I became ARMY during dynamite and lots of the information in the book was new to me. I liked it a lot but didn’t feel like it was really the “tell all” I was hoping for. There was nothing juicy, you know? It was very “safe”. I’m still waiting for Namjoon’s tell all memoir when they actually retire in 40 years with all the detail. That will be the book. I thought the QR codes to the albums was clever and modern.
I am an army since 2016, so I definitely knew 90% of the information, but you are so right about it not being the tell all I expected. I felt the same way, definitely "safe". I think they should have waited on it a bit more, because I'm sure that they are not 100% ready to tell all still and maybe can't talk about some stuff before the military, but I felt that bighit knew they should release it before the disney docu, which I'm hoping will be more elaborate.
The BTS book felt like a historical record of their start and achievements. I think some people were expecting personal narratives and voices, but it was more about providing information. Maybe if there was more time, there could have been more personal elements and stories to round it out rather than a long comprehensive biography of their careers.
as an army, i think this book was definitely written as a historical document. it’s helpful for new army to reference things they may not know very well. i also think that by putting out an official record of everything they’ve done in their career, it can help combat some of the rampant misinformation that gets spreads around within army sometimes. i know we love our boys but sometimes the facts get changed as they’re told through the grapevine. 💜💜 thanks for trying your best to read it cari
If it was written for history in one hundred years new army's are going to be wondering who Jim is and if he is Jin's twin brother and an official member of the group and why he is never in any of their videos. XD
I'm an army since 2015, since I Need U, and i can say that for older armys like me this book was a confirmation about a lot of stuff we knew but now they are kind of confirmed directly by the member. We should keep in mind though that the size of this fandom has almost tripled since 2017 and a lot of armys need to be aware of the past and the struggles of BTS to better understand their craft. So i think this book is more about armys and BTS themselves to have as a historical record. a tell all is not really the style of BTS, at least not for now.
It’s a good retelling of things that happened. I’ve an ARMY for 5 years and I knew A LOT of their story but seeing it pieced together was amazing to me. I loved reading about their journey. Honestly, I know books like this can be ‘juicy’ or dramatic but I loved just reading more of their thoughts. The members of BTS are very private people too, people will probably never find the drama they hope for.
I think people watching this are confused because i never asked to hear juicy stories or gossip - i would have been satisfied with good storytelling but it was written in a very boring way. As for “new” things, they could have added behind the scene photos but they just used official ones weve seen before 😮💨
@@caricanread I think people have problems with interpretation (which is shocking to me since readers should have a good interpretation of text). I understood what you said about their personal experiences, thoughts and feeling. I also missed that and at first it was released that way, after the release it became clear that it wasn't even written by them. I'm from Brazil and here the media treated it as an official biography of them, written by them. I hope Namjoon or one of the other members of the group decides to write about themselves (although I think they are very discreet about a lot of things). I agree with you, I love bangtantv precisely because it has behind-the-scenes footage. Hybe has enough content for years. Maybe they will do this in the future.
As a Chapter 2 ARMY (😭😭), this book is invaluable to me. There's so much misinformation from other ARMYs and the media that it's really nice to hear the boys' journey in such an in depth way. But also, I'd love to hear the same stories from the members' perspective. The interview portions were the best part and I wish it was the whole book.
I’m a 2020 ARMY and I loved it. I didn’t expect a tell all bc I knew it was written by a journalist and that’s also not their style. I think I was the target audience. I loved getting to read their story in order (even though I knew a lot of it)- because when I became ARMY I learned a lot of information but not in any linear way. I also LOVED the QR codes bc I got to watch things in order to. Again, even if it wasn’t brand new to me- I liked having an organized chronicle to reference. I loved the member quotes and I thought the translation was great. It is more informational and isn’t done in a storytelling fashion- but I think that’s why the subheading is “a 10 year record” and not specifically stated as a memoir. I think a record is exactly what it is and I appreciate it for what it is- a chronicle not a narrative per se.
I also think this exists so that they have their own version of their history that they can reference. Because there were so many similar books that has been popping up that aren't affiliated with them and profiting off their story.
Interesting to hear your thoughts! As a long-time ARMY, let me say that absolutely none of the book was new information for me. I knew everything they spoke about in the book, from the facts to even what the members directly said. I think the targeted audience is meant to be newer fans who know a little about the k-pop industry already but don't know BTS' story - anyone from someone who just became a fan to maybe post-COVID era. The book doesn't explain a lot of k-pop terminology but expects the readers to already have an understanding of how the industry works. Meanwhile, it is like a glorified wiki - I totally get that. I agree that it read very straight forward and you can really tell is was written by a journalist versus a creative writer. The quotes from the members were also my favorite part but I could tell that they were translated very literally versus interpreted with more nuance to sound more natural to an English reader. It makes me curious how the book reads in other languages.
I didnt even think about other language translations, youre right! I felt like they got really technical about weird things like explaining inkigayo rankings but then not other things? Overall an odd reading experience.
Let me tell you I read this book in Polish and it feels like they translated it from English, not directly from Korean, which makes it even more awkward and weird sometimes. I actually considered buying English version. A lot of polish army were skeptical about it, but I wanted to have it in my mother tongue and well now I really regret buying it. The quotes from the members are also the best part for me, but exactly just like you said it's translated very very literally.
@@caricanread Spanish version sadly was translated from enfglish as a Latinamerican spanish speaker it was a bit odd since the translation was done in Spanish from Spain so many many things got lost in translation.
I read the German translation and while I had similar feelings like you and many other Armys about the journalistic wiki-like approach and ongoing information about achievements and events, the German team with 5 translators (3 professionals and 2 Armys) did an amazing job. The quotes of the members were translated so naturally that it felt even more close to the heart and reading something in ones first language always hits differently. The members came off even more quirky, down to earth and thoughtful than in English. Translations can completely change the vibe of a book and I can only imagine that a very literal one feels a bit odd and less personal. Of course, by now, lots of Armys know the ways in which Koreans talk, even if we don't speak the language, but my English teacher once said that the only languages that we can grasp with all its nuances and underlying meanings are the ones that we grow up with. So the work of the translators really enhanced my reading experience. I'm sorry that the English translation doesn't provide that, especially since some other ones (I saw Spanish and Polish in the comments) are based on it.
@@julitachojnacka5693ohh interesting I'm so happy you said that, bc I got english version so I wouldn't read in polish, bc my thoughts were "hmm I'm sure they will translate from english and not korean" and I knew if it is the true then it would go iffy bc translation to english would change text a little even if not intended, and then to another from english. I was like: they will lost a lot in process. So yeah I got my in english but I waited longer bc of this, but it was not a problem for me. Hmm also I was a little scared how they would use some words that are korean and and don't really translate to polish.
I think some helpful context is that the person who did the interviews and wrote this book is Myeongseok Kang, who is also the chief editor for weverse magazine. If you read those articles this style will be familiar. Secondly, Anton Hur the translator did press for this and shared that they had just ONE month to translate lol, he talks about the challenges and conscious choices they had to make for certain things.
The book was in my opinion for BTS and ARMY. For BTS because this was the first time they ever went through the events like this and explained what happened. ARMY knew, and casual fans knew because ARMY who witnessed it, kept sharing it with anyone who wanted to know. But it was our perspective. BTS members talk about hardships in their songs but they never talked about it in this way. It's important they tell their own story, even if it might feel like you already heard it. And for ARMY it's a big deal, firstly because we can verify all this preexisting information that is online, and reference the book and the BTS members themselves when talking about them, and not this one ARMY that was at that 1 event in 2014 l, for example. It's a big difference. I understand that for some the expectations was that they will write from the first perspective and give more insight, into their own feelings, but honestly, they have been doing that for the all this time. This was as the title says, a 10 year record of BTS..
when bts got big globally a lot of books about their journey popped up and none of them was official, people were just looking for a quick money. i think that this book is a response to the unofficial biographies
I'll be totally honest, I was disappointed in this book as well. When they said it's going to be a biography, I expected it to be... I don't know... little bit more personal? I read. A lot. And I mean A LOT, with all capital letters and English is not even my first language. 😁 I stopped after maybe 250 pages. I just couldn't finish it. As you said it's extremely dry, factual, no personal touch in it at all. Basically an extended explanation of their discography. I was telling myself that it will get better and hold on but the last straw was when I got to their first Daesang which was a mindblowing thing for them, for the fans, for everybody, I still get emotional to this day if I watch the video them receiving the award. I expected to read about their emotions, their joy when they got home after the award show, anything really. And what I got was basically like an after-thought "oh and by the way we got our first Daesang". That was the point when I put the book down. I wanted to read about Namjoon driving the others mad with singing in the shower, Jungkook vacuuming the mosquitos in the middle of the night, the troubles of having so many pairs of shoes in front of the door... Personal stories in between the impersonal details to make it an enjoyable read. Not a 500 pages long discography and list of achivements written in weird style.
I'm an army since 2016 and found your channel earlier this year, and you're already one of my favorite TH-camrs. Like others said, 90% of the information is not new to us. I bought the book, and I don't regret it, part of which was that I managed my expectations early on when I found out they were interviewed by a journalist for it. The members' interviews are definitely the best part. I also found the translations weird at times because it felt choppy, like the members said more, but it was condensed if you get what I mean? (And the translator said that they weren't allowed to translate the nicknames the members called each other ex. Jimminie, Hobi, Namjoonie, and were forced to translate to the stage names, so there is definitely something up with the translations and rushing for the release, shown by the grammar mistakes.) As a casual kpop fan on the side, I felt that even in the Info dump sections, sometimes they gave too much unnecessary information, and sometimes they didn't elaborate enough. Before you mentioned it I haven't asked myself who this book is actually for, you're right, because even as a loyal army getting through THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE PT1/2 spelled 10 times on a page for 20 pages straight got kinda unbearable😭 . Like I said, I don't regret buying the book, and love to go back to the members quotes, but I do also think it was somewhat of a cash grab on the side to Disney docu series they are realeasing later this year. Like .... a BTS documentary definitely works best in a video format because that's what showcases their magic best. But as a side note, there were a lot of fake "BTS Story" books by journalists who earned money on the back of bts' name though the years, so I can assume that bighit is filling this exact space in the market. Your description as a Wikipedia with interviews from the members is spot on. It does feel like that. Also, you don't need to worry about "backlash" from armys, because I have faith that we are a rational fandom that can see things as they are and respect other's opinions. Love your videos, and after watching the UK vlog, i want to have a road trip there, too. Like I never thought of visiting more than London, but now when I get there, I know I have to add a couple more cities to my tour👌❤️
To me, this book is somewhat like an academic work I read for uni! It literally says "10-year record of BTS" on the front, so I don't really know where this "it's lacking personality for a memoir" is coming from? I enjoy it, not because it's super entertaining or something, but because it just cements the official story. I such a wonderful confirmation of why BTS is what they are, how they came to be and what makes them special. Yes, there are no (or not many) personal stories or little tid-bits but I also didn't expect that? To me it was advertised like a complete collection of BTS's story and I think it did that job very well. Also, as many already mentioned, the QR codes are a wonderful addition!
