shows the path to radicalization, but also the conflict and social strata within the radical movements and society as a whole.

It’s not a happy story, though it has its moments, and the cultural differences are never clearer than when a ghost appears but does not transform the book into a paranormal fantasy. It’s another fact of life in their culture. No one questions this as out of the ordinary.

The novel offers a fascinating look at the various reactions to wealth, poverty, honor, and survival through the eyes of young people struggling for control over their own existence beyond the demands of tradition and parents. At the same time, the main characters are trying to meet those expectations, creating the paradoxical conflict in which, to some degree, they are both the rescuer and the jailer of their futures. This is true for everyone except Jisun who is a perpetual rebel and experimenter. Even this is a commentary on social status and wealth as her very willingness sets her apart from those she most wants to connect with. She is unable to see how her giving up advantages does not make her the same as those who never had them in the first place.

While not a single character made it through the book without doing something or making a choice that repelled me, none of the main figures lost my interest, not even Sunam who tried hard to do so from the very start. There’s a large cast with many main characters and time jumps into the past that are subtle and easy to miss, but though I was disoriented at times and had trouble figuring out the who and when for a little bit, I was never lost.

The novel offers a glimpse into their world followed up with a summary and where these people are in modern times, having survived complicated childhoods. It shows the culture with both strengths and shadows, the impact of interaction with foreigners near and far, and the unwieldy balance between respect for a benefactor and spite because the aid has been necessary. It also shows the changes in the meaning of patriotism and honor between generations. While focusing on these young characters, it manages to paint a picture that spans much farther than I had imagined, from bridges mined with explosives in case North Korea invades to families putting all their hopes and dreams into the one child able to compete academically, which has far reaching consequences because they never look to see what their focus has created.

It’s not an easy read, though in some ways it’s all too easy, but I think the book does a good job of bringing another reality into my view, many layered, and both familiar and alien all at once. It was worth the time spent within its pages.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

1978 Seoul, a generation after the Korean War, and President Park Chung Hee is in power. Factory workers are striking and three students meet at Seoul National University. Sunam is a protégé of Juno, his link to a prestigious club that calls itself The Circle. Namin also aspires admission to this club and hopes to become its first female member. Jisun, a longtime friend of Namin, is the daughter of a rich and powerful Seoul businessman, and more interested in her work in the Urban Industrial Mission with unions, factory workers and church groups than she is in coursework.

Everything Belongs to Us closely follows these three as they make choices for themselves and deals with others to ensure their individual futures. There’s a quote show more towards the end of the book that aptly sums this up, “…now he’d know what it meant to be trapped between his conscience and his pride. It was never as black and white as he thought, the decisions of love and duty.”

Yooojin Grace Wuertz has written a book with a lot of promise. Her female characters, Namin and Jisun, are stronger than Sunam, her male character. Individuals at the beginning of the book, such as Juno, Min, and Peter Lowell, who play a rather prominent role at first seem to disappear in later chapters, as does Jisun’s fervent desire to help the poor and working class. This said, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it as an introduction to the rather recent and exciting collection of Korean fiction focused on this period of time. show less

The three young people in this book come of age in 1970's Korea. Each comes from families that represent a different level of the economic ladder. They are also quite different in personalities and connect to each other through mutual need and sometimes questionable loyalties. Although I know little about Korean life and politics, I'm pretty sure that the author does. She writes convincingly about the challenges of growing up in post-war Korea and creates real characters with flaws and weaknesses that balance their strengths.
Life's challenges seem to be a focal point in this book. Each of the main characters is successful in the end, but they pay a price. While the setting is Korea, the struggles and difficulties could occur to young show more people anywhere. The hopes and dreams of youth can make it seem that everything belongs to them.
Growing up has a way of changing that and turning those dreams inside out. Those who adapt are better suited to future happiness, but everyone has to deal with it in their own way. These characters don't always behave or respond in the way that I as a reader would expect, but I could related to their inadequacies and disappointments.
I enjoyed "Everything Belongs to Us" and recommend it to readers who enjoy a book that portrays real life and challenges them to see things from different angles. I learned a bit about Korea and it's history, yet also enjoyed a story that could have taken place in any setting. The ending isn't neat and tidy, but then again, neither is life. Ultimately everything doesn't really belong to us, but we survive in spite of it.
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. show less

