This was a quiet, long read, but one that was very educational for me. It spanned most of the 20th century, which made it a very effective introduction to the recent histories of Korea and Japan, as well as relations between the two. I would have liked to felt more connection to the characters, especially the later ones, and more of a sense of completion/unification at the end regarding the themes and characters, but I would still definitely call it a beautifully written novel, very much worth the time to read. It left me wanting to read more novels centered on Asian history.