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The Good Son
'The Talented Mr. Ripley meets The Bad Seed in this breathless, chilling psychological thriller by the bestselling novelist known as "Korea's Stephen King" Who can you trust if you can't trust yourself?
Early one morning, twenty-six-year-old Yu-jin wakes up to a strange metallic smell, and a phone call from his brother asking if everything's all right at home - he missed a call from their mother in the middle of the night. Yu-jin soon discovers her murdered body, lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs of their stylish Seoul duplex. He can't remember much about the night before; having suffered from seizures for most of his life, Yu-jin often has trouble with his memory. All he has is a faint impression of his mother calling his name. But was she calling for help? Or begging for her life?
Thus begins Yu-jin's frantic three-day search to uncover what happened that night, and to finally learn the truth about himself and his family. A shocking and addictive psychological thriller, The Good Son explores the mysteries of mind and memory, and the twisted relationship between a mother and son, with incredible urgency.
Early one morning, twenty-six-year-old Yu-jin wakes up to a strange metallic smell, and a phone call from his brother asking if everything's all right at home - he missed a call from their mother in the middle of the night. Yu-jin soon discovers her murdered body, lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs of their stylish Seoul duplex. He can't remember much about the night before; having suffered from seizures for most of his life, Yu-jin often has trouble with his memory. All he has is a faint impression of his mother calling his name. But was she calling for help? Or begging for her life?
Thus begins Yu-jin's frantic three-day search to uncover what happened that night, and to finally learn the truth about himself and his family. A shocking and addictive psychological thriller, The Good Son explores the mysteries of mind and memory, and the twisted relationship between a mother and son, with incredible urgency.
309 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2016
About the author
You-Jeong Jeong
11 books431 followersSee also 정유정 .
You-jeong Jeong was born in Hampyeong, South Korea. She initially trained and worked as a nurse. She is now South Korea's leading writer of psychological crime and thriller fiction and is often compared to Stephen King and Raymond Chandler.
You-jeong is the author of four novels including Seven Years of Darkness, which was named one of the top ten crime novels of 2015 by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Her work has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Thai and Vietnamese. The Good Son is the first of her books to be translated into English.
You-jeong Jeong was born in Hampyeong, South Korea. She initially trained and worked as a nurse. She is now South Korea's leading writer of psychological crime and thriller fiction and is often compared to Stephen King and Raymond Chandler.
You-jeong is the author of four novels including Seven Years of Darkness, which was named one of the top ten crime novels of 2015 by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Her work has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Thai and Vietnamese. The Good Son is the first of her books to be translated into English.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,425 reviews
April 1, 2024
This is one of those books where I really don't want to give too much away. It's a claustrophobic, tense, and surprising tale of a few days in the life of a twenty-six-year-old male student. Yu-jin awakes one day in his home, afraid that he’s had a seizure. He's clearly had these before and feels that this might account for his feelings of disorientation. What happened the night before? He can't recall. He's soon to discover the surprising truth. But not everything is quite as it seems, as we are to find out.
Set in South Korea, there's an element of things feeling slightly ‘off’ from the start. I do like translated fiction as the books tend to highlight differences in culture and behaviour that I find fascinating. The stories are inclined to surprise me as the feel of the narrative is somehow subtly altered by the different way people relate to each other and the off-centre (to me) way the characters live their daily lives. That said, this is crime fiction, and therefore, the core of the tale should be familiar - shouldn’t it? Well, no. Not in this case, at least.
As Yu-jin explores the apartment he shares with his mother, he quickly discovers one surprise after another. These trigger memories – or rather partial memories – of a few words spoken here and there and some actions taken by him the previous night. But the picture still doesn’t knit together. Nothing seems to make sense. What the hell has happened here?
We begin to learn more as flashbacks to Yu-jin’s early life are interspersed with present-day activity. The plot thickens as we discover more about the relationship he shared with his mother and then of a father and brother, too. This is a psychological thriller that teases and shocks and saddens. And then, towards the end, as I began to see the pieces coming together and I thought I had worked out how it would all be resolved, I realised that I was wrong.
It’s a gripping tale that held me totally in its grasp throughout. If you’re a fan of this type of story, then please do give this one a try. It’s different, and I mean that in a very good way.
My sincere thanks to Little, Brown Book Group, for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Set in South Korea, there's an element of things feeling slightly ‘off’ from the start. I do like translated fiction as the books tend to highlight differences in culture and behaviour that I find fascinating. The stories are inclined to surprise me as the feel of the narrative is somehow subtly altered by the different way people relate to each other and the off-centre (to me) way the characters live their daily lives. That said, this is crime fiction, and therefore, the core of the tale should be familiar - shouldn’t it? Well, no. Not in this case, at least.
As Yu-jin explores the apartment he shares with his mother, he quickly discovers one surprise after another. These trigger memories – or rather partial memories – of a few words spoken here and there and some actions taken by him the previous night. But the picture still doesn’t knit together. Nothing seems to make sense. What the hell has happened here?
We begin to learn more as flashbacks to Yu-jin’s early life are interspersed with present-day activity. The plot thickens as we discover more about the relationship he shared with his mother and then of a father and brother, too. This is a psychological thriller that teases and shocks and saddens. And then, towards the end, as I began to see the pieces coming together and I thought I had worked out how it would all be resolved, I realised that I was wrong.
It’s a gripping tale that held me totally in its grasp throughout. If you’re a fan of this type of story, then please do give this one a try. It’s different, and I mean that in a very good way.
My sincere thanks to Little, Brown Book Group, for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2021
i read in another review that this is a WHYdunnit, rather than a WHOdunnit, and i honestly couldnt agree more.
as a characters study and a reflection of the psychology behind murder, this is fascinating. with no twists or big reveals - if anything, the plot is rather predicable - this is a very slow descent into madness.
however, im noticing that the east asian writing style just isnt quite for me when it comes to this genre. the books tend to be short with very few chapters that are always sooo long (like 50+ pages) and a 70/30 breakdown of narration to dialogue. all of this just makes the story drag for me, regardless of how much im enjoying the content.
but overall, this is a quick, interesting read for anyone who prefers more character focused mystery/thrillers.
↠ 3.5 stars
as a characters study and a reflection of the psychology behind murder, this is fascinating. with no twists or big reveals - if anything, the plot is rather predicable - this is a very slow descent into madness.
however, im noticing that the east asian writing style just isnt quite for me when it comes to this genre. the books tend to be short with very few chapters that are always sooo long (like 50+ pages) and a 70/30 breakdown of narration to dialogue. all of this just makes the story drag for me, regardless of how much im enjoying the content.
but overall, this is a quick, interesting read for anyone who prefers more character focused mystery/thrillers.
↠ 3.5 stars
September 1, 2018
FOUR STARS
I love to read crime fiction from other countries and THE GOOD SON is the bestselling thriller in South Korea for good reason. This story is told entirely from the killer's point of view and it's a slow burning, in-depth character analysis of a psychopathic killer. This is a WHYdunnit, not a WHOdunnit. There are not any shocking American-style twists involved, and you will easily see the ending reveal coming.
I love the culture switch-up in my reading--you get to see up close the subtle differences in values--what's important, what's different....In Korean culture, family honor is a very strongly held belief and is a significant theme in THE GOOD SON. Now, mix those esteemed beliefs up with a kid that is a sociopath from birth and you have an interesting juxtaposition of theories to play around with. I admire and respect this book immensely.
BUT.... to be perfectly honest, while I appreciate the style and beauty of Jeong's writing, I can't say I enjoyed this book. It's definitely me-- not the book. I started out listening to the audio, but switched over to Kindle. I felt the exact same way when I listened to You, the story is completely claustrophobic and I had to DNF that book after 50% in. Something about listening to the killer's thoughts without any other views breaking up the tedium is just too much for me! This is a fairly graphic, violent book.