The way I saw it advertised, it was “Beyond the Story” not just “The Story” so myself and others expected at least a little bit more. And again, nothing excuses the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Even the translator said it was a disorganized and rushed job so Big Hit clearly didnt take their time or put in the care I would expect them to.
Army since 2014, to be honest I never had expectations with the book so I don't feel disappointed but yes I expected something more, it's just info in chronological order nothing new and poorly translated,many points with a lot of information but without importance, I think it's a waste, they could have done something much better Hybe has the resources but they decided to do something rushed and without depth,thanks for the video 💜
This little Army thinks you did the book fair justice. The fact that the toxic fans couldn’t even stay away from a nuanced review of what isn’t even a book written by the members… I’m so sorry you got barraged by the projection of their emotionally dysregulated insecurities. That’s always embarrassing for the fandom, and I doubt the members would thank them for it either.
Many have already stated their thoughts already, but my 2 cents is that it is for ARMY -to have a written record or new fans or anyone who wants to read it really... I am pretty open minded. We have tons of videos and interviews but no written history such as this. There may be a time when the members discuss their lives and thoughts in a more memoir format, but if you are an ARMY and are paying attention the members themselves share so many of their thoughts, values, etc with ARMY in present day - in connection through their lives, letters (just one letter from Namjoon can put you right where he is right now and he is so poetic ) and communications through all their content. And something that no one has mentioned here yet - there is a group of ARMY that put together Book Club discussion questions and groups have been meeting, connecting and discussing much deeper concepts than what is at the surface. From my perspective it has fueled community and puts their 10 years on record in black and white-a written history along with links to the videos (which is a great idea).Without written history, do we know about the past? It also serves as a tool to dispel rumors or incorrect stories about the group. I really like that they made it accessible in so many languages. With any merchandise, including music, some business perspective and forethought, of course it is good for the bottomline. I have really enjoyed your videos over the years on your main and am not as frequent over here on READ...so not as familiar with your work on this channel. Thanks for sharing your perspective.❤
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that the book reads like music journalism and really, that’s what it says on the tin - a ‘10-year record of BTS.’ from that perspective, it’s a great book, especially in combination with the footnotes and qr codes. but a memoir or personal tell-all it certainly is not and that’s a little disappointing. but I’m not sure anyone involved in the genesis of the project ever intended it to be that tbh
I think part of the reading experience for this book depends on what your expectations are for it. As someone who is chronically online and is on Twitter, I knew going in that this wasn't really going to be a memoir or a tell all. Simply a history of BTS. I became ARMY during the pandemic and while I went down the rabbit hole and learned/watched everything I could, this was exactly what I was looking for to potentially fill some gaps. A chronological re-telling of their history put out by them and not some random US kpop writer making a profit. While a lot of this information wasn't new, I really appreciated the quotes from the members as well as the QR codes because there were a few things I had never seen before (the OG blog, older performances, etc.). I definitely think this book is primarily for fans that are either newish or want this as a keepsake since it came out on ARMY's anniversary. I also think that this would be a great book for someone who may be curious about why BTS is as big as they are and aren't heavily online (for example I'd love to convince my mom, who's a librarian and a reader like me, to read it so she may understand why I like them so much lololol). Maybe one day we'll get a real, member told memoir but for me now, this was enough. I'm just happy to have an official BTS book for my shelves. Overall, I appreciate your honest thoughts. Thank you 💜✨
I’ve seen a lot of comments (not just here but various social media) that since every army knows their story the book is not necessary. I think we undervalue the importance of compiling information in a permanent format, especially when the internet is not forever. there’s so many new fans, myself included, who mix up facts or even the basic timeline of when things happened. reading these interviews and their reflections on past events was super valuable since I haven’t seen every documentary or vlog yet, and sometimes I’ll misremember random things they’ve mentioned it doesn’t read like a cash grab to me considering the amount of work it took to put everything together. I follow one of the translators anton hur and he’s expressed how the entire team took on this project as a labor of love
I like this take so much. It's a good historical record and since some of these people working on it have been working with them since the beginning, I think it's something important for ARMY and for them. Also, it helps stamp out those other books not written by them with inaccurate information. For me, it was reading it WITH other ARMY (and those cool QR codes!) that made it fun.
i was waiting to see your opinions on this! i'm an army and i was wondering if it was worth to read it because i had a feeling it would kinda be like how you described. when i heard the news that this book was coming out i also wondered who is this for? i would genuinely LOVE to read any of the members memoirs in the future specific to them and their experiences ya know? anyway great video !
Korea is very risk-adverse so like with interviews and books involving celebs.. they will never be like the tell-all that people might expect from books published in America
the most important message I learned from this group is about loving yourself, working hard and protecting what you love. But also being kinder to others… cuz everyone can learn and grow. Quoting Jimin’s shirt: Be a better person 💜💜💜 I think this book is like a proof of how hard they worked. A way of saying "this happened. we did it." for the people who met them now and think it was always easy. I agree that the best parts were when the members were able to tell their experiences for themselves. 💜🍃
Cari, you have no idea how excited I am that you are reading The Raven Cycle!! It has been my favorite series since high school, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!! 😄😄😄
I haven't finished the book yet. I became an army in 2017 and ngl most of what i've read for now, I already knew. Minus some things they never talked about like idols from big companies mocking them. I'm a bit confused at who is supposed to be the target audience for the book cause it feels like it's for both fans and non fans? Like, it gives very generic info about them and their coming up and the kpop industry that seems aimed at newcomers but there's also some things they mention that you'd only know or really care about if you're already a fan? So, I feel like they were trying to target everyone
I was really intringued by this book but after seeing so many reviews by fan and non-fan, it safe to say that this feels like a cash grab or a way to have an official record of their story so that when rumors come out the compagny can say well it didnt happend, cause it wasnt in the book. I think it would be a nice thing to own as part of a collection with the albums but other than that.. sadly an other celebrity book made only to sell out and pump money in the industry (not a bad thing in itself but not made for readers either)
My problem with this book is not the book itself, but the way it was written. Going by chronological order, each chapter dedicated to a certain era/album, doesn’t make a reader (at least longtime fans) feel excited. We already know what’s gonna happen lol! The only interesting things are the quotes from the members. But what really took me out is when the writer would just go “RM talked about this and that at the Love Yourself concert…which you can watch on the group’s youtube channel via Bangtan Episode dated so and so” and then there are actual links to youtube for reference!!! Like. Gurl??? 😂 I am reading the book on my Kindle or laptop so sure fine I can click those links, but if it’s a printed copy??? Anyway I feel like this book’s format would work as a straightforward documentary. Because on film, I don’t have to be distracted by TH-cam links or ill placed photos. Because all those video clips and images can be seamlessly woven by the members’ own narration. Oh speaking of photos. All the photos in the book are promotional photos from each albums. Nothing new. J-Hope has a hard drive of photos and videos that he took of the members meticulously organized by folder depending on what year. Where were those lmao??? I just wished they added some personal photos to make this feel like a true memoir of the boys rather than something so obviously produced by an entertainment company :(
I agree that the book is not written in a very engaging way like a memoir, but I look at it as a conveniently laid out timeline of their past 10 years with handy QR codes for stuff. I did already know pretty much everything and to be honest, I still haven't finished the book (I've gotten through Chapter 5 and I need to be in a certain mood to read it). I've been listening to Korean music since 1999, been Army since 2015, and BTS are the only group I would buy a book like this for so I don't regret it. I think it's for collectors and maybe newer fans to get caught up on the history of BTS.
I’m pretty sure the purpose of this book was to document the first ten years of their career. More like a historical record. And it sounds like it was written by a music critic because it was. The author has probably interviewed BTS more than any other journalist.
Cari you are the best! Love your reviews ALWAYS, even when we disagree 😂 You have such a funny and respectful way about you, it’s like being part of your inner monologue 🥰 Keep doing what you’re doing cause it’s GREAT!! 💖
It feels like a book that was inteded for fans, but maybe will be more likely used for people who aren't fans but are interested in how BTS came to be. Or for fans wanting a source for a paper. Something like that is how I'm imagining this book being used.
100% the book is for new(er) ARMY to maybe get the history from the members "directly". I felt the same way you did reading it...I loved the interview sections but as a whole there wasn't any new information. It was also jarring to have the members called by their stage names for the whole thing, even during the interview sections where you know they're not calling Taehyung "V" or Namjoon "RM". Probably done for consistency and to lessen the confusion for baby ARMY, but it was very strange for someone who's been with them for a while. Like you said, it's nice to have an a historical record but it would have been better if more of it had been the member interviews.
I think a lot of ppl (Armys included) might have assume that the book might be a memoir too. But the title does say a 10 year record. I think this book's target audience is for everybody but mainly Armys. I mean it's literally released on Army day too. Plus their new documentary series will be coming up on disney+ too. I think most Armys would know most of the book's details but I don't think they would know the entirety of the book would they? I think if you are reading it with a tell-all/expose kind of book then I would get why one would be disappointed. I would be disappointed too. But seeing that they are still in the industry and they are SK citizens, that would be hard because defamation law in SK is no joke. You can literally sue anyone even if you are in the wrong. Seeing as the book wasn't being as personal, as a lot pointed out, has already made quite a lot of backlash from the kpop community. It was funny not going to lie.
I felt very much like this was BH putting their official story on the record. It didn’t feel sincere or genuine to me. It felt, as you said, dry, and the company telling us this is what happened. For the record. I had the audio book so I didn’t see the errors but knowing that they are there makes me sad. They are generally very careful with their work. This wasn’t it.
