Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - Reflection, Not a Review!

Like many, I love watching K-dramas. I first discovered them in 2012, accidentally, after watching a J-drama, back in the pre-Netflix days! K-dramas felt so different from Telugu/Hindi dramas and films: deeper characters, daily life themes, exploration of diverse professions, and a poetic way of expressing love and pain. Yet, they shared the familiar hero complex and extreme slow pace (grateful to 1.5x speed on Netflix now, IYKYK!). What truly pulled me in, though, was the stronger female characters, a refreshing change.

Even though I’ve been a K-drama fan for years, it never translated into reading webtoons or Korean books, until now. Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop was my first Korean translated read, and it was a happy accident. I found it at my favorite bookshop in Leeds, a small, independent store run from a cozy boat at the Leeds Docks. The owners are warm, often leaving little handwritten notes near books. This was one of their recommendations. I happily spent my poster prize money (£20) on it (alongwith a few postcards to curate my YouTube background wall!)

Link on more about the bookshop - Here

This is a book for the pained heart, for those trying not to disappoint parents, struggling to find a job in a competitive world, or simply tired of life. It’s a very Korean-style narrative that gently teaches the art of showing up for those you care about, not by fixing their problems, but by giving them space to open up, share, and process. Lately, I’ve been trying to stop treating mine or my friends’ problems like projects, and this book was a kind, generous reminder.

I loved the style. It almost feels like a guidebook, quietly inspiring you to open a bookshop yourself. It explains, in a low-key way, the steps to open, run, and sustain a bookshop. It also reaffirms how deeply personal such a space is, often run on the bookseller’s whims and fancies, a dream for anyone wanting autonomy. Honestly, it’s been ages since I published anything on my blog. and this book is the ONLY reason I managed to post again (and a quick shoutout to ChatGPT for helping me edit!).

About the Story

The book follows Yeongju, a voracious reader since childhood. When her toxic work environment drives her to the brink, she quits and opens a bookshop in a serene neighborhood. Naming it simply after its location, because 'Hyu' means 'rest', she puts her savings into surviving for 2–3 years.

The story unfolds through Yeongju and the friendships she builds with visitors and neighbors, all of them pushed to their limits by life, work, or relationships. Each character is on their own “reset” journey, making different choices to find peace with themselves.

Healing Fiction: A New Genre for Me

This book introduced me properly to the "healing fiction" genre. My first encounter was Burn Out by Sophie Kinsella, hilarious, comforting, and relatable for anyone who's ever felt the pressure of work or life. Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop feels the same but gentler, connecting through written words rather than jokes.

If you’ve ever felt you couldn't share your stress with friends or lacked the patience for advice, this genre offers quiet companionship instead. 

The Characters I Loved

Every character in the book exuded a beautiful, calming aura, despite the harshness they've faced:

• Minjun: A brilliant student exhausted by job hunting.

• SungChul: His friend who was on a similar journey, but still found time to watch and critique movies, my favorite character! I hope to read a book revolving around his life!

• Jimi: A coffee bean entrepreneur who married her love only to realize it was a mistake.

• Mincheol: A teenager worn out by relentless schooling and afterschool classes.

• YooHee: Mincheol’s stressed but loving mother.

• Jungsuh: A permanent contract worker who quit after years of mistreatment that led her to becoming angry and furious at everything, who now finds peace through crocheting, knitting and meditation.

• Plus, the lively book club members and part-time author.

These characters, dealing with life's sharp edges, still manage to embody kindness, sincerity, and warmth. It makes you want to be around them. 

Personal Resonances

I love strong female characters with a clear ethical compass, something I aspire to (and fail often!) in my entrepreneurial dreams. I deeply admired Yeongju’s leadership style: hiring Minjun for a fair wage, refusing unpaid overtime, and prioritizing weekend time-off even when her shop wasn't making profits.

It’s rare to see this kind of employment model in real life, and altough fictional, it gave me real, practical ideas for my future ventures back home in India. This book resonated with my ideas of building a life around meaning and joy more than chasing "pots of money". But my conflict arises when I forget the former and find joy in chasing the latter. 

The book also helped me better understand the difference between a vocation and a job. Vocation, unlike the generic understanding (Tx to Hyderabad's many vocational training institutes) of jobs for less-educated/ less-skilled, is actually more deep. Vocation, as per Merriam-Webster, means a strong desire or leaning for a certain career or course of action. And I wish for more of us to find our vocation than just a job. I understand the role of privilege here, but if you are reading this, you are privileged enough to consider thinking about your vocation too.

