Yudi

Extremely well-told novel, it's rich with sentiment at every turn and made me emotional more than once. Seeing it evolve from what seems like a standard, slice-of-life narrative about an old guy coming to terms with the rest of the neighbourhood to this moving tale of a man who must confront his demons and the harm he's caused to those around him, both in past and present. It's very realistic, too. Don't expect there to be easy, Hollywood-esque resolutions to the demons he faces. While it's not a complete tragedy, the main conflict is not completely resolved, nor are any of the many problems the main characters faces in the novel. My only criticism is that the themes of racism, while rich and complex, don't really go anywhere. They exist as background to the story, and especially are apparent when the main character recounts his experiences as an ethnic Korean in Japan who served as a field medic during WW2. But it's never really resolved and is just there in the story, which is kind of unsatisfying. Other than that though, an excellent, honestly underrated novel.