As a army from butter era I agree with you 100%, thanks for the great review! even though I only stan them since 2021 there was literally no new information for me, even though it was advertised as ‘Beyond the story’. Sorry but where? The interview sequences were the only interesting, personal thing, I skipped over all the goals and numbers at some point, it was absolutely visible that the author/entertainment just wanted to present how successful BTS are which both ARMY and non-ARMY already know, lol. I’m thinking of selling my copy because the price’s insane (obviously they wanted to milk every dollar out of ARMY like always)
Is that a New Jersey-shaped charm on your wrist or am I tripping lol shout out. I've been listening to BTS since 2014-2015 and I have to say, I really feel like management is erasing the individual human elements of the members, even as they're being encouraged to show their solo colors. Things feel less and less authentic and more and more polished. The music that's coming out feels completely soulless a lot of the time, when we know these guys are so intelligent, creative, literary, entirely capable of creating music with real artistic merit. It makes me uncomfortable to watch them become a product, in the most thorough sense that a human can. That's obviously the nature of the idol industry already, but seeing it happen to *these* men, at *this* scale...no one was meant to be this famous. It's parasocial to be hung up on the wellbeing of people you'll never meet, but I fully admit, I do worry about these guys.
I loved the book to bits and think its a pretty useful resource, especially for people who dont have the hours to spare to go through endless video footage, including contents that are harder to access, to find all this information, and all in one place at that. Its described as the "ten year record of bts" and that's exactly what it is. Ten yrs is a long time and its a great feat to compile it so well in one book. Older fans might not realise how valuable this is for newer fans, or even older fans who could never keep up with the whole "story" of bts actively Imo this was a very important release all army should own but some fans who were expecting juicy secrets and industry dirt are bound to be disappointed bc its just not bangtan style to cause a ruckus like that, theyre too classy for it.
I'm definitely ARMY and I agree there is a question of who it is for. I did find some spots where I skimmed. Overall I didn't hate it, but I am biased (pun heavily intended). I did watch an interview with one of the translators (Anton Hur) and he mentioned that the translations were VERY rushed. I think maybe just a few months and the last chapters were still being written. He also mentioned that there were pieces of lyrics that couldn't be translated the way the team wanted, but they were instead required to use the official lyric translations, even if they felt more stilted and awkward. I will say that there were things I appreciated learning about more recent times (2020 and on) that really shed some light on the planning and decision making of recent years. I also wonder how the Korean version compares to the English...is it written with more nuance? I know I really appreciate having the physical with the qr codes, knowing that future-me will love reliving the moments chronologically. Thank you for reviewing and sharing with us 💜
I've been Army since 2017/18 and I totally agree with your review, except I finished the book. I feel this book target audience is for new fans or fans that didn't look beyond the music. Also the book read like a cliff note of a bigger story. Unfortunately for me I had seen the TH-cam series The Rise of Bangtan and countless hours of video interviews and various BTS shows like In The Sopp and Run BTS that totally contradict some of what was in the book. Which made me question what was Hybe thinking, because if anything it made me diatrust the motive for the book. The next book I read about BTS will be directly from the members themselves without any input from Hybe or an unauthorized version from a known investigative author. I do recommend the book for newbies or if you collect BTS merchandise. Otherwise just watch The Rise of Bangtan.
I became a fan in 2020 and tbh I never learnt much about their history so I feel like this book would be fun for me to read but if I had looked up all of their past beforehand then yeah I feel like it would be a bit meh 😊
Maybe the international fans, like those in the USA? Gabbyreads is a booktuber in Washington state and she recorded a vlog where part of it included her reading her BTS book. She seemed to love it.
Army here! Honestly, I started listening to the book and didn't finish it. I wanted to read it on paper, also to be able to scan the QR codes, but it is waaaay too expensive. So I don't know if I'll ever finish it haha 😂 But also, I feel like sometimes people forget that being a fan does not mean you have to love everything your idol does. Having a critical mind is necessary and important in society! 😊
I love the book & as matter of fact, they did leave out a few things that did happen & that ARMY remembers. And while I do know some stuff, I like seeing their side of the story & there’s background info that just BTS knew. Tho I admit, the formatting & style was something I had to get used to.
Great content Cari! As a 34 year old Army it is appreciated when reviews discuss books like you do and highlight any issues they may have. Love the boys and fully support them but as an avid reader this one wouldn't be for me. Love your content 💛
I am reading the BTS Book too, I think it is a book for all armys to keep, a book that telling the journey of all the 7 members to their success. My daughter was a fan since 2015 and I followed them closely starting 2020 when they released Dynamite. Though I did know their story, but the book still helps me to learn more about their struggles from the early days.
Hello! I am a 42 year old ARMY, bookworm, and caricakes fan. I appreciated the book, but it seemed to be more Weverse magazine than memoir. I think it is geared toward new fans as a compendium of BTS to add their collection of merchandise. Which I happily added to my own shelf. I like BTS and your channels. I think honestly reviewing books is wonderful whatever the book and the opinions. One of the best qualities of being ARMY is their shared loved of BTS and the kindness we should show each other and non-ARMY. I hope that no one experiences any toxicity from the ARMY fandom, and I apologize if those kind of hateful comments have been directed at you over your review.
Yeah, unfortunately, given the circumstances, this book was never going to be anything more than a helpful wikipedia page. The book covers 10+ extremely packed years of their careers that saw multiple album releases, hardships, scandals and personal struggles from SEVEN people. That's a lot of ground to cover in just 500 pages. And Hybe is the author of this book so of course, the book has to be very mild in how it handles controversial topics as they don't want to hurt the their own reputation (Hybe's) or make big players in the industry angry (since they still have to actively work with many of them). Personally, I would've been very happy with a memoir series (3+ books?) as that would give the members' stories room to breathe (instead of cramming whole eras into a single chapter) and give us more direct quotes from the members. But perhaps that wasn't something they wanted to invest in from a business perspective.
I agree, it was a bad book. I am so disappointed. I don't think it's the translation. It's the editing and the poor writing and low amount of original content. I didn't learn anything new. Even with the video links, it's boring to read. I am ARMY, I think an ARMY could have done a much better job as the ghost writer by asking interesting questions and still kept some sense of privacy and discretion for the members.
i absolutely adoooore your thoughts! love the way you analyse things and it was so interesting to watch this being an army myself((( i always hate it when celebrities publish books because i rarely see them as the token of gratitude for fans but more just as smth profitable and smth poorly written just for the sake of being written. not talking about the boys themselves, we all know what is the main goal of all companies: to gain more profit. BUT it’s not a bad thing as long as you deliver smth worth that amount of money! smth unique, smth that cannot be found on the internet and definitely smth written grammatically correct without mistakes. it’s just a banal respect for the customers. love the boys immensely, but really am not a fan of such poorly done things. thank u again, queen!
I havent read the book, but the fact that you arent the only one with this opinions makes me wonder "is this book worth reading". As a army myself, i wont read it. From what i know, it's already enough. You are doing great cari. Love your content and keep doing what you love the most 💜
came from instagram.. so.. hi! I always look for honest reviews, especially ones like yours, that are informative and logical but still light-hearted. as a casual listener of bts(but not have read the book, I dont really like to read translated works, that's on me..), this video was interesting, it didn't make me want to read beyond the story any less, in fact, now I'm more curious. I hope no negativity discourages you from sharing personal opinions and reading experience! much love!
I‘m a huge fan of bts and have been for many years now. I was really looking forward to the book but I ended up being disappointed as well. I can relate to everything you said. There was so much potential but in the end it felt like a promo for hybe and not really authentic
ARMY here!! I 100% agree with you on the book! Please always continue to give your honest opinions and don't mind nasty people in the comments, you rock ❤
I am a army since 2017 and have the same feling,monst of the things i already knew and the book just sound a wikipedia page with more things.Some stuff was good but i was hoping so much more,the book is good for a new fan but for a old one i think is not necessary
Commenting again because you took time to read and analyse this book ( and knowing people - delulus - could come at you) and I hope those bad comment don't get to you too bad. Most of the Army agree with you, and again it's your point of view and you are (as always) very kindly explaining what you thought of the book without trashing anyone... Anyway, couldn't not comment again after seeing your post on insta. Sorry that's happening to you .. and they dare say your an anti or whatever when you did videos about the boys reading and what they would like & funny since it's this videos that made me discover your channel ! Lots of love from an Army and most of all a nice human being !
I liked that the book had QR codes linking to any music video or performance they referenced I think this was a great idea especially for non ARMY readers. I feel like it gave more insight into their own feelings throughout the last ten years rather than spilling any tea. The missing piece for me though is Bang Si Hyuk’s insights on his vision for the group and marketing strategy as they alluded to having to take a non traditional approach due to not being a big company. Maybe in the next one…..
I‘m Army and I feel similar to what you described in this video. I stopped reading during chapter 3 because it was just sooo boring and dry and kinda hard to read, like the sentences didn’t really flow. If it was just an interview of the members then that would be fine, but all the explanations and situations told from a third person perspective in between were annoying. And as a fairly new Army (2021) I didn’t know everything that was told in the beginning of the book, but it also didn’t make me feel like I want to know if that makes sense. It kinda ruined the excitement of learning about their early days for me.
As a longterm Army (since 2014) I didn't see much value in the book. However, I liked the included QR codes and I do believe it can be useful for new Army's. There are lots of misinformation within the fandom and this book that goes through their journey chronologically and also including information that is largely forgotten or ignored to make their story seem worse than it was might be a great start for misinformation to clear out. A little disappointment comes from reading their latest interviews though. They were so well written that I expected the same will be in this book - them doing a deep dive on certain topics and narrator not taking most of the book space. But I can't say I regret buying the book. It's huge in size, so the price wasn't merch priced, which was a shock (at least on Amazon). I also expected to know most of the things, that also was no surprise. All in all, I think I wasn't the target audience, the newer ARMY were so I can't be mad about that. Can't also speak about grammar since English is not my first language so it wasn't a problem for me. Edit: I just wanted to mention that Korean version book was higher quality which is a bit of a ripoff now that I think about it. They had a good packaging, photocatds, bookmark and full cover glossy pictures. Mine came just in the box, with no protection so it had scratches the first moment I saw it🙄. That's a part that I don't like though. Lower quality product for international fandom
@@caricanread yeah. It's not that noticeable though, only when turned towards the light. But since all other merch I own is in perfect like new condition, I was a bit sad that the book didn't look like new from manufacturer, but more 'like new condition' from second hand bookshop.
I'm a relatively new Army, became one thanks to my mom, so I feel maybe someone like myself would find something I didn't know / something interesting in the book? But I really value your opinion and from this video i'm not sure I would enjoy it! It sure feels like a big marketing stunt. I might borrow my mom's copy, but even a big fan as herself has said that the book is disappointing 😅
Speaking as someone who plummeted like a stone into the BTS rabbit hole and became an ARMY over the past year and half, I feel you and I agree with a lot of what you said. Loved the first chapter and breezed through it, and that was over two months ago. I'm still struggling with the rest and I've been feeling so bad about it because I call myself ARMY and can't even finish a book about them? So, it was good to hear your thoughts. I feel like it's a lovely book for a keepsake and good for flipping through randomly but reading it linearly cover to cover is a struggle. Like you said, it is a historical document.