Everything Belongs to us is a novel about two girls, friends, Sujin who is very wealthy and hates being wealthy and Namin, very poor and hates being poor...their families, their dreams, their boyfriend, Sunam - shared for a while. I lived in Korea for 20 years, 1965-1985, working with many college -aged students so was very interested in this story and how it told. I thought it would be a little different from my other Korean reads, though like every Korean movie and novel I've ever seen or read, it is soap opera-ish in the problems faced and the sorrows experienced. Lots of family dynamics. It's a long book, and I was on the brink of giving up on it when the plot became intensely interesting and held me to the end. When things were at show more their very worst, the story ended and was followed by an epilogue that I greatly appreciated. The book is worth the investment of time. I recognized so much of the Korean cultural and social milieu of the 70's and 80's and that made it especially engaging. It was something of an inside look at things I've observed as an outsider. I found the writing quite good and was struck time and again by her descriptions of behavior and scenes that I thought were quite apt and beautiful. I think I'll remember this book and its three main characters for a long time. show less

The two main characters are quite different women. Jisun has had a privileged life, although not much of a loving family life. In rebellion against her father, she joins an underground activist group. Her best friend, Namin, comes from a poor, hard-working family and is struggling through college at the Seoul National University in the hope that she will be able to offer her family a better life. The two main male characters are Sunam, a student trying to join the prestigious Circle, and Juno, Jisun’s conniving brother.

The story takes place in the 70’s and the author does a very good job of describing the hopes and fears of the young generation in South Korea at that time. There were those who rebelled and protested the harsh show more working conditions and there were those who strived to make the right connections so they could move upward. The living conditions for many made it very difficult to break out of their dismal prospects. While politics play a big part in the book, it’s not heavy handed and the author smoothly blends it into the story. I became engrossed in the story of these young people, their loves, their families and their friendships. The author offers excellent insight into the moral dilemmas faced by her characters and the choices that each makes. I felt the ending sort of petered out but I did enjoy this book as a whole and recommend it.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review. show less

Sunam, Jisun, and Namin are all students at the prestigious Seoul National University, but that’s pretty much all they have in common. Namin comes from a poor family, where both parents and her older sister all work to put Namin through college. She wants to become a doctor to lift her family out of poverty. Sunam comes from a middle class family, and is trying to make connections with rich people to ease his way into the world of business. He, too, is the only child in the family to go to university. Jisun comes from an insanely wealthy family; her father assumes she will take over his business when the time comes. But, despite her life of privilege, she is obsessed with the rights of the working poor.

Odd a group as they seem, they show more become friends- and more. Their relationships are not easy ones; it’s hard to overcome the barriers of money and class- and what their families expect of them. This is their coming of age story.

Set in South Korea in 1978, it’s a time of great change politically and economically. Unions are forming, protests are being staged, and state police are cracking down on activists. The story shows how these pressures affect the characters and their families, and on one level it’s a really good social novel. But it devolves into a soap opera situation and never really recovers from that.

I liked the characters of Namin and Jisun (although I didn’t like some of the choices Jisun made; on the other hand, I applauded one thing she did), but disliked Sunam. Or, rather than dislike, I didn’t feel anything for him- he doesn’t have much personality. The ending left me wanting something more- the three main characters ended up just as one expects from the story, and it’s so abrupt that I felt like the author wanted to tie it up as quickly as possible. I’d give three and a half stars if I could. show less

The lives of two girls from vastly different socioeconomic levels in South Korea try to find themselves, and their voices, throughout the story. Naimin is poor, has a shameful family life, but is intelligent beyond expectation. What she lacks in savvy, Jisun fills in, even though she's lived a life of extravagant privilege. These two friends butt heads more than they get along, and a man inevitably puts the final nail in the coffin of their friendship.
Themes of social rebellion and democracy make room for familial duty, responsibility and respect as the story unfolds. The characters and their lives are interesting and unique. The multifaceted plot is layered, yet a slower lull in the beginning of the second half leads to a more mundane show more existence. There are a few surprises as the characters try to navigate their young adult lives, and situations somewhat reverse themselves as Naimin and Jisun sort themselves out. In all, a predictable tale that sheds light on the time period and various lifestyles in South Korea in the late 1970's.
*I rceived an arc from NetGalley for an honest review show less