The Dallergut Dream Department Store is an oddly compelling fantasy novel and the first book in a series by Lee Mi-ye. Released 9th July 2024 by HarperCollins on their Harlequin Trade imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.
This is a slice-of-life episodic novel with a whimsical vibe reminiscent of the Kamogawa Food Detectives (and fans of Hisashi Kashiwai et.al. will likely enjoy this one as well). Penny is hired at the titular department store literally selling dreams to customers from the real world who come to the dream world in their dreams.
It's not cohesive, there's no drama, it's disconnected, and dreamlike. Readers will either jump in wholeheartedly, overlook the discontinuity and enjoy the stream of consciousness (unconsciousness?) or hate it, without a lot of middle room. Taken for what it is, it's pleasant, if a bit trippy, and is like floating down a lazy river (without any scary rapids or biting insects) in an innertube on a warm summer day.
Originally published in Korean in 2020, the English translation work was done by Sandy Joosun Lee. There's a distinctly SE Asian nuance to the culture and interactions between the customers, managers, and employees. The prose certainly flows well, and apart from the level of politeness and social mores of the characters, it doesn't read like literature in translation; there are no clunky bits or odd phrases.
Four stars, but readers should be in the mood for a relaxing, dream-like, ever so slightly ephemeral, read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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