Crying in H Mart explained

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir
Author:Michelle Zauner
Audio Read By:Michelle Zauner
Cover Artist:Na Kim
Country:United States
Language:English
Subject:Memoir
Publisher:Alfred A. Knopf
Pub Date:April 20, 2021
Media Type:Print (hardcover and paperback), e-book, audiobook
Pages:256
Isbn:978-0-525-65774-3
Isbn Note:(First edition hardcover)
Oclc:1162194386
Dewey:782.42166092 B
Congress:ML420.Z3913 A3 2021

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir is a 2021 memoir by Michelle Zauner, singer and guitarist of the musical project Japanese Breakfast. It is her debut book, published on April 20, 2021, by Alfred A. Knopf.[1] [2] It is an expansion of Zauner's essay of the same name which was published in The New Yorker on August 20, 2018.[3] [4] The title mentions H Mart, a North American supermarket chain that specializes in Korean and other Asian products.[5]

The memoir received critical acclaim and became a major bestseller.

Background

After Zauner's mother Chongmi died of pancreatic cancer in October 2014, Zauner frequently made trips to H Mart, an experience she chronicled in her New Yorker essay and in "Real Life: Love, Loss and Kimchi" which won Glamour Magazine's 11th essay contest.[6]

Zauner has said that she decided to write a book-length memoir after literary agents contacted her following the publication of her New Yorker essay.[7] In February 2019, American publishing house Alfred A. Knopf announced that it had won the rights to the book at auction.[8]

Summary

The book begins with the titular essay in which Zauner talks about buying ingredients for Korean cuisine at H Mart. Zauner reminisces about her mother, Chongmi, calling her strict but loving. Zauner writes that she wanted more family approval yet frequently disobeyed her parents and was considered rebellious.

Every two years, Zauner and Chongmi travel to Seoul to visit their family. When Zauner is 14, her maternal grandmother dies, leaving Zauner haunted by her last words.

During high school, Zauner falls into depression, resulting in truancy. Chongmi allows her to sleep once a week at her best friend's house, where she begins to admire her friend's mother, engendering Chongmi's jealousy and straining their relationship. Zauner is inspired to learn guitar after watching a DVD of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Karen O, who is also of Korean American heritage. Zauner begins to write songs and perform in public, including opening for Maria Taylor at the W.O.W. Hall. Zauner applies to liberal arts universities for women and attends Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, to Chongmi's disappointment.

In 2014, Zauner graduated college with a creative writing degree and leads a band named Little Big League. However, the band struggles to find commercial success. That summer, Zauner learns that Chongmi has cancer and flies to Eugene to care for her. Soon after Chongmi returns home, her friend Kye arrives and begins to take care of her.

In August, Zauner returns to Philadelphia to tour with Little Big League. After the tour, her father Joel reveals that Chongmi's condition is worsening. The three fly to Seoul as per Chongmi's wishes but she is hospitalized upon arrival. After Chongmi recovers, Zauner and Joel transfer her to Riverbend Hospital in Eugene.

Wanting her mother to attend her wedding, Zauner proposes marriage to her boyfriend Peter, who accepts. Soon after, Zauner and Peter get married with their families and friends attending. After the wedding, Kye leaves after being irritated by Joel. Soon after, Chongmi's condition declines drastically and she dies on October 18, 2014. Joel, Zauner, and Peter host a funeral the next week. Joel and Zauner fly to Vietnam, hoping to soothe their grief but the trip only strains their relationship.

After moving to Brooklyn with Peter, Zauner begins learning to cook Korean cuisine and records music to cope with her grief. She begins working at an advertising firm in New York City, deciding that she will soon quit recording music due to her lack of success.

Zauner submits an album to Yellow K Records as Japanese Breakfast, titling it Psychopomp. Its reception exceeds Zauner's expectations and Japanese Breakfast signs with the record label Dead Oceans. The band tours to promote the album and Zauner quits her advertising job.

During the band's last tour date in Asia, Zauner's maternal aunt Nami and her husband, whom Zauner nicknamed "Boo", are in attendance. After the concert ends, Zauner and Peter spend time with Nami and Boo. On the night before they depart, Zauner and Peter accompany Nami and Boo to a karaoke bar where Nami asks Zauner to sing "Coffee Hanjan". As the lyrics begin, Zauner hopes that her heritage will help her sing the words.

