Sep 15, 2020

By:William Lee

Slow and steady, but slowly falls apart by the end

Link to Read/Purchase Novel

The Great Storyteller is a Korean novel from Im Han Baeg that has an artist's flair throughout. The idea of reading a novel about writing multiple novels is incredibly unique. Yun Woo is a fantastic but somewhat unreliable narrator, and his feats are certainly way up there in terms of success.

This is a slice of life story that has a very slow pace from start to finish (I mean, come on, it's about the writing process!). The buildup of each story is different, and the types of stories told have a lot of variety. The best part of this novel is that it's completed at 393 chapters, and each chapter is long by web novel standards with a satisfying end to each.

Where the story kind of teeters is that the protagonist is a completely unbelievable human being, with essentially no real human-like qualities or emotions depicted throughout. There is nearly no conflict in this story and the main character's interactions with other characters and the world around him leave you feeling that the author is trying to impress his ideal of a perfect human being upon you rather than create a nuanced and believable character.

That being said, the side cast of characters are wonderful and one of the best parts of this story. There is absolutely no romance or drama to be found in this slice of life journey, but if you're not looking for that, and can overcome the flatness of the main character's personality, then you may find yourself in for a pleasant read.