And that is how I became an absolutely meaningless thing and survived time.

This was a truly strange, deeply melancholy novella. It's very stream of consciousness style and the main character drifts from day to day, experiencing grim events at every turn. The writing was very good, though.

Hypothetically, if I were teaching a creative writing class and a student had turned in this novella, I would have got up out of my comfy chair and forced her to start teaching the class. This book had everything I want from literary fiction. Since this is the second work by this author I've read, I'll have to call myself a devoted fan.

This short novel from Bae Suah depicts its time and place masterfully. It is a compact, well told story of a woman in a meaningless job, trying to get by. Despite her familial and relationship problems, she maintains a hopeful outlook most of the time, and provides a resonating portrait of relatable struggles. Like [b:Convenience Store Woman|38357895|Convenience Store Woman|Sayaka Murata|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523623053l/38357895._SY75_.jpg|51852264] the mundane takes on special meaning due to the lovable voice.

The author keeps commentary to a minimum. There was plenty of opportunity for her to castigate Korea's military conscription or the lower middle class workload, but she lets the characters speak for themselves. The family dynamic is complex enough to create tension and the events that unfold are not earth shattering, but it is a very moving book. Proof that a good writer can write about anything, and doing it truthfully, can craft an incredible experience for the reader. ( )

Hmm.
I read this for #WITMonth.
I hope I do better with my next choice...
To see my unenthusiastic review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/08/02/nowhere-to-be-found-by-bae-suah-translated-b... ( )

Everyone in this books is disappearing. From each other, their everyday lives and anything resembling a future. You have hope for them, maybe one will yet remain in the world they thought they inhabited when you first meet them but it is not to be. A strange novella containing far more than its length would suggest. ( )

'Nowhere to be Found' is, essentially, a novella without much of a plot but in possession of a theme or two - loneliness, abandonment for starters - and blessed with the kind of twist you'll likely not see coming, one that will stick with you for a while. ( )