I kept finding myself annoyed by the quotes from the lyrics they used bc they (especially the rap line) have really amazing, lovely lyrics, but they just kept including the most ordinary ones without giving the lyrical context that made these lines great/impactful. I was almost frothing at the mouth when I saw the one they chose for Am I wrong like......seriously?
Girl, same. I’m new ARMY and thought this book would be a great for me to catch up on everything I missed over the last 10 years. I wanted to devour this book and just couldn’t. It’s so dry. Honestly, I learn more from watching TH-cam (concert footage, In The Soop, and Rub BTS), and the many, many reels on Insta. I’m literally returning this book tomorrow.
I'm also on chapter 3, and losing steam; life is too short, so I'll just consider this a keepsake/merch and keep it moving. I wish we could just read the interview transcripts without all the filler, because the dry prose and typos (Jim?!) are killing me. I'm not sure who this is for either - maybe it's just a way to get their official version of events out there. But if I wanted to introduce someone to BTS, there are plenty of official and fan-made documentaries I could point them to - I wouldn't give them this book.
As an "Old" ARMY, i'm a bit disappointed in this book too. The QR codes are a great feature and reading the quotes from the boys are my favorite thing but it's otherwise not pleasant to read (and the spelling mistakes made me quite angry, like one or two can happen, not this much) and the French translation is quite bad in my opinion. This is (again) easy money on the back of fans but at least it's a beautiful piece to add on the shelf next to their discography . Thanks for the review Cari & always a highlight of my week to watch one of your videos 💜
hi cari! book loving army here and i love all your content, every fandom always has a toxic side to it so just ignore them. You’re the only booktuber i trust 💪🏻
I’ve learned more about the “old days” by watching the members’ candid conversations on Suchwita than I did reading this book 😂 I really appreciated the QR codes in the physical copy. The best thing about this book was how immersive it was stopping to listen to a song or watch an MV as it was being discussed on the page. That being said, I’m surprised at how many BTS bombs and other videos (even ones as recent as 2019) don’t have English translation. I wish Hype would hire people to go back and add subtitles to older videos. I agree the book felt rushed. I really wish the narrative had continued up until the Busan concert and the end of chapter 1. It seemed odd that the book left off when it did.
I'm a baby army (dynamite time), for me the book complemented and solidified information that I knew, but had no statements (there is a lot of fake news about them, even created by the army). There are really boring and tiring parts but for me the experience was better because I heard the songs again and saw the videos included in the book. So I thought it was an excellent book that structures their entire story over these ten years. But yes, I wanted it to be a biography made and written by them. Please Namjoon, I know you would write it perfectly.
Hi Cari - I was comforted to hear your thoughts about Beyond the Story, because I had a very similar reaction. I started getting into BTS over the summer, and I was really looking forward to this book, hoping it could curate some of the bottomless information that's out there about BTS (tiptoeing into a 10-year-old fandom is a daunting experience!). It does do that, to some extent, but most of the storytelling feels very surface-level and it's not an engaging read. I've literally been feeling *guilty* about not persevering with it (bad new fan - no army for you!), but every time I pick it up, it's a slog! As you said, the interviews are the best part, but the rest is pretty dry. The author also seems a little fixated on how much the members have suffered. Of course BTS wasn't an overnight success! But parts of the book read like a litany of pain and anxiety and depression and self-doubt...it makes me hope that they at least had *some* fun over the last 10 years! 😿 On the plus side, though, the QR codes were a really nice addition, especially the ones that linked to their pre-debut blogs (OMG, their sad little trainee Christmas in 2012!). And it's a beautifully packaged book, just a nice thing to have a physical copy of. So I think its value is more as a collectible for any kind of fan than as a compelling chronicle of the band. I'm sure there will be one -- or more! -- of those someday.
Hey cari I just saw your video about rating 50 most popular ya books ( i think?) Anyways I personally think that you should read the entire shatter me series from the start like with the novellas ( feel free to skip fracture me) but yeah the series get so much better after ignite me like the plot, it completely changes and i honestly completed the 10 books in like four days so yeah its pretty great and i am looking forward to reading bts book
Calling it a manufactured wikipedia article is a very weird take because Myeongseok Kang spent 2 years with the boys - 2 years interviewing them and putting what they said to paper. He even cross-checked with them their thoughts about things they had already spoken about after some time had passed. The writer has directly quoted the boys in all parts. It's not a company-money-grab or a kpopie experience. You said you're a casual fan so you wouldn't know - there is nothing 'juicy' or new because as ARMY we have lived it with the boys and they have always shared their thoughts and feelings with us. They have always been true and honest and shown things as is. That is literally why BTS and ARMY bond is different because its honest and real. Did people expect them to reveal that they had lied about their emotions or something??! There is no storytelling like fiction or plot twists which is why it might be boring and bad for you - because its reality. The only new thing this book gave me was a deeper perspective into things I lived with them, knew about through past content or got to know through older ARMYs. I'm glad that there were no huge surprises because that means I had checked myself on consuming misinformation and that the ARMYs before me did a great job of conveying and protecting their legacy. As an ARMY, I loved this book and understood exactly what the members' intention behind the book was - to tell their story of 10 years which they already have been sharing with us.
I’m not sure your argument makes sense. A director can spend 2+ years with a subject and still make a bad documentary. Same goes with a book. I’m not minimizing their experiences, I was simply asking for the book to be written much better. Kang is a music journalist and here in Korea they all have a very distinct, dry way of reporting on events. I think this would have been a better book if someone other than a reporter did it because writing in that style for 500 pages was so boring. Thats why I am saying it read like a wiki article. Also the translations in multiple other languages werent great so like I said, as a book it didnt feel like a heartfelt project, it felt more like merch - but it was sold to army as a heartfelt project.
I’ve never used my candle warmer because I love watching the little flames from the candles…but you are making me want to use it for a whole different vibe💕
Personally, reading the book felt like watching a documentary for me and I believe that's one thing BH excels in, so I kinda sorta wished we got this book as a documentary instead, lol. It did felt off in some parts, but I did end up highlighting so many excerpts, too. I kept thinking that if I were a new/casual fan, I would end up so confused while reading it, idk. I love seeing it in my bookshelf though.
I wanted this book to be BTS telling their story and we got a rundown of their achievements as artists and the development of their career. This book is like you said a wiki page with quotes from the members to make sure you keep reading. Is this supposed to be something I make my future kids and husband read to explain why BTS is popular and I happen to be a fan?
Not matter your views on the book cari I'm a fan of your vlogs 😭😭 how come you make everything so calming (also I'm an army and get your pov like every literary piece deserves its part of criticism and you're doing it well) But but --- thank you I'm waiting for your main channel vlogs so desperately 😤
This book isn’t for me but I thought you expressed your thoughts both positive and slightly negative in a respectful way to BTS’s crazy devoted fans. ❤
As an Army veteran, I agree with you. I read a few chapters in the bookstore before purchasing it cz i wasn't sure. And I didn't like it. It was just a money making ploy. I hated the translation. I have watched every single documentary as well as video of BTS and that translation was just awful. It didn't made me want to buy it at all. So you're absolutely right as a book reviewer!
I haven’t read the book yet but I liked the parts I saw online. I mostly saw the stuff about haters and plagiarism. and idk, when i was on stan twitter in 2016, there was so much hate and fandom wars with exo-l’s. and I just liked seeing BTS talk about all that negativity and telling their story. Cuz I feel like even now ppl got mad at them for telling the truth. While I feel like it needs to be acknowledged how much worse it was back then, when they were not that big, and their company was kinda inferior. And all the people who still do shit like that and don’t feel any guilt 🥶 idk what else is in there tho 😅
girl i was randomly watching one of your How much a spend in a week videos on your main channel, and then I thought it would be super cool if you made a How much I read in a week video. it would be interesting to know more. of course booktubers read more than average since its their job, but it would be super cool to hear more details about your reading habits in a week. i would also like to see this coming from other booktubers, but you are my favorite in the universe so yours is more important anyway.
I'm gonna watch this later, currently going through hell (jujutsu kaisen) just came here to support + shout out to my Gojokers we really got the shortest end of the stick.. (Also, 2014- army represent ✋)
Yeah this was about what I expected it was gonna be, like very impersonal, not much new info, not a lot of actual impact from the members, basically a cash grab (hybe has been great with those lately). Even interviews that I read with them sometimes felt like that tbh. Thanks for the review, saved me some money 😅
I became ARMY during dynamite and lots of the information in the book was new to me. I liked it a lot but didn’t feel like it was really the “tell all” I was hoping for. There was nothing juicy, you know? It was very “safe”. I’m still waiting for Namjoon’s tell all memoir when they actually retire in 40 years with all the detail. That will be the book. I thought the QR codes to the albums was clever and modern.
I am an army since 2016, so I definitely knew 90% of the information, but you are so right about it not being the tell all I expected. I felt the same way, definitely "safe". I think they should have waited on it a bit more, because I'm sure that they are not 100% ready to tell all still and maybe can't talk about some stuff before the military, but I felt that bighit knew they should release it before the disney docu, which I'm hoping will be more elaborate.
Completely agree! I am eagerly waiting for anything Namjoon puts out there as a writer. But I would be ecstatic if it's an autobiography!
Make your words my words. Perfect placement!!
The BTS book felt like a historical record of their start and achievements. I think some people were expecting personal narratives and voices, but it was more about providing information. Maybe if there was more time, there could have been more personal elements and stories to round it out rather than a long comprehensive biography of their careers.
as an army, i think this book was definitely written as a historical document. it’s helpful for new army to reference things they may not know very well. i also think that by putting out an official record of everything they’ve done in their career, it can help combat some of the rampant misinformation that gets spreads around within army sometimes. i know we love our boys but sometimes the facts get changed as they’re told through the grapevine. 💜💜 thanks for trying your best to read it cari
If it was written for history in one hundred years new army's are going to be wondering who Jim is and if he is Jin's twin brother and an official member of the group and why he is never in any of their videos. XD
I'm an army since 2015, since I Need U, and i can say that for older armys like me this book was a confirmation about a lot of stuff we knew but now they are kind of confirmed directly by the member. We should keep in mind though that the size of this fandom has almost tripled since 2017 and a lot of armys need to be aware of the past and the struggles of BTS to better understand their craft. So i think this book is more about armys and BTS themselves to have as a historical record. a tell all is not really the style of BTS, at least not for now.