I did like the book much better in print, without this creepy killer's voice in my head! If you are a fan of You or The Perfect Nanny, check out this murderous family tale. It's dark, disturbing and fascinating.
I love to read crime fiction from other countries and THE GOOD SON is the bestselling thriller in South Korea for good reason. This story is told entirely from the killer's point of view and it's a slow burning, in-depth character analysis of a psychopathic killer. This is a WHYdunnit, not a WHOdunnit. There are not any shocking American-style twists involved, and you will easily see the ending reveal coming.
I love the culture switch-up in my reading--you get to see up close the subtle differences in values--what's important, what's different....In Korean culture, family honor is a very strongly held belief and is a significant theme in THE GOOD SON. Now, mix those esteemed beliefs up with a kid that is a sociopath from birth and you have an interesting juxtaposition of theories to play around with. I admire and respect this book immensely.
BUT.... to be perfectly honest, while I appreciate the style and beauty of Jeong's writing, I can't say I enjoyed this book. It's definitely me-- not the book. I started out listening to the audio, but switched over to Kindle. I felt the exact same way when I listened to You, the story is completely claustrophobic and I had to DNF that book after 50% in. Something about listening to the killer's thoughts without any other views breaking up the tedium is just too much for me! This is a fairly graphic, violent book.
I did like the book much better in print, without this creepy killer's voice in my head! If you are a fan of You or The Perfect Nanny, check out this murderous family tale. It's dark, disturbing and fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2018
Not only do I love stories of psychopathic children but I absolutely adore Asian mysteries and crime fiction and was very excited to read The Good Son.
The story begins with 26 year old Yu-Jin waking up to the metallic smell of blood. As he begins to get his bearings straight he realizes he's covered in blood and his sheets are soaked with it. He's confused. He is epileptic and the medication causes him to have black outs. He sets out to discover the source of the blood. As he makes his way through the two story flat he shares with his mother and adopted brother he see's bloody footprints every where. He follows the evidence downstairs to discover his mother has been brutally murdered in their kitchen. <--- Not a spoiler, I promise! :)
From here we reside within the psychopathic mind of Yu-Jin as he pieces together what and why it happened. While being in the mind of a psychopath can be fun in fiction it can also become tedious. I found the first third and last third of this book quite interesting but it stalls in the middle a bit. Especially in this situation where he's constantly trying to piece together what happened. I kind of just wanted to move on to get the answers I was looking for.
All in all I think this is a successful book as far as a character study goes but it isn't really a thriller or mystery as it is being billed as. I'm still glad I read it though and I'd gladly check out more of this authors work. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss & Penguin Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story begins with 26 year old Yu-Jin waking up to the metallic smell of blood. As he begins to get his bearings straight he realizes he's covered in blood and his sheets are soaked with it. He's confused. He is epileptic and the medication causes him to have black outs. He sets out to discover the source of the blood. As he makes his way through the two story flat he shares with his mother and adopted brother he see's bloody footprints every where. He follows the evidence downstairs to discover his mother has been brutally murdered in their kitchen. <--- Not a spoiler, I promise! :)
From here we reside within the psychopathic mind of Yu-Jin as he pieces together what and why it happened. While being in the mind of a psychopath can be fun in fiction it can also become tedious. I found the first third and last third of this book quite interesting but it stalls in the middle a bit. Especially in this situation where he's constantly trying to piece together what happened. I kind of just wanted to move on to get the answers I was looking for.
All in all I think this is a successful book as far as a character study goes but it isn't really a thriller or mystery as it is being billed as. I'm still glad I read it though and I'd gladly check out more of this authors work. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss & Penguin Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 7, 2019
Book Reviewed by Cara on www.whisperingstories.com
Yu-Jin has a doting mother and a brother who loves him. Other than a few health issues he believes he has led a relatively normal life, until one morning when he wakes up covered in blood and finds a dead body downstairs, his mother’s. Determined to find out who did this, how and why, Yu-Jin begins an investigation of his own which leads to some very unexpected results.
The good son is a book that will keep you hooked throughout with many twists and turns along the way. You go through a wave of emotions and your feelings for the characters change with every chapter.
Throughout the story the character development increases giving you a clear and very believable idea of what they are like; you’ll feel pity, sadness, anger and disbelief at what they are/can be capable of.
I very much enjoyed the story, the way in which it was written made it clear and simple to understand. I liked the different emotions I felt whilst reading and the twists kept the story interesting. I also found the ending, although quite sad, surprisingly satisfying.
I really did not want this book to end.
Yu-Jin has a doting mother and a brother who loves him. Other than a few health issues he believes he has led a relatively normal life, until one morning when he wakes up covered in blood and finds a dead body downstairs, his mother’s. Determined to find out who did this, how and why, Yu-Jin begins an investigation of his own which leads to some very unexpected results.
The good son is a book that will keep you hooked throughout with many twists and turns along the way. You go through a wave of emotions and your feelings for the characters change with every chapter.
Throughout the story the character development increases giving you a clear and very believable idea of what they are like; you’ll feel pity, sadness, anger and disbelief at what they are/can be capable of.
I very much enjoyed the story, the way in which it was written made it clear and simple to understand. I liked the different emotions I felt whilst reading and the twists kept the story interesting. I also found the ending, although quite sad, surprisingly satisfying.
I really did not want this book to end.
December 30, 2022
I still don't feel experienced enough in the mystery thriller genre to be recommending books within the it... but I thought this was a solid read! The thing that I liked about this book is that it doesn't rely on surprising reveals. You're fed the things that would normally be used as plot twists pretty early on, which left me pretty stumped with how things would develop. The author managed to keep me engaged and eager to learn more as the story progressed. The past and present structure worked really well in this scenario, helping me understand how things landed where they did with the early reveals.
March 4, 2019
In You-Jeong Jeong’s international bestseller the reader is faced with a protagonist whose struggles subsume the narrative, taking away from the story at hand, in my humble opinion. When Yu-jin wakes one morning in a stupor, he asks himself what’s happened. Could he have had an epileptic seizure, which would surely account for the metallic blood smell that fills his nostrils? Or, might there have been something more? When he discovers that he is covered in blood, Yu-jin begins to wonder if he has blacked out. As he meanders around his home, he discovers that his mother is nowhere to be found, though a razor is caked with the same blood. Frantic, though trying to cover up what he may have done, Yu-jin struggles to come to terms with what has happened. He finds his mother’s journal and reads entries throughout, as he seeks to piece it all together. He is supposed to have been his mother’s ‘good’ child, so could he actually have taken her life? As the story progresses and Yu-jin awaits news about his mother or at least her body, panic sets in, which is fulled by his refusing to take his medication. In a narrative filled with flashbacks that thicken the plot and point to potential reasons that Yu-jin may have been harbouring anger, the reader becomes lost in the tangential queries that turn the story from a strong mystery into an exploration of the heightened senses that Yu-jin has while not on his medication. Did he do it or is there another explanation? For me it became a futile query, as I sought only to finish and push the book away like a bad smell. Recommended for those who may able to see more within these pages than I did, and can see what some popular authors seemed to have discovered when they exuded praise in their dust jacket blurbs.
I love a good mystery as much as the next person, even when the story is penned in a language other than English. However, I have come to see that not all cultures feel the same about mysteries or deem writing quality in the same way. I have read many pieces that have gone through a translator and been blown away, both in Europe and across parts of Asia, but this piece did nothing for me. While I must applaud Jeong for developing her protagonist, there was little I found captivating. Yu-jin began as an interesting character, finding himself surrounded by dried blood and wondering if he could have killed someone. His apparent connection to his mother makes the possible crime all the more interesting, though the story left the realm of ‘did he or not?’ and became more of a predatory exploration of the mind of an unmediated epileptic. Yu-jin reveals much of his past throughout, fuelled by a journal his mother penned. While some readers may enjoy this, it began to get highly jilted for me and I began hoping for a quick ending or some miraculous turn of events. Alas, neither happened for me. Jeong adds other characters of interest that serve to pull the protagonist in many directions, though I did not feel much from them as well. The story’s premise was intriguing, though my Western mindset may have expected something more or better developed. One cannot fault the author entirely, as there was great detail throughout and the narrative did continue its forward movement. I took a moment to wonder if it was the translation that may have staled the experience for me, though I think it was more the stylistic differences from what I am used to reading that left me feeling unfulfilled. It happens, but I cannot pad my review and simply fall on my own sword. Add this one to the list of ‘tried it and personal epic fails’. One burning question for me... are novels I love lost on readers from other cultures, if this book is supposed to be so great?
