James Nicoll Reviews

Hye-young Pyun’s 2012 The Owl Cries is a horror-tinged thriller. The 2023 English translation is by Sora Kim-Russell.

Lawyer Ha-in Lee has no love for his abusive brother, Gyeong-in. Not only did Gyeong-in make Ha-in’s childhood a misery, as an adult Gyeong-in is a failure who sponges off Ha-in and their mother. Nevertheless, duty is duty. When Gyeong-in vanishes after a distraught, enigmatic phone-call, Ha-in sets out to find his missing brother.

This proves to have been a terrible decision.

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Hye-Young Pyun’s 2010 City of Ash and Red is a standalone horror novel. The 2018 translation is by Sora Kim-Russell. 

Although in no way a remarkable worker, the unnamed protagonist is promoted to a post in the head office of his pest extermination company. The office is located in an unfamiliar city, Y, in even more unfamiliar country, C. 

He finds himself a figure of envy for his co-workers. But the loss of his friends (if grudgingly tolerant co-workers can be considered friends) is just another blow, following upon a nasty divorce. He can only hope that the transfer will let him rebuild his life. 

Or perhaps not. Perhaps the transfer is merely the first step in another, even more epic catastrophe. 

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