Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

“Back then, she was told, ‘I don’t understand you.’ Sometimes, it was an accusation. ‘Why do you only think of yourself?’

Just when Yeongju thought she was starting to forget those biting words, their voices would return as hallucinations to haunt her.”

This passage marks one of the earliest hints of the grief that Yeongju was experiencing when she founded the bookshop. The sharp, clipped phrasing of the accusations heightens their hostile tone, and their return in the form of “hallucinations” that “haunt” suggests the persistence of trauma. This deepens Yeongju’s characterization by alluding to the complex motivations and the external conflict that drove her to become a bookseller.

 “Isn’t that what life is about? Forging forward with the answer you have—stumbling along the way and picking yourself up—only to one day realise that the answer you’ve held on to for a long time is not the right one. When that happens, it’s time to look for the next answer. That’s how ordinary folks, like herself, live. Over our life span, the right answer will keep changing.”

Hwang argues for the need to be adaptable throughout life, describing life as a series of trials and errors. The physical imagery of “stumbling” and “picking yourself up” metaphorically illustrates the cycle of failure and recovery, reinforcing the necessity of resilience. Hwang ties this to Yeongju’s openness to the possibility of the bookshop not working out, since even this failure will hold meaning in her pursuit of healing.

“[I]t suddenly hit her that she was the limiting factor of the bookshop, the cause of its narrow worldview. Hyunam-dong Bookshop was tailored to her preferences as a reader, her interests, and her reading repertoire. How could such a place be helpful to others?”

Part of the challenge Yeongju faces while building her bookshop is acknowledging that people might appreciate different books than she does. By calling herself “the limiting factor,” she acknowledges that her personal taste might constrain the shop’s growth. This realization teaches her to think outside herself and imagine her customers’ perspective, using a larger love for books to expand her perspective and learn more about what other people are curious about. This illustrates the theme of Passion as the Motivation for Life since Yeongju’s devotion to books expands when she sees them through others’ perspectives.

“When authors delve deep into their understanding of life to touch the hearts of readers, helping them to navigate life, isn’t that what a good book should be?”

This rhetorical question is Yeongju’s guiding principle at the bookshop, and it also speaks to the bookshop community’s efforts to help each other by drawing from their personal experiences. The words “delve” and “touch” stress depth and intimacy, highlighting that literature’s primary purpose is emotional connection. The passage also doubles as a statement of Hwang’s own aesthetics, and it explains the inclusion of the various quoted texts that appear throughout the novel.

“It’s obviously not going to be easy. After all, it’s the meaning of life. Well, I still want to try. But if I fail, does it mean that my life has no meaning?”

This passage underscores one of the novel’s recurring imperatives, which is to try new things without any guarantee of success. The casual phrasing “not going to be easy” trivializes the monumental quest for life’s meaning, creating a tension between the enormity of the subject and the colloquial tone. This contrast underscores the impossibility of the task while still affirming the value of attempting it. In this passage, the act of trying refers broadly to the search for the meaning of life but will be recontextualized later to refer to Mincheol’s quest for interests and Yeongju’s decision to keep the bookshop open.

“Reading makes you deviate further from the textbook definition of success because books don’t make us go ahead of or above anyone else; they guide us to stand alongside others.”

This passage contrasts two models of success: competition versus solidarity. The verbs “go ahead” and “above” evoke a race in which worth is measured by surpassing others, while “stand alongside” shifts the image to equality and companionship. By framing reading as a practice that resists hierarchy, Hwang links literature to empathy and positions it as an antidote to a work culture built on comparison.

“Minjun didn’t hate it. In fact, he found himself wanting to listen to her for a couple more hours after work, over a beer or something. As to why he would feel this way, he thought about it and concluded that perhaps if he was able to listen to someone rant for a few hours, he would also eventually be able to articulate his own struggles.”

Minjun’s thought process reveals that he initially listens to Jimi hoping that he can better learn how to articulate himself. As the novel goes on, he overcomes his quiet demeanor and becomes the type of person who can express his concern for Jimi. The act of listening is a way to support her and is also a step toward his own growth.

