K-fiction series features bilingual (Korean-English) editions of texts by the most interesting contemporary authors from South Korea. The editors emphasize that the selection of the best stories is crucial for them – but everything in these books is enjoyable: careful editing, aesthetics or an interesting study in the form of a commentary/essay offered after the main text.
Kang Hwa-gil is an author of feminist thrillers – the media often compares her to Cho Nam-joo, the author of “Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982“, because, like Cho, she shines a light on the problems of women in modern society. However, he usually does it as part of a genre. Her Seo-u will satisfy all those who like to feel a slight shiver and discomfort of anxiety.
The story here is simple, but very complex at the same time. The narrator takes a taxi to return to her home in Juhyeon-dong district in the middle of the night. The place has a bad reputation – recently several women have been murdered there, and the taxi driver (or the entire organization) is suspected as the culprit. So the narrator chooses a taxi with a female driver – but while driving, she begins to notice certain details that not only scare her, but also evoke memories that begin to present the narrator in a new, disturbing light.
The great complementary essay Oh Hyejin will draw your attention to the various layers and possible interpretations. And what is important, we can also read him, just like the main text, in the original Korean.
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