It’s a good retelling of things that happened. I’ve an ARMY for 5 years and I knew A LOT of their story but seeing it pieced together was amazing to me.
I loved reading about their journey. Honestly, I know books like this can be ‘juicy’ or dramatic but I loved just reading more of their thoughts.
The members of BTS are very private people too, people will probably never find the drama they hope for.
I think people watching this are confused because i never asked to hear juicy stories or gossip - i would have been satisfied with good storytelling but it was written in a very boring way. As for “new” things, they could have added behind the scene photos but they just used official ones weve seen before 😮💨
@@caricanread I think people have problems with interpretation (which is shocking to me since readers should have a good interpretation of text). I understood what you said about their personal experiences, thoughts and feeling. I also missed that and at first it was released that way, after the release it became clear that it wasn't even written by them. I'm from Brazil and here the media treated it as an official biography of them, written by them. I hope Namjoon or one of the other members of the group decides to write about themselves (although I think they are very discreet about a lot of things). I agree with you, I love bangtantv precisely because it has behind-the-scenes footage. Hybe has enough content for years. Maybe they will do this in the future.
As a Chapter 2 ARMY (😭😭), this book is invaluable to me. There's so much misinformation from other ARMYs and the media that it's really nice to hear the boys' journey in such an in depth way. But also, I'd love to hear the same stories from the members' perspective. The interview portions were the best part and I wish it was the whole book.
Umm, the interviews were done in a span of two years and covered majority of the book
I believe they mean that it was the whole book as in, taking out all the extra writing and just having the straight transcript of the interview.
@@caricanread yes! That is what I mean thank you!
can't wait to watch your raven cycle reactions! not into kpop personally but I always appreciate a reading vlog 🩵
it will be up the first week of oct!
I’m a 2020 ARMY and I loved it. I didn’t expect a tell all bc I knew it was written by a journalist and that’s also not their style. I think I was the target audience. I loved getting to read their story in order (even though I knew a lot of it)- because when I became ARMY I learned a lot of information but not in any linear way. I also LOVED the QR codes bc I got to watch things in order to. Again, even if it wasn’t brand new to me- I liked having an organized chronicle to reference. I loved the member quotes and I thought the translation was great. It is more informational and isn’t done in a storytelling fashion- but I think that’s why the subheading is “a 10 year record” and not specifically stated as a memoir. I think a record is exactly what it is and I appreciate it for what it is- a chronicle not a narrative per se.
I also think this exists so that they have their own version of their history that they can reference. Because there were so many similar books that has been popping up that aren't affiliated with them and profiting off their story.
Interesting to hear your thoughts! As a long-time ARMY, let me say that absolutely none of the book was new information for me. I knew everything they spoke about in the book, from the facts to even what the members directly said. I think the targeted audience is meant to be newer fans who know a little about the k-pop industry already but don't know BTS' story - anyone from someone who just became a fan to maybe post-COVID era. The book doesn't explain a lot of k-pop terminology but expects the readers to already have an understanding of how the industry works. Meanwhile, it is like a glorified wiki - I totally get that. I agree that it read very straight forward and you can really tell is was written by a journalist versus a creative writer. The quotes from the members were also my favorite part but I could tell that they were translated very literally versus interpreted with more nuance to sound more natural to an English reader. It makes me curious how the book reads in other languages.
I didnt even think about other language translations, youre right! I felt like they got really technical about weird things like explaining inkigayo rankings but then not other things? Overall an odd reading experience.
Let me tell you I read this book in Polish and it feels like they translated it from English, not directly from Korean, which makes it even more awkward and weird sometimes. I actually considered buying English version. A lot of polish army were skeptical about it, but I wanted to have it in my mother tongue and well now I really regret buying it. The quotes from the members are also the best part for me, but exactly just like you said it's translated very very literally.
@@caricanread Spanish version sadly was translated from enfglish as a Latinamerican spanish speaker it was a bit odd since the translation was done in Spanish from Spain so many many things got lost in translation.
I read the German translation and while I had similar feelings like you and many other Armys about the journalistic wiki-like approach and ongoing information about achievements and events, the German team with 5 translators (3 professionals and 2 Armys) did an amazing job. The quotes of the members were translated so naturally that it felt even more close to the heart and reading something in ones first language always hits differently. The members came off even more quirky, down to earth and thoughtful than in English. Translations can completely change the vibe of a book and I can only imagine that a very literal one feels a bit odd and less personal. Of course, by now, lots of Armys know the ways in which Koreans talk, even if we don't speak the language, but my English teacher once said that the only languages that we can grasp with all its nuances and underlying meanings are the ones that we grow up with. So the work of the translators really enhanced my reading experience. I'm sorry that the English translation doesn't provide that, especially since some other ones (I saw Spanish and Polish in the comments) are based on it.
@@julitachojnacka5693ohh interesting I'm so happy you said that, bc I got english version so I wouldn't read in polish, bc my thoughts were "hmm I'm sure they will translate from english and not korean" and I knew if it is the true then it would go iffy bc translation to english would change text a little even if not intended, and then to another from english. I was like: they will lost a lot in process. So yeah I got my in english but I waited longer bc of this, but it was not a problem for me. Hmm also I was a little scared how they would use some words that are korean and and don't really translate to polish.
I think some helpful context is that the person who did the interviews and wrote this book is Myeongseok Kang, who is also the chief editor for weverse magazine. If you read those articles this style will be familiar. Secondly, Anton Hur the translator did press for this and shared that they had just ONE month to translate lol, he talks about the challenges and conscious choices they had to make for certain things.
The book was in my opinion for BTS and ARMY. For BTS because this was the first time they ever went through the events like this and explained what happened. ARMY knew, and casual fans knew because ARMY who witnessed it, kept sharing it with anyone who wanted to know. But it was our perspective. BTS members talk about hardships in their songs but they never talked about it in this way. It's important they tell their own story, even if it might feel like you already heard it. And for ARMY it's a big deal, firstly because we can verify all this preexisting information that is online, and reference the book and the BTS members themselves when talking about them, and not this one ARMY that was at that 1 event in 2014 l, for example. It's a big difference. I understand that for some the expectations was that they will write from the first perspective and give more insight, into their own feelings, but honestly, they have been doing that for the all this time. This was as the title says, a 10 year record of BTS..
when bts got big globally a lot of books about their journey popped up and none of them was official, people were just looking for a quick money. i think that this book is a response to the unofficial biographies
I'll be totally honest, I was disappointed in this book as well. When they said it's going to be a biography, I expected it to be... I don't know... little bit more personal? I read. A lot. And I mean A LOT, with all capital letters and English is not even my first language. 😁 I stopped after maybe 250 pages. I just couldn't finish it. As you said it's extremely dry, factual, no personal touch in it at all. Basically an extended explanation of their discography. I was telling myself that it will get better and hold on but the last straw was when I got to their first Daesang which was a mindblowing thing for them, for the fans, for everybody, I still get emotional to this day if I watch the video them receiving the award. I expected to read about their emotions, their joy when they got home after the award show, anything really. And what I got was basically like an after-thought "oh and by the way we got our first Daesang". That was the point when I put the book down. I wanted to read about Namjoon driving the others mad with singing in the shower, Jungkook vacuuming the mosquitos in the middle of the night, the troubles of having so many pairs of shoes in front of the door... Personal stories in between the impersonal details to make it an enjoyable read. Not a 500 pages long discography and list of achivements written in weird style.
I'm an army since 2016 and found your channel earlier this year, and you're already one of my favorite TH-camrs. Like others said, 90% of the information is not new to us. I bought the book, and I don't regret it, part of which was that I managed my expectations early on when I found out they were interviewed by a journalist for it. The members' interviews are definitely the best part. I also found the translations weird at times because it felt choppy, like the members said more, but it was condensed if you get what I mean? (And the translator said that they weren't allowed to translate the nicknames the members called each other ex. Jimminie, Hobi, Namjoonie, and were forced to translate to the stage names, so there is definitely something up with the translations and rushing for the release, shown by the grammar mistakes.) As a casual kpop fan on the side, I felt that even in the Info dump sections, sometimes they gave too much unnecessary information, and sometimes they didn't elaborate enough. Before you mentioned it I haven't asked myself who this book is actually for, you're right, because even as a loyal army getting through THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE PT1/2 spelled 10 times on a page for 20 pages straight got kinda unbearable😭 . Like I said, I don't regret buying the book, and love to go back to the members quotes, but I do also think it was somewhat of a cash grab on the side to Disney docu series they are realeasing later this year. Like .... a BTS documentary definitely works best in a video format because that's what showcases their magic best. But as a side note, there were a lot of fake "BTS Story" books by journalists who earned money on the back of bts' name though the years, so I can assume that bighit is filling this exact space in the market. Your description as a Wikipedia with interviews from the members is spot on. It does feel like that.
Also, you don't need to worry about "backlash" from armys, because I have faith that we are a rational fandom that can see things as they are and respect other's opinions.
Love your videos, and after watching the UK vlog, i want to have a road trip there, too. Like I never thought of visiting more than London, but now when I get there, I know I have to add a couple more cities to my tour👌❤️
omg RIGHT?! the fact that they didnt use any acronyms was killing me hahahah
The full spelling of "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE PT1/2" was such a headache for me too
To me, this book is somewhat like an academic work I read for uni! It literally says "10-year record of BTS" on the front, so I don't really know where this "it's lacking personality for a memoir" is coming from? I enjoy it, not because it's super entertaining or something, but because it just cements the official story. I such a wonderful confirmation of why BTS is what they are, how they came to be and what makes them special. Yes, there are no (or not many) personal stories or little tid-bits but I also didn't expect that? To me it was advertised like a complete collection of BTS's story and I think it did that job very well.
Also, as many already mentioned, the QR codes are a wonderful addition!
The way I saw it advertised, it was “Beyond the Story” not just “The Story” so myself and others expected at least a little bit more. And again, nothing excuses the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Even the translator said it was a disorganized and rushed job so Big Hit clearly didnt take their time or put in the care I would expect them to.
Army since 2014, to be honest I never had expectations with the book so I don't feel disappointed but yes I expected something more, it's just info in chronological order nothing new and poorly translated,many points with a lot of information but without importance, I think it's a waste, they could have done something much better Hybe has the resources but they decided to do something rushed and without depth,thanks for the video 💜
This little Army thinks you did the book fair justice. The fact that the toxic fans couldn’t even stay away from a nuanced review of what isn’t even a book written by the members… I’m so sorry you got barraged by the projection of their emotionally dysregulated insecurities. That’s always embarrassing for the fandom, and I doubt the members would thank them for it either.