Kudos, Madam Jeong, for your piece. It was not for me and I will blame neither of us for this reading impasse.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I love a good mystery as much as the next person, even when the story is penned in a language other than English. However, I have come to see that not all cultures feel the same about mysteries or deem writing quality in the same way. I have read many pieces that have gone through a translator and been blown away, both in Europe and across parts of Asia, but this piece did nothing for me. While I must applaud Jeong for developing her protagonist, there was little I found captivating. Yu-jin began as an interesting character, finding himself surrounded by dried blood and wondering if he could have killed someone. His apparent connection to his mother makes the possible crime all the more interesting, though the story left the realm of ‘did he or not?’ and became more of a predatory exploration of the mind of an unmediated epileptic. Yu-jin reveals much of his past throughout, fuelled by a journal his mother penned. While some readers may enjoy this, it began to get highly jilted for me and I began hoping for a quick ending or some miraculous turn of events. Alas, neither happened for me. Jeong adds other characters of interest that serve to pull the protagonist in many directions, though I did not feel much from them as well. The story’s premise was intriguing, though my Western mindset may have expected something more or better developed. One cannot fault the author entirely, as there was great detail throughout and the narrative did continue its forward movement. I took a moment to wonder if it was the translation that may have staled the experience for me, though I think it was more the stylistic differences from what I am used to reading that left me feeling unfulfilled. It happens, but I cannot pad my review and simply fall on my own sword. Add this one to the list of ‘tried it and personal epic fails’. One burning question for me... are novels I love lost on readers from other cultures, if this book is supposed to be so great?
Kudos, Madam Jeong, for your piece. It was not for me and I will blame neither of us for this reading impasse.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
December 3, 2021
Me ha gustado. Si bien es cierto que hay mucha introspección y charla interior del protagonista, vemos como ocurren los hechos desde casi el inicio del libro y poco a poco se van esclareciendo los motivos por el que ocurrieron.
El ritmo de la novela es sosegado, como ocurre con muchas novelas asiáticas.
Se genera así el suspense por conocer que le pasó por la cabeza al protagonista para cometer tales actos, y vamos descubriendo poco a poco su pasado.
Me ha gustado el final.
# Reto novela negra,policial,misterio y thriller 2021. 6. Libro de un autor Oriental.
El ritmo de la novela es sosegado, como ocurre con muchas novelas asiáticas.
Se genera así el suspense por conocer que le pasó por la cabeza al protagonista para cometer tales actos, y vamos descubriendo poco a poco su pasado.
Me ha gustado el final.
# Reto novela negra,policial,misterio y thriller 2021. 6. Libro de un autor Oriental.
June 7, 2023
Reading Vlog https://youtu.be/gGrdZiq_HWo
This is a Why Done it? not a Who Done It?
If I'd realized that going in, I might have given it a bit more grace.
This book isn't bad. It didn't offend me in any way. It just didn't really give me much of anything.
For such a short book, I was surprised to find myself bored for a majority of the experience. When I reached 50%, I looked down and was flabbergasted that there was another half the book to go. Why?
I already knew what happened and why. But somehow the book just kept going?
This really worked for a lot of friends of mine. So I wouldn't dis-recommend it. I would just go into it with open eyes. It didn't land for me but it very well could for you.
This is a Why Done it? not a Who Done It?
If I'd realized that going in, I might have given it a bit more grace.
This book isn't bad. It didn't offend me in any way. It just didn't really give me much of anything.
For such a short book, I was surprised to find myself bored for a majority of the experience. When I reached 50%, I looked down and was flabbergasted that there was another half the book to go. Why?
I already knew what happened and why. But somehow the book just kept going?
This really worked for a lot of friends of mine. So I wouldn't dis-recommend it. I would just go into it with open eyes. It didn't land for me but it very well could for you.
April 11, 2018
The Good Son is a novel that rewards it’s readers – a slow burner of a tale, creepy as you like, based around one single character – Yu-jin – who wakes up one morning and finds himself covered in blood and his Mother dead downstairs…but did he kill her? Well that is the question….
Yu-jin has his problems. Epileptic, frequently off his meds, suffering from fugue states, he explores his memory, his past and his present trying to discover his truth. His story gets ever darker and more chilling…the further you read into this the creepier it gets, the prose is tight, controlled and ultimately quite scary, this is a brilliantly observant character study that keeps you on your toes.
The Good Son is subtle in its twisty nature, this is not a novel with a sudden hit of reveal, it is a meander to judgment along an ever darker path, as such it is cleverly nuanced, this was not a story that I pegged the ending of early. In fact it is slippery, hard to grasp onto and somewhat ingenious.
It won’t be for everyone that’s for sure. Early on you wonder if you can stick with Yu-jin but I recommend you do. This is a different kettle of fish – a beautifully done “did he do it” novel that will stick with you long after finishing it.
Recommended.
Yu-jin has his problems. Epileptic, frequently off his meds, suffering from fugue states, he explores his memory, his past and his present trying to discover his truth. His story gets ever darker and more chilling…the further you read into this the creepier it gets, the prose is tight, controlled and ultimately quite scary, this is a brilliantly observant character study that keeps you on your toes.
The Good Son is subtle in its twisty nature, this is not a novel with a sudden hit of reveal, it is a meander to judgment along an ever darker path, as such it is cleverly nuanced, this was not a story that I pegged the ending of early. In fact it is slippery, hard to grasp onto and somewhat ingenious.
It won’t be for everyone that’s for sure. Early on you wonder if you can stick with Yu-jin but I recommend you do. This is a different kettle of fish – a beautifully done “did he do it” novel that will stick with you long after finishing it.
Recommended.
May 3, 2018
Find my full review here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2018/4...
Loved, LOVED this harrowing & gripping read. The author takes readers inside the mind of a psychopath with genuinely chilling style. There’s a decent amount of violence in this book, but the scariest part of all is how the author brings you inside the mind of the the story’s culprit. Strong exploration of family dynamics, too. Highly recommended!
Loved, LOVED this harrowing & gripping read. The author takes readers inside the mind of a psychopath with genuinely chilling style. There’s a decent amount of violence in this book, but the scariest part of all is how the author brings you inside the mind of the the story’s culprit. Strong exploration of family dynamics, too. Highly recommended!
August 28, 2018
Who can you trust if you can't trust yourself?
.
.
You-jeong Jeong’s “The Good Son” is my first crime novel, novel by a Korean author, and translated Korean novel in couple of years. Wow, this book disappoint! Slow burning, but unputdownable & spellbinding thrilling page-turner, compulsively readable, addictive psychological crime mystery thriller, and a chilling portrait of a psychopath novel by South Korea’s preeminent author of psychological thrillers, it will draw you in from the very first page.
.
Although I have not watched a Korean crime movie in a long time, I’m very familiar with how It’s done, and this novel had a familiar take on it. I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time. If you’ve never watched a scary or crime Korean movie, I highly recommend it, you’ll be amazed not just by the cinematography & scenery, but how they execute scenes that are not only grotesque, but the whole psychological & suspense aspect will give you chills & nightmares for days. The actors are so into their roles, you’ll think it’s for real and hope that you’ll never meet than on the streets. They know how to mess you up. Also, I find myself translating the words into Korean while reading this book, that’s why this book worked so well for me. I may have to read the Korean version some time just to see how well it was translated.
