by: Nabila Rhapsodios
PRODUCT INFO
Title: Minimarket Yang Merepotkan
Author: Kim Ho-yeon
Publisher: Haru
Language: Indonesia
Year Published: 2022
Page(s) Number: 400
PROLOGUE
Kim Ho-yeon
This book is titled "Minimarket Yang Merepotkan." Haru Publisher publishes it in Indonesian, hence the name Minimarket Yang Merepotkan. Kim Ho-yeon is credited as the sole author of this book. This novel never yelled at me to buy it long after its birth until I saw it at a credible book auction in the still celebrating 2025 New Year. Curious, I added this book as my second pick on the auction war. By Fate's design, I won only this book.
Old Book Cover
Here's a short synopsis of what this book is about:
Mrs. Yeom, a retired history high school teacher, is on her way to her destination by train. Inside the train, she is distraught over her loss—her wallet has fallen off. Her phone rings loudly while planning what to do with her lost wallet. An unknown caller flashes on her phone screen. Deciding to believe in her hunch, she picks up.
Dok-go is a vagabond who lives in Seoul Station. His quotidian homeless life is forever changed when he finds a red pouch. That pouch is full of important stuff belonging to a woman. Dok-go decides to return the pouch to its owner, so he calls the woman's number that he saw inside that crimson purse.
The two meet at Seoul Station. Mrs. Yeom thanked Dok-go for returning her red pouch. Mrs. Yeom questions Dok-go's identity, but the roofless man states he couldn't say many things aside from his name and his strong urge to use a drink. Touched by Dok-go's kindness, Mrs. Yeom invites Dok-go to lunch at her minimarket. Seeing the glint of joy in Dok-go's countenance when munching his meal, Mrs. Yeom impulsively asks him to stop by for lunch every day.
In a twist of fate, Dok-go saves Mrs. Yeom from a burglar at night at her minimarket. His valor propelled Mrs. Yeom to offer Dok-go a night shift despite the protest of her mindful employees. Dok-go quickly gains the trust of his colleagues and the surrounding area because of his keenness to listen to their problems and his ability to give a handful of advice. Things go peaceful for Dok-go's life as a minimart employee until his boss's good-for-nothing son employs a detective to dig into his blank past and what Dok-go seems to be trying to erase from his memory.
Let's move on to my impression: the pros and cons.
MY IMPRESSION
Things that I consider the plus score for this book or novel:
a. Pretty easy to read, stress-free read. Perfect for leisure time
b. Small talks but inspiring and very in-depth dialogues with each character
c. Loved the switching of characters' POVs. In the end, they are all related
d. Learned about forgiveness, reprieves, and overcoming hardships in a cruel world. Kindness triumphs at the end of suffering, guilt, and sorrow
Things that I feel the 'oh no-no' for this novel:
a. This novel does not engage the reader quickly
b. The mystery keeps me hooked until the last part of the book, but it's nothing astonishing
c. The novel has several POVs, which can be a bit boring for those who do not want to know the supporting characters more deeply (Dok-go & Mrs. Yeom, obviously the main cast)
d. The very last chapter was powerful, but the strong force was not evenly distributed to other chapters
My closing statement is that nothing remarkable about it warranted a higher rating than 7.2 out of 10. I liked the novel, but it has not marked or moved me in any way.
-END-
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