The Dallergut Dream Department Store

 

Rating: 3 for such an unusual and creative premise. It almost has to be Korean. Translated from the original Korean bestseller by Miye Lee.

My Thoughts:

This is like shopping at the Wonka store (imagine the movie with Timothy Chalamet) except it is broken up onto department stores and you are shopping for dreams. Even the trauma dreams are fascinating. Half of the clients return their trauma dreams, but if they stick it out, it really is a novel reflection on the power of all of our dreams. 

I enjoyed so much about this strange book, but especially the dream makers as legitimate artists as well as the way that dreams are paid for after the dream and not at the store. The idea that different dreams are paid in different ways was just a small bit of world making that I would not have thought of, but once it was explained, makes perfect sense.

I think the biggest recommendation I can make about this book is that it brings back the world building and social commentary that readers get from reading Roald Dahl, who by the way is also not American.

From the Publisher:

For fans of magical realism and the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi comes this cozy fantasy debut.

What if there was a store that sold dreams? Which would you buy? And who might you become when you wake up?

In a mysterious town hidden in our collective subconscious there's a department store that sells dreams. Day and night, visitors both human and animal shuffle in to purchase their latest adventure. Each floor specializes in a specific type of dream: childhood memories, food dreams, ice skating, dreams of stardom. Flying dreams are almost always sold out. Some seek dreams of loved ones who have died.

For Penny, an enthusiastic new hire, working at Dallergut is the opportunity of a lifetime. As she uncovers the workings of this whimsical world, she bonds with a cast of unforgettable characters, including Dallergut, the flamboyant and wise owner, Babynap Rockabye, a famous dream designer, Maxim, a nightmare producer, and the many customers who dream to heal, dream to grow, and dream to flourish.

Publication Information:

Author: Miye Lee

Translator: Sandy Joosun Lee

Publisher : Hanover Square Press (July 9, 2024)