Book Review: “Welcome to the Hyunam Dong Bookshop” | A Quiet Invitation to Slow Down
I recently finished reading Welcome to the Hyunam Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo Reum, and I have to say—this one caught me off guard.
For most of the book, I found myself restlessly flipping through pages, waiting for something to happen. I kept wondering, Where’s the plot? What’s the point? It wasn’t until the final 20 to 30 pages, especially the author’s note, that I felt a shift in my own mindset. The quote that stayed with me was this: “A day well spent is a life well lived.”
It hit me hard.
Coming from the goal oriented culture of the U.S. and now navigating the intensity of running a startup in the Philippines, my brain is trained to seek results. Tangible. Measurable. Fast. Even while reading, I was subconsciously hunting for a climax, a twist, anything that felt like a narrative payoff. But this book doesn’t serve you drama. It gently nudges you to pause, breathe, and take in the beauty of the everyday.
Each character evolves slowly, subtly, and that’s kind of the point. Life doesn’t always need fireworks to be meaningful. Sometimes, growth is quiet. Sometimes, the plot is just... existing well.
In her author’s note, Bo Reum explains she wanted to create a space of comfort and retreat, much like in the films Kamome Diner and Little Forest. A place where readers could rest. I realized too late that I had rushed through a story that was offering me refuge all along. The Hyunam Dong Bookshop wasn’t just a setting. It was an invitation to slow down, to stop sprinting through life, and to just be.
This approach seems to echo a broader trend in Korean literature and media lately, a turn toward slice of life narratives that reflect a societal yearning for peace after decades of intense growth. It’s not hard to see the cultural resonance. That said, my “hustle” brain still resists it at times, worried that slowing down too much might mean settling for mediocrity. And yet, the deeper challenge lies in finding that balance, learning how to be both still and striving.
The cozy, almost tangible atmosphere of the bookshop—the scent of freshly brewed coffee, the quiet clatter of pages turning—made me feel like I was there. I loved the characters, even if their arcs were more meandering than climactic. And yes, the pace was slow. But maybe it’s time to reframe that as a strength, not a flaw. This is a story that teaches you how to read differently.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. But with a caveat: if you’ve just finished something like ACOTAR or Fourth Wing, this will feel like slamming the brakes on a speeding train. You need to be ready to sit in stillness. This isn’t a plot driven page turner. It’s a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.
A small side note for fellow K drama fans: I couldn’t help but wonder if Our Beloved Summer (one of my favorites) had any influence on the book. It came out just a year prior, and interestingly, Choi Woo Shik is even mentioned in the novel. Much like the drama, this book is all about atmosphere, quiet transformation, and emotional subtlety.
Final thoughts:
Welcome to the Hyunam Dong Bookshop is a gentle, cozy novel that asks you to slow down not just in life but in the act of reading itself. It reminded me that even in the absence of a dramatic arc, there is beauty and growth to be found in the mundane. It’s a reminder I didn’t know I needed.