“He’d hated it when his parents reminded him of the Korean saying— ‘Life’s off to a good start after you do up the first button’—as they encouraged him to hang in there a little more. But with the acceptance letter in his hands, the first thing he thought was, I’ve done up the first button properly.”

This passage introduces the buttonhole metaphor that is a recurring motif for The Search for a New Philosophy of Work: Traditionally, the saying means that if the first button is wrong, everything misaligns. Initially, Minjun lives by this metaphor, believing he is following the right path. Later, Minjun will talk about shaping his life to fit his needs and preferences, revising the buttonhole metaphor.

“My point is that a ten-million hit doesn’t mean that a movie is so amazing that ten million people love it. So, instead of watching something because of the label, as movie lovers, we should pick the ones we enjoy.”

Sungchul tries to clue Minjun in on the idea of living according to his own expectations, not society’s. He points out that just because something is financially successful doesn’t mean it is good. His advice encourages Minjun to separate worth from numbers and labels.

“Those who can self-reflect are able to change a little just by reading one book. Even those who can’t—I believe that if they keep stimulating themselves by reading, one day, they’ll be able to reflect on themselves.”

Yeongju foreshadows the resolution of Mincheol’s character arc in this passage, while the repetition of the word “reflect” underscores that reading is a tool for personal growth. Although Mincheol claims that he does not like reading throughout the novel, he feels gradually compelled to keep reading because he can detect resonances between the books he encounters and his own life and ideas.

“You were the one who told me that characters in novels are a little imperfect and that’s how they lend their voice to the average person. Because we’re imperfect, we knock into each other, and hurt each other in the process. You’re just another ordinary person.”

Jimi reminds Yeongju that character flaws are not merely a sign of imperfection, but also a sign of one’s humanity. Her phrase “knock into each other” uses physical imagery to show how people inevitably cause harm in close contact, thereby easing Yeongju’s worries about hurting others. Jimi reassures Yeongju that her flaws are inevitable, and they connect her to others. In this way, Yeongju attunes herself to The Value of Community, especially the one she has with Jimi and the rest of the bookshop.

“The criteria might appear to be subjective, and some might even summarise them as ‘the boss’s whims and fancies.’ However, they were important to her; having this set of guidelines allowed her to enjoy the work at the bookshop.”

One of the novel’s main tensions arises from how Yeongju can sustain her bookshop business. This passage demonstrates her dilemma to make the bookshop reflect her love for books without alienating its potential customer base. On the other hand, if she tries to chase business for the sake of profit, Yeongju risks losing her love for the bookshop entirely.

“Just because you’ve achieved your dreams doesn’t mean you’ll always be happy.”

This passage underscores the challenges that come with Passion as the Motivation for Life. Yeongju acknowledges that while she has achieved her dream of founding a bookshop, she also knows that her dream comes with the responsibility of sustaining it. This drives a more nuanced understanding of success and happiness, which are more than mere pleasure.

“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.”

Using the terms “dissonance” and “harmony,” these lines compare life to a musical composition. The idea that harmony “sounds beautiful” only after dissonance emphasizes that, in life, only discord and struggle give meaning to joy. Hwang uses this musical metaphor to argue that hardship is not an interruption of life but part of its rhythm.

“Beans that could no longer be used should be thrown away without hesitation. Once a bad bean—even if it’s just one—was mixed with the rest, the coffee tasted somewhat disappointing. One bean was enough to make a difference. Just like bad beans, there were thoughts he should throw away, too. One bad thought was enough to cause his mental health to spiral.”

This passage underscores the motif of coffee as a symbol for Passion as the Motivation for Life. The passage starts by discussing the process of bean sorting before Hwang turns the process into a simile for Minjun’s mental health. As Minjun goes deeper into his appreciation for coffeemaking, the process also symbolizes the care and discipline needed to protect his mental health.

“I think the joy of working, and the personal development it entails, can enrich our lives. […] [W]hen work eclipses life, work becomes a problem.”

The contrast between “enrich” and “eclipses” captures the opposite ways that work can affect life. This passage functions as Hwang’s general thesis for The Search for a New Philosophy of Work. Instead of building life entirely around work, Hwang envisions work that serves life, teaching workers new skills that will help them live their lives. This reflects the kinds of work that Yeongju and Minjun are doing in the novel.

