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A review by syirahreadsbooks
The Cabinet by Un-su Kim
4.0
I'm surprised this book got so many mixed opinions. It's one of the better books I've read this year, not least because the style and premise felt genuinely original & refreshing. Using surreal stories - a man who is turning into a tree, a woman who has to kill her split soul twin, people who jump through time - this book manages to weave an overlying theme of capitalism & the people ostracized in its fringes. While there's also a plot that ties all these stories together, what I found more interesting was the author's approach to writing out capitalistic dread specific to Korea.
It seems relevant to point out that the book was published following the rise of Helljoseon, a satirical term from Korea's working class to critique its hellish socioeconomic landscape and the struggles Koreans go through to survive. It seemed to me like Kim Un-Su was subtly linking these surreal stories to real emotions people have towards Korean society.
I'm surprised most reviews haven't pointed this link out, so I may be completely wrong in my reading. I do think the English translation doesn't provide loads of cultural context, and uses a very passive default voice that I find in many translations of Asian works.
It seems relevant to point out that the book was published following the rise of Helljoseon, a satirical term from Korea's working class to critique its hellish socioeconomic landscape and the struggles Koreans go through to survive. It seemed to me like Kim Un-Su was subtly linking these surreal stories to real emotions people have towards Korean society.
I'm surprised most reviews haven't pointed this link out, so I may be completely wrong in my reading. I do think the English translation doesn't provide loads of cultural context, and uses a very passive default voice that I find in many translations of Asian works.