Many have already stated their thoughts already, but my 2 cents is that it is for ARMY -to have a written record or new fans or anyone who wants to read it really... I am pretty open minded. We have tons of videos and interviews but no written history such as this. There may be a time when the members discuss their lives and thoughts in a more memoir format, but if you are an ARMY and are paying attention the members themselves share so many of their thoughts, values, etc with ARMY in present day - in connection through their lives, letters (just one letter from Namjoon can put you right where he is right now and he is so poetic ) and communications through all their content.
And something that no one has mentioned here yet - there is a group of ARMY that put together Book Club discussion questions and groups have been meeting, connecting and discussing much deeper concepts than what is at the surface.
From my perspective it has fueled community and puts their 10 years on record in black and white-a written history along with links to the videos (which is a great idea).Without written history, do we know about the past? It also serves as a tool to dispel rumors or incorrect stories about the group. I really like that they made it accessible in so many languages.
With any merchandise, including music, some business perspective and forethought, of course it is good for the bottomline.
I have really enjoyed your videos over the years on your main and am not as frequent over here on READ...so not as familiar with your work on this channel. Thanks for sharing your perspective.❤
agreed. i forced myself to finish it. it's disappointing but maybe i was expecting too much from it....
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that the book reads like music journalism and really, that’s what it says on the tin - a ‘10-year record of BTS.’
from that perspective, it’s a great book, especially in combination with the footnotes and qr codes.
but a memoir or personal tell-all it certainly is not and that’s a little disappointing. but I’m not sure anyone involved in the genesis of the project ever intended it to be that tbh
I think part of the reading experience for this book depends on what your expectations are for it. As someone who is chronically online and is on Twitter, I knew going in that this wasn't really going to be a memoir or a tell all. Simply a history of BTS. I became ARMY during the pandemic and while I went down the rabbit hole and learned/watched everything I could, this was exactly what I was looking for to potentially fill some gaps. A chronological re-telling of their history put out by them and not some random US kpop writer making a profit. While a lot of this information wasn't new, I really appreciated the quotes from the members as well as the QR codes because there were a few things I had never seen before (the OG blog, older performances, etc.). I definitely think this book is primarily for fans that are either newish or want this as a keepsake since it came out on ARMY's anniversary. I also think that this would be a great book for someone who may be curious about why BTS is as big as they are and aren't heavily online (for example I'd love to convince my mom, who's a librarian and a reader like me, to read it so she may understand why I like them so much lololol). Maybe one day we'll get a real, member told memoir but for me now, this was enough. I'm just happy to have an official BTS book for my shelves. Overall, I appreciate your honest thoughts. Thank you 💜✨
I’ve seen a lot of comments (not just here but various social media) that since every army knows their story the book is not necessary. I think we undervalue the importance of compiling information in a permanent format, especially when the internet is not forever. there’s so many new fans, myself included, who mix up facts or even the basic timeline of when things happened. reading these interviews and their reflections on past events was super valuable since I haven’t seen every documentary or vlog yet, and sometimes I’ll misremember random things they’ve mentioned
it doesn’t read like a cash grab to me considering the amount of work it took to put everything together. I follow one of the translators anton hur and he’s expressed how the entire team took on this project as a labor of love
You’ve got a point!
I like this take so much. It's a good historical record and since some of these people working on it have been working with them since the beginning, I think it's something important for ARMY and for them. Also, it helps stamp out those other books not written by them with inaccurate information. For me, it was reading it WITH other ARMY (and those cool QR codes!) that made it fun.
i was waiting to see your opinions on this! i'm an army and i was wondering if it was worth to read it because i had a feeling it would kinda be like how you described. when i heard the news that this book was coming out i also wondered who is this for? i would genuinely LOVE to read any of the members memoirs in the future specific to them and their experiences ya know? anyway great video !
Exactly! I was hoping for more of their thoughts but this was just like a school textbook 😮💨
Korea is very risk-adverse so like with interviews and books involving celebs.. they will never be like the tell-all that people might expect from books published in America
the most important message I learned from this group is about loving yourself, working hard and protecting what you love. But also being kinder to others… cuz everyone can learn and grow. Quoting Jimin’s shirt: Be a better person 💜💜💜 I think this book is like a proof of how hard they worked. A way of saying "this happened. we did it." for the people who met them now and think it was always easy. I agree that the best parts were when the members were able to tell their experiences for themselves. 💜🍃
Cari, you have no idea how excited I am that you are reading The Raven Cycle!! It has been my favorite series since high school, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!! 😄😄😄
I haven't finished the book yet. I became an army in 2017 and ngl most of what i've read for now, I already knew. Minus some things they never talked about like idols from big companies mocking them. I'm a bit confused at who is supposed to be the target audience for the book cause it feels like it's for both fans and non fans?
Like, it gives very generic info about them and their coming up and the kpop industry that seems aimed at newcomers but there's also some things they mention that you'd only know or really care about if you're already a fan?
So, I feel like they were trying to target everyone
Tbhhhh they have actually spoken about that before, in v old interviews from the time period that you kinda need to dig up.
I was really intringued by this book but after seeing so many reviews by fan and non-fan, it safe to say that this feels like a cash grab or a way to have an official record of their story so that when rumors come out the compagny can say well it didnt happend, cause it wasnt in the book. I think it would be a nice thing to own as part of a collection with the albums but other than that.. sadly an other celebrity book made only to sell out and pump money in the industry (not a bad thing in itself but not made for readers either)
My problem with this book is not the book itself, but the way it was written. Going by chronological order, each chapter dedicated to a certain era/album, doesn’t make a reader (at least longtime fans) feel excited. We already know what’s gonna happen lol! The only interesting things are the quotes from the members. But what really took me out is when the writer would just go “RM talked about this and that at the Love Yourself concert…which you can watch on the group’s youtube channel via Bangtan Episode dated so and so” and then there are actual links to youtube for reference!!! Like. Gurl??? 😂 I am reading the book on my Kindle or laptop so sure fine I can click those links, but if it’s a printed copy???
Anyway I feel like this book’s format would work as a straightforward documentary. Because on film, I don’t have to be distracted by TH-cam links or ill placed photos. Because all those video clips and images can be seamlessly woven by the members’ own narration.
Oh speaking of photos. All the photos in the book are promotional photos from each albums. Nothing new. J-Hope has a hard drive of photos and videos that he took of the members meticulously organized by folder depending on what year. Where were those lmao??? I just wished they added some personal photos to make this feel like a true memoir of the boys rather than something so obviously produced by an entertainment company :(
the printed copie has qr codes instead of links !
Hobi would have done it better fr 😂😂
I agree that the book is not written in a very engaging way like a memoir, but I look at it as a conveniently laid out timeline of their past 10 years with handy QR codes for stuff. I did already know pretty much everything and to be honest, I still haven't finished the book (I've gotten through Chapter 5 and I need to be in a certain mood to read it). I've been listening to Korean music since 1999, been Army since 2015, and BTS are the only group I would buy a book like this for so I don't regret it. I think it's for collectors and maybe newer fans to get caught up on the history of BTS.
I’m pretty sure the purpose of this book was to document the first ten years of their career. More like a historical record. And it sounds like it was written by a music critic because it was. The author has probably interviewed BTS more than any other journalist.
Cari you are the best! Love your reviews ALWAYS, even when we disagree 😂 You have such a funny and respectful way about you, it’s like being part of your inner monologue 🥰 Keep doing what you’re doing cause it’s GREAT!! 💖
Thank youuuu 🥹
Sending lots of love cari 💛 love your videos and your takes on reading even when they're critical 😊
🥹🙏🙏🙏
It feels like a book that was inteded for fans, but maybe will be more likely used for people who aren't fans but are interested in how BTS came to be. Or for fans wanting a source for a paper. Something like that is how I'm imagining this book being used.
100% the book is for new(er) ARMY to maybe get the history from the members "directly". I felt the same way you did reading it...I loved the interview sections but as a whole there wasn't any new information. It was also jarring to have the members called by their stage names for the whole thing, even during the interview sections where you know they're not calling Taehyung "V" or Namjoon "RM". Probably done for consistency and to lessen the confusion for baby ARMY, but it was very strange for someone who's been with them for a while. Like you said, it's nice to have an a historical record but it would have been better if more of it had been the member interviews.
I think a lot of ppl (Armys included) might have assume that the book might be a memoir too. But the title does say a 10 year record. I think this book's target audience is for everybody but mainly Armys. I mean it's literally released on Army day too. Plus their new documentary series will be coming up on disney+ too.
I think most Armys would know most of the book's details but I don't think they would know the entirety of the book would they?
I think if you are reading it with a tell-all/expose kind of book then I would get why one would be disappointed. I would be disappointed too. But seeing that they are still in the industry and they are SK citizens, that would be hard because defamation law in SK is no joke. You can literally sue anyone even if you are in the wrong.
Seeing as the book wasn't being as personal, as a lot pointed out, has already made quite a lot of backlash from the kpop community. It was funny not going to lie.
I felt very much like this was BH putting their official story on the record. It didn’t feel sincere or genuine to me. It felt, as you said, dry, and the company telling us this is what happened. For the record. I had the audio book so I didn’t see the errors but knowing that they are there makes me sad. They are generally very careful with their work. This wasn’t it.
As a army from butter era I agree with you 100%, thanks for the great review! even though I only stan them since 2021 there was literally no new information for me, even though it was advertised as ‘Beyond the story’. Sorry but where? The interview sequences were the only interesting, personal thing, I skipped over all the goals and numbers at some point, it was absolutely visible that the author/entertainment just wanted to present how successful BTS are which both ARMY and non-ARMY already know, lol. I’m thinking of selling my copy because the price’s insane (obviously they wanted to milk every dollar out of ARMY like always)
Exactly!! Even if you dont sell it i hope its at least a fun momento hahha
@@caricanread definitely :)
Is that a New Jersey-shaped charm on your wrist or am I tripping lol shout out. I've been listening to BTS since 2014-2015 and I have to say, I really feel like management is erasing the individual human elements of the members, even as they're being encouraged to show their solo colors. Things feel less and less authentic and more and more polished. The music that's coming out feels completely soulless a lot of the time, when we know these guys are so intelligent, creative, literary, entirely capable of creating music with real artistic merit. It makes me uncomfortable to watch them become a product, in the most thorough sense that a human can. That's obviously the nature of the idol industry already, but seeing it happen to *these* men, at *this* scale...no one was meant to be this famous. It's parasocial to be hung up on the wellbeing of people you'll never meet, but I fully admit, I do worry about these guys.
yes it is!