“If it was an anger that could be put out by spending a few days overseas, it wouldn’t have materialised in the first place. At some point, I’ll have to work again. And the anger will return. I can’t keep going on summer and winter vacations. What I needed was peace in my life, the ability to tame my anger.”

Jungsuh has no choice but to return to a work-driven industry by the end of the novel. Her time away from work teaches her, however, that she doesn’t need to bend to the usual remedies, like breaks, to overcome her previous challenges at work. Instead, Jungsuh has developed herself, learning to overcome her anger by managing it through restorative activities like meditation and knitting.

“I wanted to say happiness is never beyond reach. It’s not in the distant past, nor on the horizon of the future. It’s right in front of me. Like that day’s beer, and today’s quince tea.”

Yeongju opens up about her philosophy of happiness in this passage, which she likens more to pleasure than to satisfaction. The everyday details of beer and tea depict pleasure as accessible and grounded in the present. She rejects the idea of happiness as distant or tied to major achievements.

“What I’m trying to say is: whatever you do, you will face challenges. Even if it’s not a bookshop, you’ll fret over whatever business you’re starting; if you work for a company, that comes with its own set of worries too. In the end, it boils down to this: what kind of work do I want to do, despite all the worries? For me, I choose to worry as I run a bookshop.”

Building on the earlier passage about happiness and dreams, this passage shifts focus to active decisions to pursue dreams, even when they are challenging. The words “fret,” “worry,” and the repetition of “worries” highlight that everything is challenging by nature, which gives people the freedom to choose the kind of challenges they take on. This suggests that Yeongju can give up the challenges of running her bookshop if it becomes too difficult, but she will have to face other challenges in whatever she plans to do next.

“Instead of agonising over what you should do, think about putting effort into whatever you’re doing. It’s more important to try your best in whatever you do, no matter how small it may seem. All your effort will add up to something.”

Seungwoo’s advice to Mincheol resonates with Minjun’s journey to more deeply appreciate the coffeemaking process. This cements the overlap between Mincheol and Minjun’s characters, putting them on parallel journeys, even if they are at different stages of life. Seungwoo repeats the imperative to try new things, tying effort to growth.

“I don’t think much of dreams that are stripped bare of pleasure. Dreams, or pleasure? If I have to choose one, I’ll take the latter. That said, my heart still flutters at the word dream. A life without dreams is as dry as a life without tears.”

Yeongju creates a dichotomy between choosing dreams and choosing pleasure in this passage, both of which she’s shown a preference for earlier in the novel. Applied to the endeavor of her bookshop, Yeongju is saying that if her work at the bookshop were to stop feeling restorative, she would give it up. On the other hand, she cannot imagine her life without her dream of building a bookshop, so she endures what short-term dissonances the work brings her in the attempt to fulfill that dream. The final simile compares a life without dreams to one without tears, suggesting that both hope and struggle are essential for emotional depth.

“A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day.”

Minjun underscores The Value of Community in this passage by discussing how the bookshop community makes him feel validated for his life choices. This is a stark contrast from how he viewed success in the past, since he used to base success on the achievement of professional and financial milestones. In the present, Minjun doesn’t feel the for societal approval and instead focuses on emotional growth and connection.

“I was scared that if I worked too hard, I’d be living the way I did in the past. I was scared to see the bookshop as work, and only work. Honestly, there are times I wish I could still come and go freely like a guest, which was what I did in the first six months. Because of such thoughts and feelings, I hesitated. I had second thoughts about keeping this place running. But from now on, I want to stop hesitating. I love this bookshop, the people I’ve met. I love being here. I want to keep this place alive.”

Yeongju opens up to Minjun about her hesitation to commit herself fully to the idea of running the bookshop. By embracing both the challenges and rewards of the process, she accepts the bookshop as her life’s chosen work. This passage marks a turning point for Yeongju as she finally commits fully to this idea, accepting that the challenges are the only way she can continue achieving her dream with the people she loves.