.
The novel starts out with a crime scene. Yu-Jin first discovers his mother murdered, lying in a pool of blood in their kitchen. Yu-Jin has suffered from seizures most of his life and often have trouble with his memory. This isn’t a spoiler, there’s no doubt from the beginning that it is Yu-Jin who killed his mother, but why? Told from Yu-Jin’s POV, a ridiculously unreliable & manipulative narrator, we’re pulled into frantic three-day search to discovered what happened the night before. It’s a slow-burning page turner, but there’s plenty of twists & turns to keep you guessing and fascinating look inside the mind of a psychopath & twisted mother-son relationship.
.
The novel alternates from present-day crime scene & investigation, streams of consciousness of past events, flashbacks, memory slips, fantasies, hallucinations, and yu-Jin’s mother’s journal entries, with an ending I did not see it coming. Through the journal entries, the gaps start to fill in & learn more about the twisty family past & secrets and tense son & mother relationship. There’s also something big that happens midway. 😱 I can’t say anymore, but I’ll just say yu-Jin is sick in the head with a twisted fascination. I’m not getting any sleep for few days after this novel. I’m scared yu-jin is somewhere watching me! I believe this novel is well translated. It’s a dark, atmospheric, thrilling, and twisted thriller I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend it! 🤓✌️📖
.
.
You-jeong Jeong’s “The Good Son” is my first crime novel, novel by a Korean author, and translated Korean novel in couple of years. Wow, this book disappoint! Slow burning, but unputdownable & spellbinding thrilling page-turner, compulsively readable, addictive psychological crime mystery thriller, and a chilling portrait of a psychopath novel by South Korea’s preeminent author of psychological thrillers, it will draw you in from the very first page.
.
Although I have not watched a Korean crime movie in a long time, I’m very familiar with how It’s done, and this novel had a familiar take on it. I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time. If you’ve never watched a scary or crime Korean movie, I highly recommend it, you’ll be amazed not just by the cinematography & scenery, but how they execute scenes that are not only grotesque, but the whole psychological & suspense aspect will give you chills & nightmares for days. The actors are so into their roles, you’ll think it’s for real and hope that you’ll never meet than on the streets. They know how to mess you up. Also, I find myself translating the words into Korean while reading this book, that’s why this book worked so well for me. I may have to read the Korean version some time just to see how well it was translated.
.
The novel starts out with a crime scene. Yu-Jin first discovers his mother murdered, lying in a pool of blood in their kitchen. Yu-Jin has suffered from seizures most of his life and often have trouble with his memory. This isn’t a spoiler, there’s no doubt from the beginning that it is Yu-Jin who killed his mother, but why? Told from Yu-Jin’s POV, a ridiculously unreliable & manipulative narrator, we’re pulled into frantic three-day search to discovered what happened the night before. It’s a slow-burning page turner, but there’s plenty of twists & turns to keep you guessing and fascinating look inside the mind of a psychopath & twisted mother-son relationship.
.
The novel alternates from present-day crime scene & investigation, streams of consciousness of past events, flashbacks, memory slips, fantasies, hallucinations, and yu-Jin’s mother’s journal entries, with an ending I did not see it coming. Through the journal entries, the gaps start to fill in & learn more about the twisty family past & secrets and tense son & mother relationship. There’s also something big that happens midway. 😱 I can’t say anymore, but I’ll just say yu-Jin is sick in the head with a twisted fascination. I’m not getting any sleep for few days after this novel. I’m scared yu-jin is somewhere watching me! I believe this novel is well translated. It’s a dark, atmospheric, thrilling, and twisted thriller I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend it! 🤓✌️📖
May 14, 2018
This was a brilliant and unique read. Be warned, it was slow burning, in the first 20% of the book the setting haven't changed- Yu-jin finds his mother dead downstairs, and doesn't remember anything, keeps moving in the house. I started to think I may not like this book, but I was wrong. It doesn't take long after that for the story take sinister turns and morph into a shocking explanation of everything.
I really liked the style of writing. The ending is not a shocker, if you are looking to have a big secret in the end- you won't have that. But the story itself is amazing. I don't want to give away too much as this book is an experience you should just dive into without knowing anything. Yes, this is one of the books that you can dive in without reading it's description, it will be better!
I love reading Asian literature, and thanks for this beautifully translated book as it was a great read for a crime lover like me!
I can see this being adapted into a movie, or a theater play- even better. Would love to watch the adaptation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the style of writing. The ending is not a shocker, if you are looking to have a big secret in the end- you won't have that. But the story itself is amazing. I don't want to give away too much as this book is an experience you should just dive into without knowing anything. Yes, this is one of the books that you can dive in without reading it's description, it will be better!
I love reading Asian literature, and thanks for this beautifully translated book as it was a great read for a crime lover like me!
I can see this being adapted into a movie, or a theater play- even better. Would love to watch the adaptation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2021
Tras un arranque intenso enseguida me dio la impresión de que la novela avanzaba lenta porque la cabeza de nuestro protagonista es un caos y buena parte de lo que se relata es mediante analepsis ↩. También es cierto que los momentos recuperados del pasado conseguían mantener mi atención.
En el buen hijo hay mucha introspección... y los pensamientos del protagonista van y vuelven sobre lo mismo..., pero llegó un punto en el que me acostumbré a este narrador poco fiable tan particular y entré en el juego de intentar comprender qué estaba ocurriendo.
Hay ciertos comportamientos de un par de personajes en la parte final que no me han terminado de cuadrar, pero en el cómputo global me pesa más el hecho de que la autora ha construido una historia diferente, algo que siempre valoro en un libro.
Leído en la sala DARK del Club Literario Atreyu. En esta ocasión el nombre de la sala sí que iba en sintonía con la lectura elegida porque si la novela fuera un chocolate sería "made in Corea del Sur"... y muy DARK.
En el buen hijo hay mucha introspección... y los pensamientos del protagonista van y vuelven sobre lo mismo..., pero llegó un punto en el que me acostumbré a este narrador poco fiable tan particular y entré en el juego de intentar comprender qué estaba ocurriendo.
Hay ciertos comportamientos de un par de personajes en la parte final que no me han terminado de cuadrar, pero en el cómputo global me pesa más el hecho de que la autora ha construido una historia diferente, algo que siempre valoro en un libro.
Leído en la sala DARK del Club Literario Atreyu. En esta ocasión el nombre de la sala sí que iba en sintonía con la lectura elegida porque si la novela fuera un chocolate sería "made in Corea del Sur"... y muy DARK.
April 27, 2019
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/DVTDRkkAahM
December 16, 2021
Rating: ⭐⭐.5
~ Quick Summary ~
Yu-Jin wakes up covered in blood and finds his mother murdered. Due to a medical condition he has little memory of what had happened the night before.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind ~
🐢 Very slow pace and a slow burn
🔪 Discover the murderer quite early on. The question is why?
🧍 Focus on Yu-Jin
🎭 Psychological thriller (not an exciting thriller though)
~ What I enjoyed ~
I liked the format, how we switch between past and present timelines and the mother’s diary to learn more about Yu-Jin and what could have led to that moment.
The climax and ending was more exciting and captured my attention.
Yu-Jin was a very complex and interesting character.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
This was really boring, drawn out and slow. Usually walking is the perfect activity to pair with audio books, but I just kept on losing focus!! I even tried to relisten to the first hour but I still have little recollection of it.
The transition from current to past tense was very subtle and sometimes I don’t realise we’re not in the present timeline anymore. Most likely because I was so disengaged.
The past time had a lot of everyday and insignificant details which made it feel so long. It slowly got more interesting but most of it was a struggle to listen to! Any surprise to the reveals was quickly overtaken by boredom.
~ Quick Summary ~
Yu-Jin wakes up covered in blood and finds his mother murdered. Due to a medical condition he has little memory of what had happened the night before.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind ~
🐢 Very slow pace and a slow burn
🔪 Discover the murderer quite early on. The question is why?
