Once the Shore: Stories Paperback – April 1, 2009

The stories in this book take place on a fictional island that seems a lot like Jeju. They occur in different times and places on the island, from WWII to the 2000's. Reading this book helped me understand the struggles that people face. I thought about the stories long after I finished reading, which is the mark of a good story. Reading this book made me a better person. But, I am not sure that 2020 was a good year to read it. I wish I had waited until 2021, when hopefully, our own 2020 crises will be resolved. I would like to quote Thoreau: "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." But, the stories in this book go beyond that. A better word for many of the situations in these stories is hopelessness. So, be mentally prepared for that.Generally the writing was very well done. But, there was some awkwardness that was sometimes confusing (which is why I gave it 4 stars, instead of a 5 stars). The stories change time perspectives multiple times; large parts of the stories are written as flashbacks. I think this is a great style, it mimics how we think when we are reviewing past events in our own minds. In some books, such as "Son of the Circus" by John Irving, these changes in time perspective are done masterfully. However, in the stories in "Once the Shore," some of the transitions between the present and flashbacks and present again were hard to follow. Again, I think this is a great style, and I hope Paul Yoon will continue it. And to be fair, this is Paul Yoon's first book. I am confident he will continue to refine and improve his style (perhaps he already has).

I just finished Paul Yoon's amazing debut story collection. It took me a while, because I knew from the start that I wanted to savor it. Now, I want to go back through and read it again. These are not your typical stories. They don't seem to work the way most stories -- at least most that I read -- do. You don't read these stories simply to find out what happens. You read them to exist in the world with the character while the events of that world are happening. In that, Paul Yoon is doing something unique and precious with his writing. I don't quiet know how to get at what these stories accomplish, except that they feel to me like they float, like the worlds they contain are somehow unmoored from the world I experience every day, as if they are floating on the sea that surrounds the island on which the stories are set. Reading this book, you can feel the world rock and sway with the current. These stories are dream-like that way, and they will linger with you as powerfully as the most meaningful and affecting of dreams.

I will admit that the language in this book is beautiful. For some reason I thought this would be a sort of Korean "Walden Pond," but it is not. I only read the first two stories, and for me they are too sad and disturbing. With all the sadness in the world right now this is not the book for me.I would like to not to rate the book at all because how can I rate a book I did not finish? I have written this review to help readers make a choice about reading "Once the Shore." Since I must give a rating, I have compromised with 3 stars.

I finally finished Paul Yoon's collection of short stories. It took a few months to read, mainly because I did not want the reading experience to end. This collection was amazing. Yoon writes with such graceful, elgant prose. His voice and control over his characters is amazing to read. All the stories were previously published and it's easy to see why. I'm very anxious and excited for more of Yoon's fiction. Lets hope he has a book coming out soon, but if not, I can and will turn back to the collection. This is a book you need to buy. Enjoy!

Very good

Once the Shore: Stories by Paul Yoon is a compilation of deeply engrossing tales, each taking place on an imaginary island that is so beautifully described that the reader believes it must exist and searches for it on a map. The memorable characters leading ordinary lives have a depth to them and a complexity that makes their presence real. They linger in the mind long after closing the book that brought them to life.

Yoon's collection is very imagistic, not in the sense of lyrical, but in the sense of tight prose that is spare. In this way it is unique and moving. There's not a lot of extra language here, which for me is refreshing. The stories are beautiful naratives with characters you believe, and whose actions are credible.

The book had a minor dent on it, It was brand new otherwise. Good purchase, It took longer to get to me than I anticipated but I got it the day I REALLY needed to read it.It all worked out, confusing stories though, too many and too many names to remember. The first half was more interesting than the second half although the second half had "newer" stories.