I read the novel after reading the manga and I can certainly agree that the manga does the novel injustice. They leave out a lot of key things that drive the point home that trauma affects your romantic relationships, especially trauma that is internalized and never given the light of the day. Trauma that isn't easily solved with a few sessions of therapy. The depth that the novel goes into about the disparity between their affections cannot be accurately portrayed in manhwas, that relies more on events than internal character analysis, which is why there are a lot of gaps in us fully understanding why they both are so toxic for each other. If you read the novel, you will be struck by Gi-hyeon's self-loathing for his own actions and feelings towards Yeon-oh. "For a species biologically hardwired to demand visceral, empirical proof of devotion through pheromonal exchange, verbal confessions probably seemed pathetically inadequate. He finally understood why Yeon-oh had so ruthlessly mocked Beta romance. Gi-hyeon felt a bitter wave of self-deprecation; he had spent years writing love letters in a language Jo Yeon-oh literally couldn’t read." All novels have their own flaws, but I enjoyed this one. Despite how infuriating the characters could be at times, the author did a great job sticking to the integrity of characterization and walking us through the turmoils of what happens when two hearts can't be bridged.
I read the novel after reading the manga and I can certainly agree that the manga does the novel injustice. They leave out a lot of key things that drive the point home that trauma affects your romantic relationships, especially trauma that is internalized and never given the light of the day. Trauma that isn't easily solved with a few sessions of therapy.
The depth that the novel goes into about the disparity between their affections cannot be accurately portrayed in manhwas, that relies more on events than internal character analysis, which is why there are a lot of gaps in us fully understanding why they both are so toxic for each other.
If you read the novel, you will be struck by Gi-hyeon's self-loathing for his own actions and feelings towards Yeon-oh. "For a species biologically hardwired to demand visceral, empirical proof of devotion through pheromonal exchange, verbal confessions probably seemed pathetically inadequate. He finally understood why Yeon-oh had so ruthlessly mocked Beta romance. Gi-hyeon felt a bitter wave of self-deprecation; he had spent years writing love letters in a language Jo Yeon-oh literally couldn’t read."
All novels have their own flaws, but I enjoyed this one. Despite how infuriating the characters could be at times, the author did a great job sticking to the integrity of characterization and walking us through the turmoils of what happens when two hearts can't be bridged.