🧍 Focus on Yu-Jin
🎭 Psychological thriller (not an exciting thriller though)
~ What I enjoyed ~
I liked the format, how we switch between past and present timelines and the mother’s diary to learn more about Yu-Jin and what could have led to that moment.
The climax and ending was more exciting and captured my attention.
Yu-Jin was a very complex and interesting character.
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
This was really boring, drawn out and slow. Usually walking is the perfect activity to pair with audio books, but I just kept on losing focus!! I even tried to relisten to the first hour but I still have little recollection of it.
The transition from current to past tense was very subtle and sometimes I don’t realise we’re not in the present timeline anymore. Most likely because I was so disengaged.
The past time had a lot of everyday and insignificant details which made it feel so long. It slowly got more interesting but most of it was a struggle to listen to! Any surprise to the reveals was quickly overtaken by boredom.
December 21, 2018
4.75⭐️
I can’t believe it. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ENDING. WTF
This was one seriously twisted read and I loved every fucked-up moment of it.
I can’t believe it. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ENDING. WTF
This was one seriously twisted read and I loved every fucked-up moment of it.
May 21, 2018
"I was the investigator interrogating the criminal. But the two were one and the same, the criminal had a slippery relationship with the truth, and his memory was spotty."
"It would take something special to make Yu-jin’s pulse quicken. I’m afraid because I don’t know what that might be."
정유정 (Jeong You-jeong) is described by her UK publisher as "South Korea’s leading writer of psychological crime and thriller fiction. She is often compared to Stephen King." I suspect most readers will be pulled in by the Stephen King comparison, whereas for me the attraction of the novel is the Korean angle, as a fan of Korean literary fiction. In that regard I am perhaps not the target audience for the book, as in pure literary terms, this is not, and does not purport to be, in the same class as Bae Suah, Han Kang or Hwang Sok-yong say.
This is however a satisfyingly intense psychological thriller, not so much a whodunnit but a whydidhedoit, or in fact a whydidIdoit. The novel is narrated in the first person, over the course of a few days, by 25 year-old 한유진 (Han Yu-jin), a former schoolboy champion swimmer now living with his widowed mother and Hae-jin his adopted brother (what happened to his father and his biological brother, being a crucial part of the narrative).
The Korean title of the original novel is 종의 기원, which is the Korean rendition of Darwin's The Origin of Species, and in the English version the title of the last section of the novel, as Yu-jin takes inspiration: "Darwin’s maxim came to mind: adapt or die".
The English version has been retitled The Good Son (I do wish publisher's wouldn't do this) and ably translated by Chi-Young Kim, perhaps best known as translated of Please Look After Mother as well as The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly.
It opens with Yu-jin wakening in his house, confused and disorientated:
"The smell of blood woke me. It was intense, as though my whole body were inhaling it. It reverberated and expanded within me. Strange scenes flitted through my mind – the fuzzy yellow light of a row of street lamps in the fog, swirling water below my feet, a crimson umbrella rolling along a rain-soaked road, a plastic tarpaulin shrouding a construction site snapping in the wind. Somewhere a man was singing and slurring lyrics: a song about a girl he couldn’t forget, and about her walking in the rain."
We and he soon find out (no spoiler alert needed at this stage) that the smell of blood comes from his murdered mother's body:
"I looked back down at the razor in my hand. Clues to who had killed Mother were all over the place, including the decisive evidence of the murder weapon. Without a single clue pointing to a different conclusion, I would be implicated. How would Hae-jin take this? No matter what he asked me, I could only answer one way – I don’t remember a thing. The time-worn excuse made by thousands of criminals over thousands of years."
Yu-jin then gradually pieces together what must have happened, fills us (and himself as he discovers some secrets in his mother's diary) on his life to this point, and then decides what he must do to "adapt or die".
One interesting note that may not be known by English readers is that the author took inspiration from a real-life case, that of 유영철 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo_You...). For example, the song Vangelis's "Conquest of Paradise" - on which Yu-jin's ipod playlist has stopped, allowing him to reconstruct a timeline of what had happened the night before - is a song that Yoo Young-chul listened to to psyche himself up before he embarked on his sprees.
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group, via Netgalley, for the ARC.
"It would take something special to make Yu-jin’s pulse quicken. I’m afraid because I don’t know what that might be."
정유정 (Jeong You-jeong) is described by her UK publisher as "South Korea’s leading writer of psychological crime and thriller fiction. She is often compared to Stephen King." I suspect most readers will be pulled in by the Stephen King comparison, whereas for me the attraction of the novel is the Korean angle, as a fan of Korean literary fiction. In that regard I am perhaps not the target audience for the book, as in pure literary terms, this is not, and does not purport to be, in the same class as Bae Suah, Han Kang or Hwang Sok-yong say.
This is however a satisfyingly intense psychological thriller, not so much a whodunnit but a whydidhedoit, or in fact a whydidIdoit. The novel is narrated in the first person, over the course of a few days, by 25 year-old 한유진 (Han Yu-jin), a former schoolboy champion swimmer now living with his widowed mother and Hae-jin his adopted brother (what happened to his father and his biological brother, being a crucial part of the narrative).
The Korean title of the original novel is 종의 기원, which is the Korean rendition of Darwin's The Origin of Species, and in the English version the title of the last section of the novel, as Yu-jin takes inspiration: "Darwin’s maxim came to mind: adapt or die".
The English version has been retitled The Good Son (I do wish publisher's wouldn't do this) and ably translated by Chi-Young Kim, perhaps best known as translated of Please Look After Mother as well as The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly.
It opens with Yu-jin wakening in his house, confused and disorientated:
"The smell of blood woke me. It was intense, as though my whole body were inhaling it. It reverberated and expanded within me. Strange scenes flitted through my mind – the fuzzy yellow light of a row of street lamps in the fog, swirling water below my feet, a crimson umbrella rolling along a rain-soaked road, a plastic tarpaulin shrouding a construction site snapping in the wind. Somewhere a man was singing and slurring lyrics: a song about a girl he couldn’t forget, and about her walking in the rain."
We and he soon find out (no spoiler alert needed at this stage) that the smell of blood comes from his murdered mother's body:
"I looked back down at the razor in my hand. Clues to who had killed Mother were all over the place, including the decisive evidence of the murder weapon. Without a single clue pointing to a different conclusion, I would be implicated. How would Hae-jin take this? No matter what he asked me, I could only answer one way – I don’t remember a thing. The time-worn excuse made by thousands of criminals over thousands of years."
Yu-jin then gradually pieces together what must have happened, fills us (and himself as he discovers some secrets in his mother's diary) on his life to this point, and then decides what he must do to "adapt or die".
One interesting note that may not be known by English readers is that the author took inspiration from a real-life case, that of 유영철 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo_You...). For example, the song Vangelis's "Conquest of Paradise" - on which Yu-jin's ipod playlist has stopped, allowing him to reconstruct a timeline of what had happened the night before - is a song that Yoo Young-chul listened to to psyche himself up before he embarked on his sprees.
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group, via Netgalley, for the ARC.
August 26, 2018
Yu-jin wakes up, the evening before a muddled blur perhaps due to his refusal to take his anti-seizure medication, and he's covered in blood. It doesn't take long as he retraces the bloody path leading from his room to discover his mother dead, her throat slit with the very razor he now holds. We follow along as Yu-jin tries to piece together what happened. It seems hard to imagine any plausible scenario where Yu-jin isn't in fact the murderer so I'm excited to see how Jeong You-jeong plans on resolving the scenario she's set out for us here.
It's a quick read that slowly metes out information and fills in the blanks. Saying anything more would diminish the surprise so I won't go into more detail. The translation felt a little wooden at times and I found myself yelling at the ending in the same way you can't help but object to the girl in the horror movie exploring the darkened basement to investigate a strange sound. A great, straight ahead thriller novella that didn't quite stick the landing as much as I'd hoped.