I havent read the book but heyooo, just came from insta 👋
That's all 😄
🥹🥹🥹
I loved the book to bits and think its a pretty useful resource, especially for people who dont have the hours to spare to go through endless video footage, including contents that are harder to access, to find all this information, and all in one place at that.
Its described as the "ten year record of bts" and that's exactly what it is. Ten yrs is a long time and its a great feat to compile it so well in one book. Older fans might not realise how valuable this is for newer fans, or even older fans who could never keep up with the whole "story" of bts actively
Imo this was a very important release all army should own but some fans who were expecting juicy secrets and industry dirt are bound to be disappointed bc its just not bangtan style to cause a ruckus like that, theyre too classy for it.
I wasnt expecting juicy secrets, i was expecting AT LEAST correct grammar and the members’ names to be spelled correctly 🥲🥲🥲
I'm definitely ARMY and I agree there is a question of who it is for. I did find some spots where I skimmed. Overall I didn't hate it, but I am biased (pun heavily intended). I did watch an interview with one of the translators (Anton Hur) and he mentioned that the translations were VERY rushed. I think maybe just a few months and the last chapters were still being written. He also mentioned that there were pieces of lyrics that couldn't be translated the way the team wanted, but they were instead required to use the official lyric translations, even if they felt more stilted and awkward.
I will say that there were things I appreciated learning about more recent times (2020 and on) that really shed some light on the planning and decision making of recent years. I also wonder how the Korean version compares to the English...is it written with more nuance?
I know I really appreciate having the physical with the qr codes, knowing that future-me will love reliving the moments chronologically.
Thank you for reviewing and sharing with us 💜
thats so good to know cause i loved his work with 'love in the big city' and was really surprised by the quality of these translations :(
I've been Army since 2017/18 and I totally agree with your review, except I finished the book. I feel this book target audience is for new fans or fans that didn't look beyond the music. Also the book read like a cliff note of a bigger story. Unfortunately for me I had seen the TH-cam series The Rise of Bangtan and countless hours of video interviews and various BTS shows like In The Sopp and Run BTS that totally contradict some of what was in the book. Which made me question what was Hybe thinking, because if anything it made me diatrust the motive for the book. The next book I read about BTS will be directly from the members themselves without any input from Hybe or an unauthorized version from a known investigative author.
I do recommend the book for newbies or if you collect BTS merchandise. Otherwise just watch The Rise of Bangtan.
100%. I only want to read from their perspective.
I became a fan in 2020 and tbh I never learnt much about their history so I feel like this book would be fun for me to read but if I had looked up all of their past beforehand then yeah I feel like it would be a bit meh 😊
Maybe the international fans, like those in the USA? Gabbyreads is a booktuber in Washington state and she recorded a vlog where part of it included her reading her BTS book. She seemed to love it.
Maybe! Especially new fans perhaps 🤔
Army here! Honestly, I started listening to the book and didn't finish it. I wanted to read it on paper, also to be able to scan the QR codes, but it is waaaay too expensive. So I don't know if I'll ever finish it haha 😂
But also, I feel like sometimes people forget that being a fan does not mean you have to love everything your idol does. Having a critical mind is necessary and important in society! 😊
💯
I love the book & as matter of fact, they did leave out a few things that did happen & that ARMY remembers. And while I do know some stuff, I like seeing their side of the story & there’s background info that just BTS knew. Tho I admit, the formatting & style was something I had to get used to.
TIL this wasn't your main channel
Great content Cari! As a 34 year old Army it is appreciated when reviews discuss books like you do and highlight any issues they may have. Love the boys and fully support them but as an avid reader this one wouldn't be for me. Love your content 💛
Thank you so much!!
I am reading the BTS Book too, I think it is a book for all armys to keep, a book that telling the journey of all the 7 members to their success. My daughter was a fan since 2015 and I followed them closely starting 2020 when they released Dynamite. Though I did know their story, but the book still helps me to learn more about their struggles from the early days.
Hello! I am a 42 year old ARMY, bookworm, and caricakes fan. I appreciated the book, but it seemed to be more Weverse magazine than memoir. I think it is geared toward new fans as a compendium of BTS to add their collection of merchandise. Which I happily added to my own shelf. I like BTS and your channels. I think honestly reviewing books is wonderful whatever the book and the opinions. One of the best qualities of being ARMY is their shared loved of BTS and the kindness we should show each other and non-ARMY. I hope that no one experiences any toxicity from the ARMY fandom, and I apologize if those kind of hateful comments have been directed at you over your review.
I just picked up the raven cycle two months ago cuz i found the first audiobook free on Spotify 😭 im on the 3d book now and im seriously obsessed
Yeah, unfortunately, given the circumstances, this book was never going to be anything more than a helpful wikipedia page. The book covers 10+ extremely packed years of their careers that saw multiple album releases, hardships, scandals and personal struggles from SEVEN people. That's a lot of ground to cover in just 500 pages. And Hybe is the author of this book so of course, the book has to be very mild in how it handles controversial topics as they don't want to hurt the their own reputation (Hybe's) or make big players in the industry angry (since they still have to actively work with many of them). Personally, I would've been very happy with a memoir series (3+ books?) as that would give the members' stories room to breathe (instead of cramming whole eras into a single chapter) and give us more direct quotes from the members. But perhaps that wasn't something they wanted to invest in from a business perspective.
I agree, it was a bad book. I am so disappointed. I don't think it's the translation. It's the editing and the poor writing and low amount of original content. I didn't learn anything new. Even with the video links, it's boring to read. I am ARMY, I think an ARMY could have done a much better job as the ghost writer by asking interesting questions and still kept some sense of privacy and discretion for the members.
i absolutely adoooore your thoughts! love the way you analyse things and it was so interesting to watch this being an army myself((( i always hate it when celebrities publish books because i rarely see them as the token of gratitude for fans but more just as smth profitable and smth poorly written just for the sake of being written. not talking about the boys themselves, we all know what is the main goal of all companies: to gain more profit. BUT it’s not a bad thing as long as you deliver smth worth that amount of money! smth unique, smth that cannot be found on the internet and definitely smth written grammatically correct without mistakes. it’s just a banal respect for the customers. love the boys immensely, but really am not a fan of such poorly done things.
thank u again, queen!
Thank YOU queen!
I havent read the book, but the fact that you arent the only one with this opinions makes me wonder "is this book worth reading". As a army myself, i wont read it. From what i know, it's already enough. You are doing great cari. Love your content and keep doing what you love the most 💜
🤍🤍🤍
came from instagram.. so.. hi!
I always look for honest reviews, especially ones like yours, that are informative and logical but still light-hearted.
as a casual listener of bts(but not have read the book, I dont really like to read translated works, that's on me..), this video was interesting, it didn't make me want to read beyond the story any less, in fact, now I'm more curious.
I hope no negativity discourages you from sharing personal opinions and reading experience! much love!
Thank you!!!
I‘m a huge fan of bts and have been for many years now. I was really looking forward to the book but I ended up being disappointed as well. I can relate to everything you said. There was so much potential but in the end it felt like a promo for hybe and not really authentic
ARMY here!! I 100% agree with you on the book! Please always continue to give your honest opinions and don't mind nasty people in the comments, you rock ❤
thank you so much 🥹
im not a bts fan but this reminds me of this one direction book i had in middle school 😭 like just pictures and stats
I am a army since 2017 and have the same feling,monst of the things i already knew and the book just sound a wikipedia page with more things.Some stuff was good but i was hoping so much more,the book is good for a new fan but for a old one i think is not necessary
100%! They could have saved paper and just given us the interview transcripts 😂
@@caricanreadyes and more thing about the music making process,I love that kind of stuff
I completely agree with you on the book and I love BTS. You made it further in the book than I did. There’s no there there!
I felt the same about the book also. I only halfway reading it.
sooo excited for your thought on the raven cycle
Commenting again because you took time to read and analyse this book ( and knowing people - delulus - could come at you) and I hope those bad comment don't get to you too bad. Most of the Army agree with you, and again it's your point of view and you are (as always) very kindly explaining what you thought of the book without trashing anyone... Anyway, couldn't not comment again after seeing your post on insta. Sorry that's happening to you .. and they dare say your an anti or whatever when you did videos about the boys reading and what they would like & funny since it's this videos that made me discover your channel ! Lots of love from an Army and most of all a nice human being !
Thank you so much truly 🥹🙏🙏🙏
I’m soooo exciteddd that you’re reading the Raven cycle ! I hope you love this fever dream of a series as much as I do.
Big hit does this all the time tho, they probably just wanted to get a quick bag and they know that armys will pretty much buy anything to support BTS
I liked that the book had QR codes linking to any music video or performance they referenced I think this was a great idea especially for non ARMY readers. I feel like it gave more insight into their own feelings throughout the last ten years rather than spilling any tea. The missing piece for me though is Bang Si Hyuk’s insights on his vision for the group and marketing strategy as they alluded to having to take a non traditional approach due to not being a big company. Maybe in the next one…..
I‘m Army and I feel similar to what you described in this video. I stopped reading during chapter 3 because it was just sooo boring and dry and kinda hard to read, like the sentences didn’t really flow. If it was just an interview of the members then that would be fine, but all the explanations and situations told from a third person perspective in between were annoying. And as a fairly new Army (2021) I didn’t know everything that was told in the beginning of the book, but it also didn’t make me feel like I want to know if that makes sense. It kinda ruined the excitement of learning about their early days for me.
the first chapter was fine but then it got SO dry?? hoping future documentaries makes the early days more interesting for you and others!
Just dropping by to say i’m ARMY and 100% agree with you on the book.
Thank you 🤍
As a longterm Army (since 2014) I didn't see much value in the book. However, I liked the included QR codes and I do believe it can be useful for new Army's. There are lots of misinformation within the fandom and this book that goes through their journey chronologically and also including information that is largely forgotten or ignored to make their story seem worse than it was might be a great start for misinformation to clear out.
A little disappointment comes from reading their latest interviews though. They were so well written that I expected the same will be in this book - them doing a deep dive on certain topics and narrator not taking most of the book space. But I can't say I regret buying the book. It's huge in size, so the price wasn't merch priced, which was a shock (at least on Amazon). I also expected to know most of the things, that also was no surprise. All in all, I think I wasn't the target audience, the newer ARMY were so I can't be mad about that. Can't also speak about grammar since English is not my first language so it wasn't a problem for me.
