The Korean Word For Butterfly Paperback – April 8, 2013

This book is short enough to read in one sitting, and interesting enough to hold your attention to do so. But if you have to snatch a few minutes here and there, the author has cleverly written in short chapters, from alternating viewpoints. It was impressive how he allowed us to see inside each person, some in much more depth than others. I liked the switch-up in presentation, from first person to third person. His writing style was referred to as "choppy" by another review, but I found it poetic. It reminded me of haiku writing, which I associated with an Asian culture. I also liked the sprinkling of Korean words and how that played into the title.Like another reviewer, I had missed the point of the title. It occurs early in the story, apparently before I was looking for it. When I re-read the key section, the connection was abundantly clear. It is brought to light by a Korean character and completely missed by the Americans in the story. This caused me to stop and ponder the often felt superiority of Americans in regard to cultural differences. The fact that I personally missed the relationship of the title to the story made it that much more poignant. The reference was lost on me initially, which only bears witness to the author's basic premise. How revealing! {The cover photo is also cleverly significant, but hard to catch when only looking at the tiny picture on the Kindle edition. I missed that too - I couldn't tell that the hands were holding snow, until I took a closer look after reading another review.}The DMZ in a country divided presents a terrific analogy in this story where the cultures and relationships also have a space between them. The middle zone is a forbidden place, but alluring. And in that space that separates and yet also connects them, there is the possible existence of tigers, rare and mystical. Are any of the characters brave enough to go there, to this vague no-man's-land in between?As for the comments about this story being incomplete - a story has to stop somewhere. There will always be readers who want to tie up every loose end, but that is unrealistic. Life has LOTS of loose ends. I rather liked that the author left it up to the reader if Yun-ji and the soldier were able to make a life together. I liked it that Moon and his wife were making progress on restoring their relationship, but weren't quite there yet. I liked it that the toddler only took baby steps in growth and development. I liked it that we don't know what happened with Billie once they came home. I would have been somewhat disappointed in the writer if he had wrapped everything up in a neat package at the end.Some self-published Kindle editions that I have read had so many typos that it was annoying and distracting from the story. This one is well edited. It was an enjoyable read. I will be reading more by this author.

The Korean Word For Butterfly is a semi-historical novel that tells the story of an American couple, Joe and Billie, who go to South Korea to teach at an English school for a year. There they meet and befriend two coworkers Moon and Yun ji. Shortly after Joe and Billie arrive there is a horrific accident and two 14 year old Korean girls are run over by an American tank. This starts a diplomatic crisis that affects the lives of all Americans living in South Korea.I have to preface the rest of this review by stating I served in the U.S. Navy and was stationed in South Korea. I know the country and the people well. While the training accident that is at the center of this novel did happen that is the only true "historical" piece to this novel. I feel I have to defend the Korean people for they came across as anti-American and cold as well as the troops stationed there who are a caricature of the ugly American. I worked side by side with members of the ROK army and Korean civilians working for the military. I became friends with them, was invited into their homes and treated like family. As Americans everyone stationed there has respect for the Korean people and I know everyone I served with grew to love the people and their culture. This book is not a true representation of the real Korea or the relationship that stands between U.S. Armed Forces and Korean people.That said, it's a good book and as a whole I enjoyed it. There are a few separate storylines that intertwine well and overlap to comprise a well developed novel that is about life choices and how they affect each character.The character development for Yun ji and Moon was excellent. Their backgrounds are well laid out and I completely understood both characters. There was little background given for Joe and Billie and I never felt like I knew them well or why they made the choices they did.The book was an easy read. I read it in about six hours and it held my attention.I recommend the book with a big disclaimer. The story is good and worth reading. However, this did not in any way represent what South Korea, it's people or the U.S. Forces stationed there are truely like so if you read this book keep that in mind.

Interesting book told through the eyes of 3 protagonists who work in a Korean English language school. A young inexperience Korean girl who is unhappy with her family life, which leads her into the arms of an American soldier in her search for freedom. A older Korean man who is recovering from the shame of divorce and has to fight his addiction to alcohol to regain the trust of his son and ex-wife, and a young American girl who faces a difficult decision that drives a wedge between her and her co-teacher and boyfriend Joe. The struggle between Korean tradition and the Americanization of Korean life is peppered with the folk tales of South Korea, and recalls a time at the farthest reaches of living memory when Korean tigers, the world’s largest cats, still prowled the Korean peninsula. The butterfly is a symbol of hope in which change is not the death of tradition but of hope and a way forward.

I loved this book. The plot and the issues that the three main characters have are very interesting and poignant, but for me it was most fascinating for the insight into life as a foreigner working in Korea. As someone who teaches English in Japan, it was very easy to relate to, and the two countries clearly share several similarities. For anyone thinking to teach in Korea, it would be a really good read, because this is what you're up against.Yun-ji was my favorite character, although I really liked Joe too, because he was kind of put through the ringer by Billie and seemed to be doing his best to get on with things while she pulled everything apart. Of course (and no spoilers here) she had her own issues. Moon, too, was a very good character, and by the end of the novel I really hoped his future would work out.Overall, I thought this was an excellent novel with great characters. Very recommended.

A great insight into the changing Korean culture, food and attitudes. A very sympathetic look at Korean character and history. I loved it. Especially as an English teacher myself to foreign students, I could fully sympathise with an untrained teacher facing a class of children who’ve got her sussed! All the interwoven threads of the story were beautifully resolved at the end.

I did not fathom the connection with the title and the book. The story comes across as very bitty and ends without really seeming to end. The emotions of the people were fairly well documented and the fact that it was trying to show how different people cope with their troubles and difficulties that they face in their lives was ok but I feel that a lot more could have been made of it. As an ex-teacher I loved the references to how the children treated Billie and how she did eventually come to terms with it even ended up enjoying being with the children. Not a compulsive read but a very simplistic read of another set of lives

I love reading fiction based upon world events and The Korean Word For Butterfly is one such book. I was vaguely events of this tragic incident and the public outcry against American service personnel but as with most news pieces I gave little thought to the wider dynamics. The story here does this and in doing so offers thought provoking perspective on individuals from different backgrounds in South Korea at that time. Wonderfully written it gave me much to reflect on.