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My name would be excluded from the address section in the yearbook, a professor would remember everyone's face except mine, and so on. And the countless mistakes in recordkeeping that often occurred on paper. Whenever such things happened, I would cry out in my mind: Why me? Why do these things keep happening to me? Why me, of all the people in the world? I get left out. My life gets left out. When you're left out over and over again, you come to feel that you're left behind.
No One Writes Back ~~ Jang Eun-Jin



Words cannot describe how much I love this book. Rarely have I been so invested while reading a novel. The last 10 ~~ 15 pages took me on an emotional journey I had not expected.

The premise of No One Writes Back is a simple one with the narrator explaining to the reader, I left home with an MP3 player and a novel in an old backpack. And with Wajo.

This is the story of a young man who has been traveling aimlessly for the past three years, with only his dog, Wajo, for company. Every day, he leaves the motel he’s slept at, randomly chooses a direction and sees what the day will bring. If it brings a conversation with a stranger ~~ and if the stranger agrees to share their address ~~ then they are added to the traveler’s mental database, each being given a number rather than a name.

However, No One Writes Back is not the story of a road trip. It is more of an end of the road story. Our hero, Jihun ~~ or 0 as he is also known ~~ has been on this journey for three years. When we join Jihun on his journey, we are with him for his last few stops of his long trip.

I was surprised that this tale was told mostly as a series of recollections. We learn much more of who Jihun was, rather than who he is and how this journey has shaped him.

Each night, before going to bed, Jihun writes a letter about his day, either to his family or one of his collection of encounters; sadly, every time he calls a friend back home to find out if he’s had any replies, the answer is always the same, ~~ No. Jihun's ritual routine is interrupted one day though when a woman the traveler sees on an underground train decides to follow him ~~ the woman becomes 751; she is also the first person to join him in his travels ~~ whether he likes it or not.



Jihun see himself a nomad and a collector of stories, writing down anecdotes about the people he meets every day, a task which has become an integral part of his journey. Each of the random, fleeting encounters is stored away in his impressive memory, waiting to be recalled when needed.

We slowly learn more about Jihun and his situation. For some unknown reason, he cannot live at home ~~ constant seizures at home forced him to move out and take on an endless trip throughout Jihun is waiting for a sign to end his travels ~~ a letter, a reply to one of the many he has sent during his journey. However, as we have already figured out, no one writes back.



In Jihun's world, numbers are extremely important. He is able to categorize people thanks to his amazing memory, allocating everyone a number and then writing to them when the appropriate time comes. This focus on numbers comes partly from the young man’s mother ~~ a high school math teacher.

Oh so subtly, Jang Eun-Jin moves the reader away from the rational, logical world of numbers and into the realm of feelings and words and humanity, and as we are guide here by Jang we begin to a very different side to Jihun ~~ he is no longer an oddball, but is instead a man we begin to feel compassion for.

Ultimately, No One Writes Back is defined by the letters Jihun writes. In a digital world, Jihun is a throwback to an early time ~~ preferring to commit his experiences to paper, and using pay phones rather than a cell phone.

Jihun clings to the hope that just one of his letters will garner a reply, and when his hopes are dashed time and time again, I felt just as hurt as Jihun did. There is a far greater significance to the letters then we are initially led to believe. The payoff is huge. I cried when I learned why.

No One Writes Back is a wonderful story and expertly developed and paced; Jang slowly provides new information at exactly the right moment throughout this book. Her writing reminds me of Murakami, especially Norwegian Wood. Jang brilliantly develops the relationship with the woman, 751. Even Wajo, the dog, has his own story ~~ and it is a doozy of a story.



No One Writes Back is a magical work which I'm certain will cast it's spell over you. One of �����Բ�’s most amazing skills is to carefully lead you down on road and then pull the world out from your under your feet in one paragraph. If you aren’t moved by the final pages of this novel there's something definitely wrong with you.

Hmmm ... what else? Get your hands on No On Writes Back and read it. Now, if you'll pardon me, I need to read the last 10 pages of this fantastic book again.