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Cursed Bunny
Reviews
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I really wanted to enjoy this book, but many of the stories just fell a little flat for me. I don't read lots of short story, but lots of the endings made me wishing there was more going on, or something a little more tidy. It was a fun read, but I wouldn't recommend except for very specific reasons.
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Well written, and an interesting insight into Korean values/critiques/thoughts. Does become very predictable and repetitive at times.
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The Snare story >>>>
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4.5/5
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kinda mid. was expecting more.
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Loved it.
I find myself thinking about some stories pretty often, even though I read most of them last year.
I particularly liked the ones related to curses.
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literally my thought process: wtf - enjoying it - wtf - boring ...
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Absolutely one of my best reads this year :0 The book started with lots of magical realism. It's like Budi Darma but with more angst. The first one was already a punch in the gut, and then it got better and better. Chung carefully added horror, folk-lore, sci-fi, and fantasy to the mix and nailed every single one. Gdi she's so talented it's almost a cheat. My favorites are The Embodiment and Scars, but every piece was stellar. With engaging story telling, simple writing, great pacing, heart wrenching twists and open endings, her short stories are complete circles that leave you squirming and breathless, simultaneously needing a timeout and wanting for more. Ms. Bora Chung, you got a fan in me.
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Buku yang menarik👀 Horror, science fiction, magic.. semuanya ada dibuku ini dan terbagi menjadi beberapa kumpulan cerita pendek yang bikin tegang, terkejut dan merinding! 💀 Setiap cerita akan dimulai dengan kalimat-kalimat yang bikin kita bergidik & takut dengan apa yang akan terjadi nantinya.. penulis hebat banget bisa bikin emosi yang kita rasakan seperti sedang naik rollercoaster🎢 Cerita pertama bikin ngeri & jijik.. Cerita kedua bikin kita mempertanyakan hal-hal tentang medis.. Hingga saat sudah selesai membaca, aku sadar semua inti ceritanya itu mengerikan☠️ Setiap cerita memiliki tema yang berbeda, ada yang balas dendam, cinta, trauma, keserakahan, ketakutan, atau keinginan mengerikan yang sebenarnya kita inginkan. Semuanya tentang sisi gelap para manusia.. Aku harus berhenti beberapa saat baru bisa lanjut ke part selanjutnya karena ga habis pikir manusia bisa sejahat ini🙃 Bikin aku bertanya-tanya juga apa yang ada dibenak si penulis ketika beliau membuat cerita ini?
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completely fascinating, i don't think i've read a collection quite like this. thinking a lot of thoughts !
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actually weird book i don't recommend
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Disgustingly good, very satisfying. Don't read the first chapter while eating. This is a big warning
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“... If I could make a wish I want to be just a little happier If I become too happy I will miss sadness” Folklore for a new age. Snare, Reunion, and of course Cursed Bunny were true standouts in this smart, eerie collection of stories.
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Grotesque, unnerving & page turning. This collection of stories feature vibrant characters and deeply unusual storylines.
Bora Chung has created such a singular and compelling writing style and maintained it through each and every one of these stories until the last page.
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felt like a spiritual successor to the fairy tale collections i read as a kid, but for an older age range and more applicable to modern society.
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high 3 star
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Really surprised by how good this short story collection was - one of the best I’ve read overall. All the stories were unique but different from each other, yet the collection still felt cohesive. The snare and The frozen finger were stand out stories for me.
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Every story knocked the air out of my lungs. In gruesome understanding of human fears and the trauma of family Chung really got her point across. My favourite story was Snare
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I think it makes a difference that I listened to this versus read it. However, there are some stories that stuck out more than others. I have spoke about the concepts of stories with friends though so I think that speaks to this book’s impact on me. However, it’s not a five star read. Just a book I enjoyed.
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Way out of my comfort zone and too crazy. It just sounds like the author got drunk or stoned and thought about gross stuff they could write about. There's no rhyme or reason to any of the stories except shocking readers in my opinion. Read Sayaka Murata's Earthlings instead.
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I enjoyed reading most of the stories—some definitely gave me the creeps
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The final story, titled "Reunion," was the crown jewel of this collection. The rest are also pretty good! I would recommend this set of stories to those who like offbeat contemporary short fiction.
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What a perfect collection of short stories - I do not think I have read something of the genre as good since "Things We Say In the Dark" in 2022. Chung manages to strike a perfect balance between the bizarre and horror; she does not shy away from the grotesque but knows how to use it to its maximum effect (the Eastern European influences are palpable).
The short stories vary in length and format but also in themes and motifs. I cannot imagine that every reader would not find at least one that sticks with them. My personal favourites are "Cursed Bunny", "Snare", "Goodbye, My Love", "Scars" and "Home Sweet Home" but I think we all have the shared experience of eyeing the bathroom with suspicion after reading the opening "The Head".
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Grotesque, wicked, scary, and compelling. What a collection. I’m too stunned to write a proper review. This collection has SF, magic realism, fairy tale, horror, and some are just plain gross. But each story is a master class in hooking a reader from the very first sentence. Each story gave me whiplash. The only story I didn’t enjoy was Scars. It was too long-winded, had no clear path and while executed well, didn’t leave much of an impact on me.
Highlights
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“Ever since I was born, I existed only for you. I wanted to be irreplaceable to you, the only one in the world to somebody.”
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Anyone who curses another person is sure to end up in a grave themselves.
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They had spent too much of their marriage in a state of emotional detachment to really start making an effort to be affectionate now.
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Therefore, "a moment ago" was always the best moment, and the present was always better than the future.
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"It's all very fine and well to rip open your opponent when it's an animal, but if you do that to another man, the mess afterwards is such a fuss to clean up."
[Scars]
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There was nothing left for me to wait for. But there I remained, standing in his bathroom, waiting for someone to miraculously find me, to release me from my ties to this life.
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"People, you know, they're so funny. Don't you think? Just because they're afraid, they go about trusting in any old voice they hear around them, even when they can't see for the life of them."
[The Frozen Finger]
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