Edit: I just wanted to mention that Korean version book was higher quality which is a bit of a ripoff now that I think about it. They had a good packaging, photocatds, bookmark and full cover glossy pictures. Mine came just in the box, with no protection so it had scratches the first moment I saw it🙄. That's a part that I don't like though. Lower quality product for international fandom
Ugh that stinks! Especially because most people seem to be buying this just as a collectors item 😭
@@caricanread yeah. It's not that noticeable though, only when turned towards the light. But since all other merch I own is in perfect like new condition, I was a bit sad that the book didn't look like new from manufacturer, but more 'like new condition' from second hand bookshop.
I'm seeing people writing that the book might be for non fans but I would never buy a book of a band/group or singer that I'm not a fan of...
Exactly!
I'm a relatively new Army, became one thanks to my mom, so I feel maybe someone like myself would find something I didn't know / something interesting in the book? But I really value your opinion and from this video i'm not sure I would enjoy it! It sure feels like a big marketing stunt. I might borrow my mom's copy, but even a big fan as herself has said that the book is disappointing 😅
Speaking as someone who plummeted like a stone into the BTS rabbit hole and became an ARMY over the past year and half, I feel you and I agree with a lot of what you said. Loved the first chapter and breezed through it, and that was over two months ago. I'm still struggling with the rest and I've been feeling so bad about it because I call myself ARMY and can't even finish a book about them? So, it was good to hear your thoughts.
I feel like it's a lovely book for a keepsake and good for flipping through randomly but reading it linearly cover to cover is a struggle. Like you said, it is a historical document.
I kept finding myself annoyed by the quotes from the lyrics they used bc they (especially the rap line) have really amazing, lovely lyrics, but they just kept including the most ordinary ones without giving the lyrical context that made these lines great/impactful. I was almost frothing at the mouth when I saw the one they chose for Am I wrong like......seriously?
Girl, same. I’m new ARMY and thought this book would be a great for me to catch up on everything I missed over the last 10 years. I wanted to devour this book and just couldn’t. It’s so dry. Honestly, I learn more from watching TH-cam (concert footage, In The Soop, and Rub BTS), and the many, many reels on Insta. I’m literally returning this book tomorrow.
:''''(
I am an ARMY and I can't agree more. The book was disappointment 😟
I'm also on chapter 3, and losing steam; life is too short, so I'll just consider this a keepsake/merch and keep it moving. I wish we could just read the interview transcripts without all the filler, because the dry prose and typos (Jim?!) are killing me. I'm not sure who this is for either - maybe it's just a way to get their official version of events out there. But if I wanted to introduce someone to BTS, there are plenty of official and fan-made documentaries I could point them to - I wouldn't give them this book.
As an "Old" ARMY, i'm a bit disappointed in this book too. The QR codes are a great feature and reading the quotes from the boys are my favorite thing but it's otherwise not pleasant to read (and the spelling mistakes made me quite angry, like one or two can happen, not this much) and the French translation is quite bad in my opinion. This is (again) easy money on the back of fans but at least it's a beautiful piece to add on the shelf next to their discography . Thanks for the review Cari & always a highlight of my week to watch one of your videos 💜
hi cari! book loving army here and i love all your content, every fandom always has a toxic side to it so just ignore them. You’re the only booktuber i trust 💪🏻
Thank you 🥹🥹🥹
I’ve learned more about the “old days” by watching the members’ candid conversations on Suchwita than I did reading this book 😂
I really appreciated the QR codes in the physical copy. The best thing about this book was how immersive it was stopping to listen to a song or watch an MV as it was being discussed on the page. That being said, I’m surprised at how many BTS bombs and other videos (even ones as recent as 2019) don’t have English translation. I wish Hype would hire people to go back and add subtitles to older videos.
I agree the book felt rushed. I really wish the narrative had continued up until the Busan concert and the end of chapter 1. It seemed odd that the book left off when it did.
I'm just here to say hiiiii, I saw your story on insta about the hate comments 😭😭 Love your content, great as always!
I'm a baby army (dynamite time), for me the book complemented and solidified information that I knew, but had no statements (there is a lot of fake news about them, even created by the army). There are really boring and tiring parts but for me the experience was better because I heard the songs again and saw the videos included in the book. So I thought it was an excellent book that structures their entire story over these ten years. But yes, I wanted it to be a biography made and written by them. Please Namjoon, I know you would write it perfectly.
Hi Cari - I was comforted to hear your thoughts about Beyond the Story, because I had a very similar reaction. I started getting into BTS over the summer, and I was really looking forward to this book, hoping it could curate some of the bottomless information that's out there about BTS (tiptoeing into a 10-year-old fandom is a daunting experience!). It does do that, to some extent, but most of the storytelling feels very surface-level and it's not an engaging read. I've literally been feeling *guilty* about not persevering with it (bad new fan - no army for you!), but every time I pick it up, it's a slog! As you said, the interviews are the best part, but the rest is pretty dry. The author also seems a little fixated on how much the members have suffered. Of course BTS wasn't an overnight success! But parts of the book read like a litany of pain and anxiety and depression and self-doubt...it makes me hope that they at least had *some* fun over the last 10 years! 😿 On the plus side, though, the QR codes were a really nice addition, especially the ones that linked to their pre-debut blogs (OMG, their sad little trainee Christmas in 2012!). And it's a beautifully packaged book, just a nice thing to have a physical copy of. So I think its value is more as a collectible for any kind of fan than as a compelling chronicle of the band. I'm sure there will be one -- or more! -- of those someday.
a book will inevitably be reviewed as a book, as it should. very influenced by your trc vlog, cari ! ❤
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Hey cari
I just saw your video about rating 50 most popular ya books ( i think?) Anyways I personally think that you should read the entire shatter me series from the start like with the novellas ( feel free to skip fracture me) but yeah the series get so much better after ignite me like the plot, it completely changes and i honestly completed the 10 books in like four days so yeah its pretty great and i am looking forward to reading bts book
Calling it a manufactured wikipedia article is a very weird take because Myeongseok Kang spent 2 years with the boys - 2 years interviewing them and putting what they said to paper. He even cross-checked with them their thoughts about things they had already spoken about after some time had passed. The writer has directly quoted the boys in all parts. It's not a company-money-grab or a kpopie experience.
You said you're a casual fan so you wouldn't know - there is nothing 'juicy' or new because as ARMY we have lived it with the boys and they have always shared their thoughts and feelings with us. They have always been true and honest and shown things as is. That is literally why BTS and ARMY bond is different because its honest and real.
Did people expect them to reveal that they had lied about their emotions or something??! There is no storytelling like fiction or plot twists which is why it might be boring and bad for you - because its reality.
The only new thing this book gave me was a deeper perspective into things I lived with them, knew about through past content or got to know through older ARMYs. I'm glad that there were no huge surprises because that means I had checked myself on consuming misinformation and that the ARMYs before me did a great job of conveying and protecting their legacy.
As an ARMY, I loved this book and understood exactly what the members' intention behind the book was - to tell their story of 10 years which they already have been sharing with us.
I’m not sure your argument makes sense. A director can spend 2+ years with a subject and still make a bad documentary. Same goes with a book. I’m not minimizing their experiences, I was simply asking for the book to be written much better. Kang is a music journalist and here in Korea they all have a very distinct, dry way of reporting on events. I think this would have been a better book if someone other than a reporter did it because writing in that style for 500 pages was so boring. Thats why I am saying it read like a wiki article. Also the translations in multiple other languages werent great so like I said, as a book it didnt feel like a heartfelt project, it felt more like merch - but it was sold to army as a heartfelt project.
And again, i never asked for gossip or drama if you actually listen to my review 😭
I’ve never used my candle warmer because I love watching the little flames from the candles…but you are making me want to use it for a whole different vibe💕
It makes my house smell SO good. Idk why but i smell the scents of my candles better with the warmer - so I recommend 👀
Personally, reading the book felt like watching a documentary for me and I believe that's one thing BH excels in, so I kinda sorta wished we got this book as a documentary instead, lol. It did felt off in some parts, but I did end up highlighting so many excerpts, too. I kept thinking that if I were a new/casual fan, I would end up so confused while reading it, idk. I love seeing it in my bookshelf though.
I think theyre working on a doc soon actually!! 🤞🤞🤞
I wanted this book to be BTS telling their story and we got a rundown of their achievements as artists and the development of their career. This book is like you said a wiki page with quotes from the members to make sure you keep reading. Is this supposed to be something I make my future kids and husband read to explain why BTS is popular and I happen to be a fan?
Not matter your views on the book cari I'm a fan of your vlogs 😭😭 how come you make everything so calming (also I'm an army and get your pov like every literary piece deserves its part of criticism and you're doing it well)
But but --- thank you I'm waiting for your main channel vlogs so desperately 😤
This book isn’t for me but I thought you expressed your thoughts both positive and slightly negative in a respectful way to BTS’s crazy devoted fans. ❤
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As an Army veteran, I agree with you. I read a few chapters in the bookstore before purchasing it cz i wasn't sure. And I didn't like it. It was just a money making ploy. I hated the translation. I have watched every single documentary as well as video of BTS and that translation was just awful. It didn't made me want to buy it at all. So you're absolutely right as a book reviewer!
I haven’t read the book yet but I liked the parts I saw online. I mostly saw the stuff about haters and plagiarism. and idk, when i was on stan twitter in 2016, there was so much hate and fandom wars with exo-l’s. and I just liked seeing BTS talk about all that negativity and telling their story. Cuz I feel like even now ppl got mad at them for telling the truth. While I feel like it needs to be acknowledged how much worse it was back then, when they were not that big, and their company was kinda inferior. And all the people who still do shit like that and don’t feel any guilt 🥶
idk what else is in there tho 😅
girl i was randomly watching one of your How much a spend in a week videos on your main channel, and then I thought it would be super cool if you made a How much I read in a week video. it would be interesting to know more. of course booktubers read more than average since its their job, but it would be super cool to hear more details about your reading habits in a week. i would also like to see this coming from other booktubers, but you are my favorite in the universe so yours is more important anyway.
I'm gonna watch this later, currently going through hell (jujutsu kaisen) just came here to support + shout out to my Gojokers we really got the shortest end of the stick.. (Also, 2014- army represent ✋)
I thought it was a book written by RM about BTS🥲 He always say that he used to write poetry.
We recently bought that book, my sis was so happy to finally have an official merch from BTS.
Yeah this was about what I expected it was gonna be, like very impersonal, not much new info, not a lot of actual impact from the members, basically a cash grab (hybe has been great with those lately). Even interviews that I read with them sometimes felt like that tbh. Thanks for the review, saved me some money 😅