'Mater 2-10' by Hwang Sok-yong - BOOK REVIEW

Hwang Sok-yong’s ‘Mater 2-10’ is fluidly structured, with the tastiest touch of magical realism, but dry and explanatory in places. Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2024.
7/10
Mater 2-10: Centred on three generations of a family of rail workers and a laid-off factory worker staging a high-altitude sit-in, Mater 2-10 vividly depicts the lives of ordinary working Koreans, starting from the Japanese colonial era, continuing through Liberation, and right up to the twenty-first century.
0:00 - Review
15:32 - Shortlist predictions
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[@khuft01]

Thanks for the review. I was dithering whether to get it, and will probably give it a try. Thanks also for your previous recommendation of Jessica Au's "Cold Enough for Snow" - really enjoyed it. Maybe you could do a Top 10 Australian novels some day? Here in Europe, we have no clue about Australian literature, let alone good Australian literature...

[@bookofdust]

This sounds amazing! I finished 8 and a Half Lives of a Century Old Trickster from the Women’s Prize Fiction Long and I think it would pair nicely with this, especially as you’ve got the Korean history from this, you would have a grounded understanding of that timeline.
The “lives” are not told in chronological order and it’s not totally confusing, it’s done as a slow reveal on certain crucial plot points, but knowing that history would help. I had a bit of that from the children’s book When My Name Was Keiko, but that focused mainly on WWII.

[@TommyRogic18]

Another brilliant review, the title is definitely Mater two-ten as it’s named after a ‘lost’ steam train within the dmz that sits rotting away. The two refers to the front wheels and then five axles of two wheels each following it, usually gives an idea of the type of locomotive, in this case a big bastard heavy goods freight train. I really enjoyed this, though the target market of people interested in communism and trains is a bit specific.

[@yenasung]

I will bother to read it! Hopefully I will understand it but it does sound intriguing. Loved all the wacky corniness of Whale it made a great contrast to the earnestness especially in its last section.

[@seagull2019]

Just starting it with some trepidation-will i get it, will it be a slog-but looking forward to it more now after watching this! Thanks.
Just finished Whale so going to watch your review of that...