I can see how this story would strike a particular chord in South Korea where mothers give up so much of themselves for the sake of their children. South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD member nations. Every year there is a rash of academic suicides when children fail their university admissions. That comes with an uptick in maternal suicides as mothers feel the brunt of responsibility and shame of their children failing. It is that degree of parental responsibility that might propel this particular story in South Korea and create an added dimension of visceral empathy.
Just saying.
It's a quick read that slowly metes out information and fills in the blanks. Saying anything more would diminish the surprise so I won't go into more detail. The translation felt a little wooden at times and I found myself yelling at the ending in the same way you can't help but object to the girl in the horror movie exploring the darkened basement to investigate a strange sound. A great, straight ahead thriller novella that didn't quite stick the landing as much as I'd hoped.
I can see how this story would strike a particular chord in South Korea where mothers give up so much of themselves for the sake of their children. South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD member nations. Every year there is a rash of academic suicides when children fail their university admissions. That comes with an uptick in maternal suicides as mothers feel the brunt of responsibility and shame of their children failing. It is that degree of parental responsibility that might propel this particular story in South Korea and create an added dimension of visceral empathy.
Just saying.
December 22, 2019
"As histórias felizes geralmente não são verdadeiras."
Esse livro me surpreendeu positivamente. Não há muito a se falar sobre ele além do que a sinopse já indica: Numa manhã qualquer, Yu-Jin desperta sentindo cheiro de sangue. Tudo indica que tenha sofrido um ataque epiléptico à noite, mas então encontra o corpo da mãe ao pé da escada. O que realmente aconteceu?
O mais impressionante sobre essa narrativa é a forma como ela é construída: às vezes, sabemos tanto quanto o personagem; outras, somos enganados por ele. Com poucos personagens, You-Jeong Jeong criou uma história complexa com personagens tridimensionais sobre manipulação e maldade, fazendo com que o leitor a todo mundo se pergunte qual a próxima revelação. Gostei especialmente de como a insanidade foi levada ao seu ápice, entregando um final genial.
"Dentre todas as criaturas da Terra, o ser humano é o mais impaciente com seus desejos."
Perfeito para quem curtiu "Garota exemplar" (Gillian Flynn) ou "Fraude legítima" (E. Lockhart), "O bom filho" não decepciona em entregar uma história de qualidade, cheia de surpresas, camadas e truques. Li o livro em um dia, incapaz de largá-lo por um segundo sequer. Destaque para a excelente tradução diretamente do coreano por Jae Hyung Woo. Recomendadíssimo.
Esse livro me surpreendeu positivamente. Não há muito a se falar sobre ele além do que a sinopse já indica: Numa manhã qualquer, Yu-Jin desperta sentindo cheiro de sangue. Tudo indica que tenha sofrido um ataque epiléptico à noite, mas então encontra o corpo da mãe ao pé da escada. O que realmente aconteceu?
O mais impressionante sobre essa narrativa é a forma como ela é construída: às vezes, sabemos tanto quanto o personagem; outras, somos enganados por ele. Com poucos personagens, You-Jeong Jeong criou uma história complexa com personagens tridimensionais sobre manipulação e maldade, fazendo com que o leitor a todo mundo se pergunte qual a próxima revelação. Gostei especialmente de como a insanidade foi levada ao seu ápice, entregando um final genial.
"Dentre todas as criaturas da Terra, o ser humano é o mais impaciente com seus desejos."
Perfeito para quem curtiu "Garota exemplar" (Gillian Flynn) ou "Fraude legítima" (E. Lockhart), "O bom filho" não decepciona em entregar uma história de qualidade, cheia de surpresas, camadas e truques. Li o livro em um dia, incapaz de largá-lo por um segundo sequer. Destaque para a excelente tradução diretamente do coreano por Jae Hyung Woo. Recomendadíssimo.
May 14, 2018
This was a brilliant and unique read. Be warned, it was slow burning, in the first 20% of the book the setting haven't changed- Yu-jin finds his mother dead downstairs, and doesn't remember anything, keeps moving in the house. I started to think I may not like this book, but I was wrong. It doesn't take long after that for the story take sinister turns and morph into a shocking explanation of everything.
I really liked the style of writing. The ending is not a shocker, if you are looking to have a big secret in the end- you won't have that. But the story itself is amazing. I don't want to give away too much as this book is an experience you should just dive into without knowing anything. Yes, this is one of the books that you can dive in without reading it's description, it will be better!
I love reading Asian literature, and thanks for this beautifully translated book as it was a great read for a crime lover like me!
I can see this being adapted into a movie, or a theater play- even better. Would love to watch the adaptation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the style of writing. The ending is not a shocker, if you are looking to have a big secret in the end- you won't have that. But the story itself is amazing. I don't want to give away too much as this book is an experience you should just dive into without knowing anything. Yes, this is one of the books that you can dive in without reading it's description, it will be better!
I love reading Asian literature, and thanks for this beautifully translated book as it was a great read for a crime lover like me!
I can see this being adapted into a movie, or a theater play- even better. Would love to watch the adaptation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2018
I had read so many glowing reviews of this book so I was looking forward to reading it. I really struggled to get into it, the story was great but I think the constant jumping around in time was just too much for me. Just not for me I am afraid.
It is a gruesome story of Yi Jin who wakes to find himself covered in blood and his mother dead. He has no recollection of what has happened. Then he starts to hear of young women in his area being murdered and going missing so he tries to figure out what is happening. It is based on a true story which is scary in itself.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
It is a gruesome story of Yi Jin who wakes to find himself covered in blood and his mother dead. He has no recollection of what has happened. Then he starts to hear of young women in his area being murdered and going missing so he tries to figure out what is happening. It is based on a true story which is scary in itself.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
April 22, 2020
3.5. I listened to the audio & was riveted- I'm not sure the written book would've provided as much abject tension. I do think it's as much a character study as a thriller.. There is a mystery but no confusing pov's or jumping time frames, no huge twists to figure out.. Just straight up storytelling. Really good pacing too, it never dragged. My recommendation is to not look too much into it.. Just dig in & follow along as this unique story's unveiled.
December 6, 2021
Pues yo contrariamente a la mayoria no he conseguido conectar mucho; se me ha hecho muy pesada la primera parte desde que el protagonista se despierta y se encuentra con todo el marrón, y no tanto por lo que cuenta sino por cómo lo cuenta. Toda esa primera persona narrativa relatando con pelos y señales cada paso que daba no me ha hecho conectar.
La cosa mejora un poco a raiz de que entran más personajes y desde que descubre los diarios que parece que le da más vidilla a la historia, pero todo ese rollo de los diarios no me parece tampoco muy creible, porque es un recurso demasiado "conveniente" por parte de la autora para explicar sin esforzarse mucho y te lo da todo masticadito, osea en los diarios volvemos a explicarlo todo con pelos y señales, todo muy mecánico, como tampoco me parecen creibles por ejemplo algunos comportamientos, como el del hermano adoptivo hacia el final. Bueno, también es cierto que me he vuelto muy maniatica y cuando hay detalles que se me cruzan, ya dejo de disfrutar con la lectura pero ¿¿ porqué explicarlo todo?? y con todo me refiero a cada pequeñisimo detalle, desde el color de la taza de café hasta el número de escalones, por poner un ejemplo.
El titulo original en coreano es "El origen de las especies", igual que el último capitulo del libro, que hace mención a la teoria de Darwin de "o te adaptas o no sobrevives". Y creo que ese titulo le viene mucho mejor que el que han elegido en castellano porque explica mejor todo el proceso del protagonista. No es una mala novela pero yo no he conectado nada y por la trama que tiene y por como es el cine coreano, estoy segura de que es material suficiente para ser adaptada al cine. 2'5 estrellitas.
