The Healing Season of Pottery

It took me a few pages to get into it but I enjoyed it. A pretty fast read with a sweet, melancholy feeling.

This is a very sweet novel about a woman who finds a pottery shop with some great coffee and strong women who help her start piecing her life back together after battling depression. I was hooked the first chapter because I felt some of the same emotions in my past and could relate. This book is easy to read and slow paced. I didn't find myself reaching for it constantly. It took me awhile to finish it. Perfect for a rainy day.

This was alright book. I didn't have a bad time reading it, but it is very mellow, and not much happens. I enjoy art and pottery and food, and this book had lovely descriptions of enjoying the smaller things in life. There's a slow burn romance throughout the book that culminates into a VERY underwhelming conclusion, truly giving us nothing. I'm glad I finished it, if only because I haven't read much/any translated fiction and it was nice to try it out.Over halfway through the book, previously told entirely from one person's inner perspective, we suddenly get a handful of other people's inner perspectives thrown at us for a couple of chapters, so we understand their backstories? It was fairly disorienting to suddenly have these windows into other characters' minds, and felt odd and out of place.Throughout reading it, it didn't feel like the author had a story they wanted to share with me, as much as they wanted to write a good book. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but there was something about the way it was written (or translated) that felt overly formal. Not quite pretentious, that's too strong a word, but a step or two below it.My final critique is that I just HATE deckle edges on books. A sensory nightmare- it feels bad, looks bad, and makes it difficult to turn the page! With the product photos I had no way to know that was what I would be receiving and honestly I may have skipped the book entirely if I'd known. That is how much I dislike a deckle edge as opposed to a clean cut edge.

A very good read

the point of this book--to slow down and enjoy your life--sometimes seeps too strongly into the writing, which is also going to feel painfully slow to some. for those who persist, they'll find a sweet and hopeful story that was lovingly translated into beautiful, clear prose. the protagonist's tale will be relatable to many struggling with the stress of modern life, coupled with the deep desire to get out and enjoy tiny things to spark joy for living once more. if you enjoy a simple parable stretched into book-length, this will delight you. but if you would rather have characters as spiky and messy and weird and dark as you are, this is not it for you.I think you will see that reflected into the reviews, which are currently split between "this is lovely!" and "this is immensely boring!"--figure out what type of book you're looking for, and you'll know whether this one is for you.

I also do pottery and this book captured many feelings of working with clay. The story and relationships were enjoyable as well.

This is the very definition of a "cozy" novel, in which the protagonist finds her place in the world again, through art and the new connections that it helps her make. I did enjoy following Jungmin's growth out of her depression, and celebrating with her as she makes a new start. This felt a little bit like a TV movie, or a Hallmark Christmas special, but, like a lot of sweet and cozy stories, it was still enjoyable and fulfilling, and I was happy for everyone at the end.The translation to English was good, and more than competent, although there were still a few confusing cultural differences that could not be directly translated, that I had to either look up or just accept in context, like the use of honorific and diminutive names, or foods of which I hadn't heard. This didn't take away from the storyline, but, for me, made some of the dialogues or descriptive passages flow a little less smoothly than they could have. The ceramics content was spot-on, and if you have taken a pottery class, or any kind of craft class, you'll recognize the common themes of being an insecure beginner, learning from experts around you, and finding confidence in your skills. It's obvious the author is writing from her own pottery experience, and she conveys the feelings well.

Really enjoyed reading it