This novella is really a work of art. I was attracted to the book by the cover, and the description made me think this would be a bit of a jaunt through horror.
Well...
The cover is beautiful and the writing is gorgeous...
The story, really is not a jaunt through horror.
It has some moments, but no it's not that.
Firstly, it helps to read this book in context. The author Hwang Jungeun notes that they were inspired by the Yongson tragedy of 2009. I am embarrassed to say that I had to look this up- I had no recollection of this. That spiraled into what was I doing in 2009...and ah yes, that was a LONG time ago and most Americans were focused on financial news, the death of Michael Jackson, and Obama's first term.
I was unaware of this context and jumped in blind to a story where Eungyo and Mujae are lost in the woods. I really thought some amazing creature was going to stalk them, but no... Eungyo starts to see her shadow rising and she fights not to follow it away. These two both work in an electronic market in a derelict area of Seoul. Eungyo describes her day to day life and interactions and notes that many people have started to see their shadows rising. They are cautioned not to follow. We get lots of stories about people who did give in to their shadow and their definite decline. The buildings they work in are scheduled for demolition, and the occupants seem unphased, and unbothered, there's no great plan to migrate, just a stoic acceptance. As the process begins, nothing seems to really change, and the story sort of fades out with Eungyo and Mujae taking a trip that ends in a darkness, with a choice by Eungyo that propels them towards community and life.
This is a great little piece of literature that allows a reader to really explore different topics. There's community, corporate greed/takeover, a delightful interaction where Eungyo and Mujae discuss that their area is considered a slum, which is not how they see it at all, set against a somewhat bleak background. lots to talk about for the right book club. Lots to avoid for the wrong book club.
As a whole, The writing is gorgeous, even through translation, I really enjoyed reading the entire book. It really is a mood piece, as there is not a plot with a beginning, middle and end, we are sort of invited in to observe this life, and then gently escorted out, leaving a reader to do the work of coming to their own conclusions. For me, even though I know the beauty of this is that the work can be interpreted in many ways, and that the reader interaction with the writing is the final step in the process, my pea-brain just wants to know...
Great book for the right book club, people interested in Korean life and culture, people wanting to read good books in translation, and those who tolerate those vague endings better than I do!
STATS
First Published 2010 (Korean)
First Published in English 2016 (I may be wrong on this but it's what I found)
Pages: 192
Available as an Audio Book : YES
Trigger Warnings: Death of parent, death, classism
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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