Reception

Sales

Crying in H Mart debuted as the seventh-best-selling hardcover nonfiction book for the week ending April 24, 2021, according to Publishers Weekly and The Wall Street Journal, which use data from NPD BookScan.[9] [10]

It debuted at number two on The New York Times best-seller list for combined print and e-book nonfiction for the week ending April 24, 2021,[11] [12] and ultimately spent 55 weeks on the list.[13] It also spent 67 weeks on the Times hardcover nonfiction best-seller list.[14]

A paperback edition was published by Vintage Books on March 28, 2023.[15] [16] The book topped the Timess paperback nonfiction category for the week ending April 8, 2023,[17] and remained on the list for 43 weeks.[18] [19]

Critical response

The book has 30 "rave" reviews and five "positive" reviews, according to review aggregator website Book Marks.[20]

Publishers Weekly wrote, "The prose is lyrical if at times overwrought, but Zauner does a good job capturing the grief of losing a parent with pathos."[21]

Kristen Martin of NPR called the book a "rare acknowledgement of the ravages of cancer in a culture obsessed with seeing it as an enemy that can be battled with hope and strength."[22]

In The Atlantic, food writer Mayukh Sen wrote, "As lovely as Zauner's indulgent sketches of meals are, they slow her momentum...But agile writers know how to mine food for emotional truth, and Zauner finds her footing as Crying in H Mart progresses. Near the end, she connects food to her own unmooring."[23]

In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called the memoir "a tender, well-rendered, heart-wrenching account of the way food ties us to those who have passed."

The book received the 2021 Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography.[24] It was also named a top book of the year by numerous publications, including Time, The Atlantic and Entertainment Weekly.[25] [26] [27]

Film adaptation

On June 7, 2021, it was announced that Crying in H Mart: A Memoir would be adapted as a feature film by Orion Pictures. Zauner will adapt the film and provide the film's soundtrack, as Japanese Breakfast.[28] In May 2022, Zauner announced that she had finished the first draft of the screenplay.[29]

