The Good Son (Jeong novel)

The Good Son (Korean: 종의 기원 Jong-ui Giwon, "The Origin of Species") is a novel by You-Jeong Jeong, first published in South Korea in 2016 by Eunhaengnamu (도서출판 은행나무) (ISBN 9788956609959). It was translated into English by Chi-Young Kim, with the translation published in 2018 by Little Brown Book Group. This is the first Novel by Jeong to have an official English translation; the author created three novels prior to this one.[1] Hachette India published the book in English in that country.[2]

The book is about a murder; G. Sampath of The Hindu stated that the book centers on the "interiority" of the person who murders.[3] Anuradha Varma of Indian Express wrote that the book "also touches upon complicated family dynamics and how death changes relationships."[2]

Contents

The main character is Han Yu-jin, 25 years old in the story, who has an adopted brother, Kim Hae-jin. Yu-jin finds his mother dead in his Incheon apartment and realizes that he is a murderer. He resented his mother for forbidding him from doing swimming and for giving preferential treatment to his adopted brother. Yu-jin decides what to do, and later has a confrontation with Hae-jin.

Walter Sim of the Straits Times stated that since the book reveals the identity of the murderer relatively early, The Good Son "evolves into a chilling psychological look down the rabbit hole into a seriously unhinged mind."[1] Much of the novel includes Yu-jin having self-dialogs.[4] Varma stated that the apartment, where the story takes place, "is in keeping with the sparse theme."[2]

Reception

Sim stated that the book is "is dark and claustrophobic" and had a positive reception.[1]

Sampath concluded that overall the book "is the stuff of classic page-turners."[3] He states that the "oversimplified prose" is the sole "irritant".[3]

J. David Osborne of El Paso, Texas, in World Literature Today concluded that it "is a perfect read for an airplane ride: it sucks you in with precision and holds your attention".[4] Osborne argued that the book "felt like reading a film" and that the self-dialogs "can at times become tedious, but it’s worth noting that the line between tedium and tension can be extremely thin."[4] Osborne believed the ending was "satisfying".[4]

Varma wrote that "The Good Son is a perfect weekend read or if you have a few hours to kill on the metro to and from work."[2] Varma praised the translation, stating that it "doesn’t get in the way of the storytelling."[2]

Nandita Bose of The Deccan Herald wrote that the book has "a fascinating and terrifying story".[5] Bose stated that the conclusion "is shocking to the point of being funny except for the last chilling note."[5]

Kirkus Reviews concludes that it is "A creepy, insidious, blood-drenched tale in which nothing is quite what it seems. "[6] The publication described the development as "taut, high-tension wire, slowly letting it play out".[6]

Publisher's Weekly gave the book a star as a way of recommending it, and stated that "Readers who enjoy grappling with the issue of a narrator’s reliability will relish Yu-jin".[7]

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References
  1. Sim, Walter (2018-09-17). "Book review: Korean thriller The Good Son by Jeong You-jeong worms its way under your skin". Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  2. Varma, Anuradha (2019-05-26). "Book review: The Good Son by You Jeong Jeong". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  3. Sampath, G. (2019-07-06). "'The Good Son' by You-Jeong Jeong: When Yu-jin woke up". The Hindu. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  4. Osborne, J. David (July 2018). "The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong". World Literature Today. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  5. Bose, Nandita (2019-07-06). "Book Review: The Good Son, You-Jeong Jeong". The Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-19. - See entry at Digital Library of Korean Literature.
  6. "THE GOOD SON". Kirkus Reviews. 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2020-06-19. - Posted online on March 20, 2018.
  7. "The Good Son". Publisher's Weekly. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
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