Overview

'Kim Young-Ha is exceedingly good' New York Journal of Books 'Sublime, galvanizing' Nylon 'Compelling' Atlantic ___________________________ It's been twenty-five years since I last murdered someone, or has it been twenty-six? In his prime, Kim Byeongsu was one of the best murderers around. But he gave it all up to become a dedicated father. Despite suffering from dementia, he decides to come out of retirement for one final target: his daughter's boyfriend, who he suspects is a killer too. In other dark, glittering tales, an affair between childhood friends questions the limits of loyalty and love; a family disintegrates after their baby is kidnapped and recovered years later; and the pursuit of creative fulfilment may come at the expense of all reason... _____________________________ Readers are loving Diary of a Murderer 'A masterclass in storytelling' 'A page-turner' 'Haunting and unique' 'Reminds me why I love reading' 'Sharp, dark and edgy'

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9781805465270

Table of Contents

Reviews

Filled with the kind of sublime, galvanizing stories that strike like a lightning bolt, searing your nerves ... It's easy enough to see why Kim is acclaimed as the best writer of his generation; pick up this book and find out for yourself. * Nylon * Kim employs a wry, detached style throughout this collection. There's much dark humour, which spills into absurd comedy in his final tale... Emotional displacement is the heart of the matter and Kim reminds us of the peril, in our personal lives as well as in society at large, of forgetting our history. * Guardian * This dark, innovative story collection from Kim is rife with grim plots and unreliable narrators ... The best stories are engrossing and disturbing, and are excellent showcases of Kim's talent. * Publishers Weekly * Kim is expert at finding the humanity inside the other, the comedy inside the tragedy, and the twisted within the seemingly normal. * CrimeReads * These tales of obsession reverberate with the hard, cool, and dryly comic voice of one of South Korea's most versatile writers ... Creeping anxiety and Kafkaesque humor meld in [the] deceptively intricate novella...The other three stories retain the first one's chilliness (sustained nicely with help from Lee's translation) ... A lively, enthralling introduction to [Kim's] eclectic artistry. * Kirkus Reviews * Needless to say, I'm already beguiled. * Huffington Post * Explosive stories in which fathers are serial killers, the kidnapped find their way back home and more. * Paperback Paris * Kim delicately weaves philosophical debates on the nature of happiness and morality into his characters' inner narrations. Both jarring and atmospheric, this is a cerebrally satisfying collection. * Booklist * Spiky, quirky reading for all short story fans, whether of literary or pop bent. * Library Journal * Quirky... draws readers deeply into the protagonist's voice... a compelling narrator * Alana Mohamed, The Atlantic * Diary of a Murderer and Other Stories is a brilliant collection... [A] visceral gut punch...Young-ha Kim is exceedingly good... Young-ha Kim is an author who deserves to be very famous. * New York Journal of Books * Darkly humorous * AM New York * This collection from the award-winning South Korean novelist [Kim Young-ha] has unsurprisingly won rave reviews. Split into four tales, 'Missing Child' charts the emotional toll of a couple losing their child only to be reunited a decade later while, the titular 'Diary of a Murder', charting a relapsed serial killer, is as chilling as it is captivating. * AnOther Magazine Online * Dark and twisted * Daily Mail * Satisfyingly versatile... spiked with mordant humor and surrealism. * Book Riot * Diary of a Murderer is a powerful piece of writing, a breath of fresh air in a pretty breezy field of fiction anyway. It strides the gap of contemporary fiction and literary crime writing... A perfect example of original writing that combines fine character, psychological insight and radical storytelling... Brilliant writing, gripping drama, exotic locations, a real winner of a book. * New Books Magazine *

Author Information

Kim Young-ha is the author of seven novels, including the acclaimed I Have the Right to Destroy Myself and Black Flower - and five short story collections. He has won every major Korean literature award, and his works have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He lives in Seoul, South Korea. Krys Lee is the award-winning author of Drifting House and How I Became a North Korean. She teaches creative writing at Yonsei University's Underwood International College in Seoul.

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