"Hello Beautiful," Recommended by Novelist Kim Young-ha and Selected for Oprah's Book Club | New ...
Anne Napolitano, Hello Beautiful
Hello Beautiful by author Anne Napolitano, introduced today, is the author's fourth full-length novel and the second work to be introduced in Korea. Anne Napolitano, who is active in New York, is an author whose every novel garners attention. In particular, Hello Beautiful received tremendous acclaim across the United States upon its publication in 2023, becoming a work recommended and selected by various media outlets.
The story of this novel unfolds centering on the four Padavano sisters of Chicago and William Waters, who becomes entangled with them. William is a character who grew up neglected by his broken parents after his three-year-old sister Caroline passed away, harboring depression and wandering regarding his identity and the reason for his existence. The events begin in earnest when he enters college, meets Julia, the eldest of the four sisters, and starts married life. With the birth of Julia and William's child, Alice, their seemingly smooth life is plunged into turmoil due to various incidents. Starting with the sudden death of the sisters' father, Charlie, the family begins to disintegrate as each character—including their mother Rose, the second daughter Sylvie, and the youngest twins, Cecilia and Emeline—experiences unexpected changes in their lives. As this is a new novel, it is difficult to discuss specific events, but it is significant that the story moves toward a path of new recovery and possibilities through this process.
Hello Beautiful possesses distinct strengths in two aspects. First, it possesses the volume and scale typically expected of a full-length novel. Characters and events are described sufficiently and richly, allowing the reader to deeply experience a shared time and space through the book. Another advantage is that the focal narrators of the chapters, divided chronologically, are clear, enabling readers to clearly follow the flow of the narrative. Second, while dealing with familiar themes such as family healing and recovery, it presents a new family community suited to the changing times and society. This novel demonstrates that the patrilineal, heterosexual couple and their biological children—often referred to as the "normal family"—are now merely one form among many. The process by which the image of a family—which society could never have tolerated and which even the individuals involved never expected to be so—comes to be accepted by each individual is quite moving.
How do we understand and live the life given to us? While there may be some who live without much doubt or worry, most people will constantly ask themselves, like William, “What am I doing? Why am I like this? Who am I?” The author seems to encourage us to express these questions outwardly rather than keeping them inward. He tells us to let others read and see our personal narratives, which are adorned with countless footnotes, and to continue offering them a ‘greeting’ in this way. This novel demonstrates that, by doing so, hospitality and comfort that seemed impossible can become surprisingly easy to achieve.
As mentioned several times within the novel, this work is also a modern reinterpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women*. If you are a reader interested in stories about the dreams and love of female sisters, I believe *Hello Beautiful is a work you should not miss. I hope you will read it as soon as it is published.
As mentioned several times within the novel, this work is also a modern reinterpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s *Little Women*. Reading & Narration │ Actors Kim Seong-hyeon, Jang Yun-sil
Critique │ Literary Critic Noh Tae-hoon
Illustrator │ Author Lee Na-heon
『Hello Beautiful』 at Kyobo Book Centre ⬇
https://buly.kr/3YCBJk3
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