Coffee, Books, and Other Joys

I never cared much about coffee before, but this book makes you fall in love with the craft of it. Now I find myself browsing gooseneck kettles, even if my coffee consumption is minimal!

The book is also filled with recommendations, books, movies, and conversations about work, identity, and healing. At a time when layoffs and career crises are common, it feels like a breath of fresh air to rethink work beyond mere survival.

One striking line by Minjun sums my thoughts up, Jobs today are "testing the limits of how long humans can endure fatigue".

I dont know if I will opena bookshop or a library yet, but this book itself has given me so many brilliant ideas, on how to set up, how to make decisions, how to market, what events to run, when to run, etc. It is a book that implores you to be conscious, moral, sincere and honest in whatever you do, by showing how its characters did the same. It gives you courage and direction through them and their life journeys.

Final Thoughts

Overall, though, Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a great book that makes you think and reflect on the soft power of books, bookshops, and booksellers. It's one of those easy-breezy reads that quietly nudges you to reflect on your own life and change what isn't working. I actually felt lucky to be able to face the book and say, "Hey, I'm pretty happy with my life right now." A few years ago, I wouldn't have been able to say that. 

This book is for anyone trying to find their own peace, it reminds you that small, sincere steps matter. So, I really appreciate anyone who's trying to make positive changes in their life. More power and love to you!

What Didn’t Work for Me

• Cover Art: The cover design felt totally disconnected from the cozy bookshop described in the story, surprising given how strong Korean aesthetics usually are. Also, neither Yeongju nor any other character has a dog, so the page ending images dint make sense either. 

• Over-Philosophizing: Some sweeping generalizations and random "deep" metaphors felt unnecessary (e.g., Minjun looking at someone as if he'd found a lost treasure - lol!).

• Lack of Conversations around Power: While the book discusses societal expectations, I wished it pushed deeper into how power shapes our lives. Especially if we are taking about changing ourselves, and taking small steps to live better/ feel better, I believe understanding power is essential. I did LOVE the bit about removing bestsellers though - Now, that was a direct conversation around power!

• Current Trend of Sad Characters: I'm tired of the "self-loathing protagonist" trend. As a naturally enthusiastic person, I find the glorification of gloom exhausting. The creators believe that this is an effort to connect with the average person. But, I believe they're reshaping the average person through this narrative, by making this attitude a more likeable one.

• Slightly patriarchal thoughts: There's a section about Yeongju's divorce. Taewoo, her ex-husband Chang's friend, who was also Yeongju's friend, visits the bookshop and they have a long conversation where more of her past is revealed. But honestly, the entire bit with Taewoo was so stressful. I felt it was still quite misogynistic, and that strong female agency was missing. Plus, Chang chooses to convey his feelings via Taewoo. Why?? This story is set around 2020 ish, so why are we still using such ridiculous, outdated methods of communication for something so crucial? I found that part honestly ridiculous.

• The Germany Trip Felt Rushed: The final chapters felt rushed, especially Yeongju’s month-long visit to German bookshops. We get little insight into what she saw or learned, only her plans for her own shop. It would have been great to hear more about the German bookshops and any cultural differences that influenced her or any that she found alarming.

Quotes I Loved

I underline books with pencil, write notes in the margins, and list referenced books/films at the back. My friend Shivani teased me for "making reading a task", but it helps me revisit the ideas that moved me and I truly enjoy it!

Here are a few quotes I loved:

• "Isn’t that what life is about? Forging forward with the answer you have — stumbling along the way and picking yourself up, only to realize that answer no longer fits."
• "Books are not meant to remain in your mind, but in your heart."
• "Those who can self-reflect change a little with every book. Even those who can't, reading keeps nudging them."
• "Happiness is never too far away."
• "A life surrounded by good people is a successful life."
• "Whatever you do, you’ll face challenges. So what kind of work would you want to do, despite it all?"

Quotes the Book Quoted That I Loved

The book weaves in beautiful lines from other writers and thinkers. A few that really stayed with me:

• "Of all life has to offer, only love is indispensable."

• "Dissonance before moments of harmony makes the harmony sound beautiful. Just as harmony and dissonance exist side by side in music, life is the same. Because harmony is preceded by dissonance, that's why we think life is beautiful."

• "But no dream lasts forever; each dream is followed by another, and one should not cling to any particular dream."

• "A day well spent is a life well lived."

About Me

Hey! I'm a third-year PhD student at Leeds and an occasional reader. This isn’t really a book review, but simply a reflection on how the book made me feel, the ideas it sparked, the quotes I loved, and a few things I wished had been done differently.