Love in the Big City
by Sang Young Park
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What It’s About
A messy, funny, and gutting novel that follows Young, a queer man in Seoul navigating hookup culture, chronic illness, and heartbreak, all while staying fiercely tethered to his best friend Jaehee. Told in fragmented chapters that blur memory, desire, and grief, it’s a coming-of-age story that never tries to tidy itself up.
My Take
This novel hits like a shot of soju followed by silence. The tone is sharp, irreverent, and often hilarious, but underneath it all there’s real ache.
What stayed with me were the conversations that weren’t had, the longing that didn’t go away, and the friendships that mattered more than any relationship. Young’s voice is self-aware and sometimes cruel, but it never lies to the reader. There were lines that winded me. Not because they were lyrical, but because they were honest.
Would I Recommend It?
Yes, if you’re open to nonlinear structure, flawed narrators, and emotional whiplash. This is not a quiet book. It’s loud and vulnerable, and that’s exactly what makes it good.
Read it if you liked:
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
Sharp, fragmented stories about identity and disconnection
Where to Read It:
Buy on Amazon • Bookshop.org
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