La cosa mejora un poco a raiz de que entran más personajes y desde que descubre los diarios que parece que le da más vidilla a la historia, pero todo ese rollo de los diarios no me parece tampoco muy creible, porque es un recurso demasiado "conveniente" por parte de la autora para explicar sin esforzarse mucho y te lo da todo masticadito, osea en los diarios volvemos a explicarlo todo con pelos y señales, todo muy mecánico, como tampoco me parecen creibles por ejemplo algunos comportamientos, como el del hermano adoptivo hacia el final. Bueno, también es cierto que me he vuelto muy maniatica y cuando hay detalles que se me cruzan, ya dejo de disfrutar con la lectura pero ¿¿ porqué explicarlo todo?? y con todo me refiero a cada pequeñisimo detalle, desde el color de la taza de café hasta el número de escalones, por poner un ejemplo.
El titulo original en coreano es "El origen de las especies", igual que el último capitulo del libro, que hace mención a la teoria de Darwin de "o te adaptas o no sobrevives". Y creo que ese titulo le viene mucho mejor que el que han elegido en castellano porque explica mejor todo el proceso del protagonista. No es una mala novela pero yo no he conectado nada y por la trama que tiene y por como es el cine coreano, estoy segura de que es material suficiente para ser adaptada al cine. 2'5 estrellitas.
March 14, 2018
While THE GOOD SON has the trappings of a right-this-moment thriller, this is a surprisingly slow burn. Thriller readers used to the spare prose and constant rewards of your typical US thrillers will have to adjust to getting their reveals over the course of several pages of long flashbacks without any of the typical cues or pacing. But this isn't a bad thing! You have to work a little bit in this book rather than getting spoon-fed.
Readers also won't find as much mystery here as they'd expect. The question is not really who committed a crime (it becomes apparent pretty quickly) the question is why. More than that, the question of the book is who Yu-jin is. As a narrator he doesn't give you much to go on. Though after a while you realize that he has told you who he is all along the way, you just didn't realize it.
Something about the fit of me and the prose was not quite right, but it's impossible to say whether it's the translation or the author. This isn't uncommon with books in translation and specifically thrillers, but I didn't feel as drawn into the narrative as I have with other translated crime novels and thrillers.
Readers also won't find as much mystery here as they'd expect. The question is not really who committed a crime (it becomes apparent pretty quickly) the question is why. More than that, the question of the book is who Yu-jin is. As a narrator he doesn't give you much to go on. Though after a while you realize that he has told you who he is all along the way, you just didn't realize it.
Something about the fit of me and the prose was not quite right, but it's impossible to say whether it's the translation or the author. This isn't uncommon with books in translation and specifically thrillers, but I didn't feel as drawn into the narrative as I have with other translated crime novels and thrillers.
June 17, 2022
أجل...نجمة واحدة
يستيقظ الشاب " يوجين " على رائحة دم ، تمتد آثار أقدام دامية من باب غرفته بطول الرواق حتى الدرج ، عند مهبط الدرج بركة دماء متجمعة حول جثة امرأة عنقها مذبوح...إنها أمه.....ماذا بعد ؟
الرواية تسير أحداثها على نحو ثقيل وبارد ، كما أن رائحة الدم النفاذة المعدنية قد أصابتني بالغثيان ، فالدماء هنا لا تتوقف عن السيل ....وتخيل رجل الشرطة تساءل عن ماهية الرائحة ولم يتعرف عليها..!!!
هذه إحدى الثغرات التي بالعمل ، فهو لا يخلو منها مما أدى إلى تشكيل العديد من المشاهد في صورة ساذجة تفتقر للذكاء والمراوغة وعنصري التشويق والمفاجأة...
يمكنك أن تملي الأحداث على نفسك وستجدها أمامك بلا عناء...😏
يستيقظ الشاب " يوجين " على رائحة دم ، تمتد آثار أقدام دامية من باب غرفته بطول الرواق حتى الدرج ، عند مهبط الدرج بركة دماء متجمعة حول جثة امرأة عنقها مذبوح...إنها أمه.....ماذا بعد ؟
الرواية تسير أحداثها على نحو ثقيل وبارد ، كما أن رائحة الدم النفاذة المعدنية قد أصابتني بالغثيان ، فالدماء هنا لا تتوقف عن السيل ....وتخيل رجل الشرطة تساءل عن ماهية الرائحة ولم يتعرف عليها..!!!
هذه إحدى الثغرات التي بالعمل ، فهو لا يخلو منها مما أدى إلى تشكيل العديد من المشاهد في صورة ساذجة تفتقر للذكاء والمراوغة وعنصري التشويق والمفاجأة...
يمكنك أن تملي الأحداث على نفسك وستجدها أمامك بلا عناء...😏
May 10, 2023
4.5
Appena riesco a fare chiarezza tra i miei pensieri, scrivo qualcosa ^^
EDIT 15/9/19
Questo è stato in assoluto il primo libro di un autore coreano che leggo.
La scrittura di questa scrittrice è scorrevole, evocativa e visiva.
L’inizio è folgorante, il prologo mi ha spiazzato, non mi aspettavo e l’epilogo mi ha elettrizzato.
È un viaggio nella mente del protagonista, ci sono quasi esclusivamente i suoi pensieri, i cui tentacoli ti trascinano sempre più giù nelle tenebre.
La lettura mi ha avviluppato, con la speranza e il desiderio di avere delle certezze che sono gli altri ma, nonostante tutto, non ho potuto fare a meno di fare un ghigno leggendo l’ultima riga.
Sono stata completamente presa dalla sua stranezza, però durante la lettura ho dovuto fare una sospensione per riprendere fiato, troppo oscurità (ho dovuto leggere qualcosa di più ... solare).
Mi sono anche chiesta se è normale provare empatia per un altro personaggio di fantasia per il quale ho provato attrazione e repulsione.
Lettura in apnea, bellissima ma claustrofobia, che opprime; non ho dato 5 stelline perchè ci sono state delle piccole parti che si sono ripetute.
E per una volta sono orgogliosa della copertina italiana bella tanto quella coreana, la nostra con i tentacoli, quella originale con la piscina con l’acqua nera
Appena riesco a fare chiarezza tra i miei pensieri, scrivo qualcosa ^^
EDIT 15/9/19
Questo è stato in assoluto il primo libro di un autore coreano che leggo.
La scrittura di questa scrittrice è scorrevole, evocativa e visiva.
L’inizio è folgorante, il prologo mi ha spiazzato, non mi aspettavo e l’epilogo mi ha elettrizzato.
È un viaggio nella mente del protagonista, ci sono quasi esclusivamente i suoi pensieri, i cui tentacoli ti trascinano sempre più giù nelle tenebre.
La lettura mi ha avviluppato, con la speranza e il desiderio di avere delle certezze che sono gli altri ma, nonostante tutto, non ho potuto fare a meno di fare un ghigno leggendo l’ultima riga.
Sono stata completamente presa dalla sua stranezza, però durante la lettura ho dovuto fare una sospensione per riprendere fiato, troppo oscurità (ho dovuto leggere qualcosa di più ... solare).
Mi sono anche chiesta se è normale provare empatia per un altro personaggio di fantasia per il quale ho provato attrazione e repulsione.
Lettura in apnea, bellissima ma claustrofobia, che opprime; non ho dato 5 stelline perchè ci sono state delle piccole parti che si sono ripetute.
E per una volta sono orgogliosa della copertina italiana bella tanto quella coreana, la nostra con i tentacoli, quella originale con la piscina con l’acqua nera
March 16, 2020
Ο Γιου-τζιν ξυπνάει από το διαρκές χτύπημα του τηλεφώνου του και η πρώτη του σκέψη είναι ότι μυρίζει κάτι μεταλλικό. Στο τηλέφωνο είναι ο αδερφός του, ο οποίος προσπαθεί να επικοινωνήσει με τη μητέρα τους μιας και εκείνη τον είχε καλέσει αργά τη νύχτα. Λίγο αργότερα ο Γιου-τζιν θα βρει τη μητέρα του σε μια λίμνη αίματος στο σαλόνι του σπιτιού τους. Συνειδητοποιεί ότι έχει ένα μεγάλο κενό μνήμης και το συνδέει με τις επιληπτικές κρίσεις τις οποίες βιώνει καθ'όλη τη διάρκεια της ζωής του.
