Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Skříň #13

A bizarre book to be sure. There is some interesting and at times poignant commentary about capitalism and alienation as others have noted. There are also some very funny and human moments. Despite that, I think this would have been better as a collection of short stories with the narrator's personality and life filled subtly through the telling of those. Instead, we get weird moments of plot that feel like distractions from the stories of the symptomers, which are so often funny or touching.

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jaimeeslitlife's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"There is no moral of the story - that's the moral of the story."

“These things are recorded simply because they just are. Not because they are magnificent or beautiful, but because they exist beside us.”

In THE CABINET, stories of symptomers (people who have biologically metamorphosed in surreal ways) are juxtaposed against the story of Kong Deok-geun, an office worker whose life is full of I-would-rather-eat-dog-treats-than-suffer-this-boredom boredom. Deok-geun is a passive, unenthusiastic narrator who seems to be swept along by his story instead of writing it himself. What starts as a boredom-fueled break-in to an exceedingly ordinary cabinet that holds the symptomers' files turns into a bizarre and potentially lethal ride from which Deok-geun makes no real attempt to escape. There was something so intensely human about the way Deok-geun ignored the absurdities happening in the world around him, pushing them away and minimizing them until they forced him to pay attention. Instead of putting off a dentist appointment, however, Deok-geun puts off thinking about the potential consequences of his interactions with the symptomers.

THE CABINET defies convention just as much as the symptomers do. It is darkly humorous and upbeat, but also disturbing on a visceral level. Dry humor and a touch of whimsy mingle with body horror and intense satire of capitalist office culture. Absurd science fiction vignettes meet the absurdity of reality. THE CABINET is a fascinatingly weird little book that deserves its own special place in the world of fiction.

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fox_at_the_circus's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

My favourite part of this book were all the different abilites the "symptomers" have, I would have loved to see even more of them. Most of them I haven't seen in any other media, and the book really focuses on how those abilites make living life in our current society (more) difficult. In general, the book talks a lot about understanding each other's hardships and being more kind.
The beginning of the book is more of a introdcution to different "symptomers", the plot itself picks up in the second half and then in the end suddenly everything happens very fast. The ending was a twist for me, and I think it works well. It's very open though, and there are many open questions, which does work with the overall book atmosphere and tone, but I also like seeing things finished.
The main character is pretty interesting, not super likeable, but he works in the book.

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clalaure's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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unboxedjack's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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elekid's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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emilyinherhead's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Cabinet is a truly bizarre novel. It follows Mr. Kong, a bored office worker who stumbles into a job as assistant to Professor Kwon and keeper of Cabinet 13, a file of information about "symptomers." Symptomers are people with physical abnormalities or strange experiences, like a gingko tree growing from a finger, or a doppelganger, or the strong desire to become a cat for the sake of love. Mr. Kong spends his days reading over these records, keeping them organized, and answering phone calls from symptomers.

The book alternates between chapters about symptomers and other faux history and miscellany (there's a warning at the beginning that "all the information contained in this novel has been manufactured, modified, or distorted in some way and should not be used as evidence in any argument, be it in a respected academic journal or a heated bar fight"), and chapters about Mr. Kong in the present day.

While I was wildly entertained by the oddity of the symptomers and the ridiculous phone calls Mr. Kong receives, I also wondered at first where the narrative as a whole was headed. Then, toward the end, the plot takes an unexpected turn and becomes quite dark—I wasn't ready! And I'm still not sure if I liked it?

The transition from pretty lighthearted absurdity to grostesque thematic gravity caught me off guard, but I think it works. It for sure kept me turning pages. And the last sentence will be on my mind for a while. At the end I was left questioning what was real and how we as humans are affected by unfulfilling jobs and lives.

Aside from some disappointing fat phobia and some unexpected body horror, I enjoyed The Cabinet. I'm looking forward to discussing it with some friends who are also reading it; it will undoubtedly make for a spirited conversation.

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