Will Sharpe was announced as the director of the film adaptation in March 2023.[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner: 9780525657743 . June 7, 2021 . . September 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230927234947/https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612676/crying-in-h-mart-by-michelle-zauner/ . live .
  2. Web site: 21 of the most anticipated new books to read this April. CNN. April 6, 2020. October 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211005135859/https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/01/cnn-underscored/best-books-april-2021/index.html. live.
  3. Web site: January 30, 2021 . Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner . June 8, 2021 . . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501195041/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/michelle-zauner/crying-in-h-mart/ . live .
  4. Web site: Rettig . James . August 20, 2018 . Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner Has An Essay In The New Yorker . June 8, 2021 . . April 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230428075337/https://www.stereogum.com/2011037/japanese-breakfast-new-yorker-essay/news/ . live .
  5. News: Tarng . Tammy . April 17, 2021 . When Her Mother Died, She Found Solace at a Korean Grocery . . June 11, 2021 . June 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230614143732/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/17/books/michelle-zauner-japanese-breakfast-crying-in-h-mart.html . live .
  6. Web site: Roff . Connie . March 3, 2022 . Michelle Zauner on her bestselling memoir of mother-daughter love and grief . July 26, 2022 . . en-US . July 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230711093014/https://www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/literary/michelle-zauner-interview-crying-in-h-mart . live .
  7. Web site: Moreland . Quinn . March 8, 2021 . Japanese Breakfast Is Working the Pain Away . July 26, 2022 . . January 26, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220126173713/https://pitchfork.com/features/profile/japanese-breakfast-interview-jubilee-crying-in-h-mart/ . live .
  8. Web site: Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner Signs Book Deal For Memoir With Knopf. Hartshorn. Tori. February 28, 2019. BroadwayWorld. November 9, 2023. November 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231109100128/https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Japanese-Breakfasts-Michelle-Zauner-Signs-Book-Deal-For-Memoir-With-Knopf-20190228. live.
  9. Web site: This Week's Bestsellers: May 3, 2021. Juris. Carolyn. April 30, 2021. Publishers Weekly. April 19, 2023. April 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419061327/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/86235-this-week-s-bestsellers-may-3-2021.html. live.
  10. News: April 29, 2021. Bestselling Books Week Ended April 24. The Wall Street Journal. April 19, 2023. April 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419062809/https://www.wsj.com/articles/bestselling-books-week-ended-april-24-11619728300. live.
  11. News: Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction - Best Sellers . The New York Times . April 28, 2021 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429031148/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2021/05/09/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/ . live .
  12. Web site: Arnone . Joey . Japanese Breakfast's "Crying in H Mart" Debuts at No. 2 on The New York Times' Best Sellers List . July 8, 2022 . . en . July 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220708162044/https://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/japanese_breakfasts_crying_in_h_mart_debuts_at_no._2_on_the_new_york_times . live .
  13. Web site: Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction - Best Sellers - Books. April 23, 2023. The New York Times. April 19, 2023. April 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230428100028/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2023/04/23/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/. live.
  14. Web site: Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books. April 9, 2023. The New York Times. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419062956/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2023/04/09/hardcover-nonfiction/. April 19, 2023. April 19, 2023.
  15. News: Kicherer. Michelle. March 28, 2023. Two Years After Its Publication, Michelle Zauner's "Crying in H Mart" Continues to Resonate. Willamette Week. April 19, 2023. April 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419064926/https://www.wweek.com/arts/books/2023/03/28/two-years-after-its-publication-michelle-zauners-crying-in-h-mart-continues-to-resonate/. live.
  16. News: Macdonald. Moira. March 27, 2023. Moira Macdonald on new paperback books to read this April. The Seattle Times. April 19, 2023. April 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419064925/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/moira-macdonald-on-what-new-books-to-read-this-april/. live.
  17. Web site: April 23, 2023 . Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books . https://web.archive.org/web/20230419063710/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2023/04/23/paperback-nonfiction/ . April 19, 2023 . April 19, 2023 . New York Times.
  18. News: Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Feb. 4, 2024 - The New York Times . 2024-02-07 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331 . February 7, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240207051233/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/02/04/paperback-nonfiction/ . live .
  19. News: Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - The New York Times . 2024-02-07 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331 . December 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231215170153/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/paperback-nonfiction/ . live .
  20. Web site: Book Marks reviews of Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner . December 5, 2021 . Book Marks . October 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211025071133/https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/crying-in-h-mart/ . live .
  21. Web site: December 15, 2020 . Nonfiction Book Review: Crying in H-Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner . June 7, 2021 . . June 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210608032635/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-52565-774-3 . live .
  22. Web site: April 20, 2021 . A Daughter Grieves Her Mom, And Finds Herself, In 'Crying In H Mart' . June 7, 2021 . . July 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230726083444/https://www.npr.org/2021/04/20/988665726/a-daughter-grieves-her-mom-and-finds-herself-in-crying-in-h-mart . live .
  23. Sen. Mayukh. Mayukh Sen. April 21, 2021. What Grief Tastes Like. The Atlantic. July 25, 2022. July 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220725204307/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/04/crying-in-h-mart-michelle-zauner-memoir/618654/. live.
  24. Web site: Announcing the Winners of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards!. December 20, 2021. Goodreads. December 19, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211219151146/https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2021. live.
  25. Gutterman. Annabel. December 8, 2021. The 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021. Time. October 23, 2023. October 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231022204619/https://time.com/6125895/best-nonfiction-books-2021/. live.
  26. December 22, 2021. THE 20 BEST BOOKS OF 2021. subscription. live. The Atlantic. https://archive.today/20211222171529/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/best-books-2021-assembly-klara-and-the-sun/621088/. December 22, 2021. October 23, 2023.
  27. Greenblatt. Leah. Rankin. Seija. December 9, 2021. The 10 best books of 2021. Entertainment Weekly. October 23, 2023. October 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231022001037/https://ew.com/books/best-books-of-2021/. live.
  28. Web site: Galuppo . Mia . June 7, 2021 . 'Crying in H Mart' Set for Feature Adaptation at MGM's Orion Pictures (Exclusive) . . June 7, 2021 . June 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210607170408/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/crying-in-h-mart-movie-1234963458/ . live .
  29. Web site: Rowley. Glenn. March 10, 2022. Michelle Zauner Shares Update on Crying in H Mart Movie: Exclusive. June 10, 2022. Consequence. June 11, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220611021600/https://consequence.net/2022/03/crying-in-h-mart-movie-michelle-zauner-update/. live.
  30. Web site: McArdle . Tommy . March 20, 2023 . 'The White Lotus' ' Will Sharpe to Direct 'Crying in H Mart' Film Adaptation: It Felt Very Familiar to Me' . March 20, 2023 . People Magazine . March 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230320161951/https://people.com/movies/the-white-lotus-will-sharpe-to-direct-crying-in-h-mart-film-adaptation-exclusive/ . live .

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