Almond: A Novel - Book Review
Genre: Contemporary fiction | Young adult
Author: Sohn Won-Pyung (translated to English by Sandy Joosun Lee)
Year: 2021
Pages: 259
I first read Almond back in August 2021 for Women in Translation Month, where bibliophiles are encouraged to read translated books penned by women. The story originally intrigued me and it’s quite a short read, so I thought I would give it a go.
Fast forward a couple of years and I thought it was time for a reread, not only because I gave this book such a glowing review at the time (but forgot to share it on here, whoops!), but I couldn’t remember a whole lot about the book.
Yunjae is born with alexithymia, a condition which makes it difficult for him to identify, express and process emotions. His mother helps him to blend in, leaving notes around their home to teach Yunjae when to smile and laugh, or how to react if someone says “thank you”. While young Yunjae doesn’t have any friends, he has a comfortable, content life with his mother and grandmother in their used bookstore.
On his sixteenth birthday, Yunjae’s life is torn apart by a terrible act of violence and he suddenly finds himself alone in a world he doesn’t understand. Slowly, with the help of his new friends, Yunjae is forced to venture out of his comfort zone as he begins to learn more about himself and the world in ways he could never have imagined.
“To borrow Granny’s description, a bookstore is a place densely populated with tens of thousands of authors, dead or living, residing side by side. But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle.”
This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Won-pyung perfectly encapsulated a raw and real story despite the protagonist’s inability to understand emotions. It’s a very moving book and beautifully written – the sentences are sharp and impactful, and there’s something poetic and rhythmic about the writing.
I read the ebook first before I went and purchased a physical copy, and I made plenty of notes and highlighted passages in my first read through just because I adored the writing and prose. I’m always impressed with translators – I think it must be difficult to encapsulate the original wording and meaning in another language. In this case, I think the Joosun Lee does a marvellous job.
It’s a fairly quick read, but it’s a brilliant one as I was so engrossed in Yunjae’s story. Despite our protagonist not understanding emotions, the book is full of them. I also thought it was interesting that Won-pyung tells this story in the first person – it makes Almond all the more engaging and emotionally charged.
The bite-sized chapters make the story easy to digest and compulsively readable. I enjoyed Almond just as much, if not more, in my second reading and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the book again when I read it in the future.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5