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Elena L. 's Reviews > Exhibit
Exhibit
by
by
Jin Han is a brilliant photographer and in her marriage to her college love Phillip, she has been pressured to have a child. Lidija Jung is an injured ballet soloist. When they meet each other at a lavish party, they become entangled by their ambition and desires.
Jin and Lidija find in art - photography and ballet, respectively - inspiration, solace and meaning for life. Through the lives of a woman with kisaeng's spirit whose inner desires overlap another soul with her own ambition, Kwon excels at showing the way desires contrast with stereotyped image of Asian women. There is certain fragility in the pressures, in how the story highlights the body image, the public figure hidden of imperfection x private, living in hiding.
The old familial curse that haunts Jin is vividly painted in form of 'The Kisaeng's story' - the Korean tale mirrors the two female characters, in how woman's body is exhibited while also defying the social and cultural norms regarding Korean women. Furthermore, Kwon sharply examines religion and one notices that even faith seems unable to save in some circumstances (I wonder how much comes from the author's own experience).
This is a character-driven story, which singular prose (reminiscent of LAND OF MILK AND HONEY) might not be for everyone. The ideas and its delivery (however in a more abstract way) remind one of MEMORY PIECE. This is a novel that requires one to read between lines, to decipher and have one's own interpretation.
EXHIBIT feels like a meticulous character study, about womanhood and desires. In 200 pages, this book reads very literary fiction, innovative and experimental.
- note: this is perfect for buddy read as the reader will probably have some (if not a lot) of questions
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Riverhead books . All opinions are my own ]
Jin and Lidija find in art - photography and ballet, respectively - inspiration, solace and meaning for life. Through the lives of a woman with kisaeng's spirit whose inner desires overlap another soul with her own ambition, Kwon excels at showing the way desires contrast with stereotyped image of Asian women. There is certain fragility in the pressures, in how the story highlights the body image, the public figure hidden of imperfection x private, living in hiding.
The old familial curse that haunts Jin is vividly painted in form of 'The Kisaeng's story' - the Korean tale mirrors the two female characters, in how woman's body is exhibited while also defying the social and cultural norms regarding Korean women. Furthermore, Kwon sharply examines religion and one notices that even faith seems unable to save in some circumstances (I wonder how much comes from the author's own experience).
This is a character-driven story, which singular prose (reminiscent of LAND OF MILK AND HONEY) might not be for everyone. The ideas and its delivery (however in a more abstract way) remind one of MEMORY PIECE. This is a novel that requires one to read between lines, to decipher and have one's own interpretation.
EXHIBIT feels like a meticulous character study, about womanhood and desires. In 200 pages, this book reads very literary fiction, innovative and experimental.
- note: this is perfect for buddy read as the reader will probably have some (if not a lot) of questions
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Riverhead books . All opinions are my own ]
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