Η πρώτη ανάμνηση που ανακαλεί από το προηγούμενο βράδυ είναι η μητέρα του να φωνάζει το όνομά του. Ήταν μια έκκληση προς βοήθεια; Ή μήπως παράκληση να μην τη σκοτώσει; Προσπαθώντας να ξετυλίξει το μυστήριο της προηγούμενης νύχτας, ο Γιου-τζιν θα μάθει πράγματα για τον εαυτό του και την οικογένειά του τα οποία είχαν μείνει κρυφά για σ��εδόν δύο δεκαετίες.
Ένα ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με πιο αργούς ρυθμούς απ' τους συνηθισμένους, που καταφέρνει παρ'όλα αυτά να καθηλώσει τον αναγνώστη.
Είχα πολλά expectations από αυτό το βιβλίο και χαίρομαι που ανταποκρίθηκε στις προσδοκίες μου.
Διαβάστε αναλυτικά την άποψή μου στο blog μου.
Η πρώτη ανάμνηση που ανακαλεί από το προηγούμενο βράδυ είναι η μητέρα του να φωνάζει το όνομά του. Ήταν μια έκκληση προς βοήθεια; Ή μήπως παράκληση να μην τη σκοτώσει; Προσπαθώντας να ξετυλίξει το μυστήριο της προηγούμενης νύχτας, ο Γιου-τζιν θα μάθει πράγματα για τον εαυτό του και την οικογένειά του τα οποία είχαν μείνει κρυφά για σ��εδόν δύο δεκαετίες.
Ένα ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με πιο αργούς ρυθμούς απ' τους συνηθισμένους, που καταφέρνει παρ'όλα αυτά να καθηλώσει τον αναγνώστη.
Είχα πολλά expectations από αυτό το βιβλίο και χαίρομαι που ανταποκρίθηκε στις προσδοκίες μου.
Διαβάστε αναλυτικά την άποψή μου στο blog μου.
May 3, 2023
"Tra tutte le creature viventi sulla Terra, i più impazienti di assecondare i propri desideri sono gli esseri umani."
Angosciante, claustrofobico, inquietante.
Non una lettura da prendere alla leggera perchè somiglia ad una lunga discesa nell'oscurità, l'oscurità che si annida nella mente di Yu-jin, unico e solo protagonista di questo dramma interiore che non lascia scampo.
É un racconto denso, denso di tensione, che non lascia fiato e spinge a leggere, leggere, leggere ancora. Fino ad arrivare ad un finale che ti aspetti, perchè lo sai, sai tutto sin dalle prime righe, eppure lascia comunque un senso di oppressione e di orrore.
É un lungo racconto introspettivo in cui si parla di conflitti, di rapporti controversi tra madre e figlio, ma sopratutto di malattia, di colpa, di confini, di consapevolezza e responsabilità.
Mi ha colpito particolarmente lo stile dell'autrice, così serrato, ricco, scuro esattamente come la storia che racconta. Mi ha angosciata e non poco, ma mi ha anche sorpreso per una particolare eleganza e per il modo in cui riesce a scavare nella mente del protagonista, trascinandoci a fondo insieme a lui.
Angosciante, claustrofobico, inquietante.
Non una lettura da prendere alla leggera perchè somiglia ad una lunga discesa nell'oscurità, l'oscurità che si annida nella mente di Yu-jin, unico e solo protagonista di questo dramma interiore che non lascia scampo.
É un racconto denso, denso di tensione, che non lascia fiato e spinge a leggere, leggere, leggere ancora. Fino ad arrivare ad un finale che ti aspetti, perchè lo sai, sai tutto sin dalle prime righe, eppure lascia comunque un senso di oppressione e di orrore.
É un lungo racconto introspettivo in cui si parla di conflitti, di rapporti controversi tra madre e figlio, ma sopratutto di malattia, di colpa, di confini, di consapevolezza e responsabilità.
Mi ha colpito particolarmente lo stile dell'autrice, così serrato, ricco, scuro esattamente come la storia che racconta. Mi ha angosciata e non poco, ma mi ha anche sorpreso per una particolare eleganza e per il modo in cui riesce a scavare nella mente del protagonista, trascinandoci a fondo insieme a lui.
May 26, 2020
"ξέρεις όμως τι κοινό έχουν όλες αυτές οι προσεγγίσεις (για το θάνατο)?
Είναι όλες ψεύτικες. Δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο παρά φόβος μασκαρεμενος."
"τότε τι είναι πραγματικό?"
"Ο ίδιος ο φόβος, υποθέτω. Αυτο είναι το πιο ειλικρινές συναίσθημα."
... Και ναι, η you jeong jeong, μοιράζει φόβο απλόχερα στο βιβλίο της. Ειλικρινά, σε λίγα βιβλία έχω βυθιστεί τόσο πολύ στην ατμόσφαιρα που χτίζουν και τη ζω με όλες τις αισθήσεις μου,σα να ήμουν στις σκοτεινές γειτονιές που περιγράφει. Αυτό για μένα ήταν το νούμερο 1 θετικό στοιχείο που κρατώ. Το δεύτερο θα ήταν ο ξεχωριστός πρωταγωνιστής, ένας αντί-ήρωας. Δε μπορω να πω πολλά πράγματα χωρίς να προδωσω αλλά τόσα, όμως είναι πολύ δύσκολο να αποφασίσεις πως αισθάνεσαι απέναντι στον Γιου-τζιν. Άλλο ένα στοιχείο που μου άρεσε, ήταν ότι το βιβλίο αυτό έθιγε πολλά θέματα για το τι είναι η καλοσύνη, η ηθική, η αγάπη, το νοιαξιμο και πως όλα αυτά καθορίζονται από τον εγωισμό μας.
Τελος θα πω ότι δεν δίνω το 5αρι γιατί η αρχή του βιβλίου ήταν κάπως κουραστική και άργησε να πάρει μπρος η όλη δράση, όταν όμως αυτό έγινε, κυριολεκτικά δε μπορούσα να αφήσω το βιβλίο μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα.
사랑합니다 ♥️♥️
Υ.Γ. Μόνο εγώ διαβάζοντας τον τίτλο του βιβλίου σκεφτόμουν πάντα εκείνη την παλιά ταινία την ομότιτλη, με τον γλυκουλη Elijah wood και τον "δε θα σε πιάσω στα χέρια μου? Θα σου δείξω" Macauley Culkin? 😂😂😂
Είναι όλες ψεύτικες. Δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο παρά φόβος μασκαρεμενος."
"τότε τι είναι πραγματικό?"
"Ο ίδιος ο φόβος, υποθέτω. Αυτο είναι το πιο ειλικρινές συναίσθημα."
... Και ναι, η you jeong jeong, μοιράζει φόβο απλόχερα στο βιβλίο της. Ειλικρινά, σε λίγα βιβλία έχω βυθιστεί τόσο πολύ στην ατμόσφαιρα που χτίζουν και τη ζω με όλες τις αισθήσεις μου,σα να ήμουν στις σκοτεινές γειτονιές που περιγράφει. Αυτό για μένα ήταν το νούμερο 1 θετικό στοιχείο που κρατώ. Το δεύτερο θα ήταν ο ξεχωριστός πρωταγωνιστής, ένας αντί-ήρωας. Δε μπορω να πω πολλά πράγματα χωρίς να προδωσω αλλά τόσα, όμως είναι πολύ δύσκολο να αποφασίσεις πως αισθάνεσαι απέναντι στον Γιου-τζιν. Άλλο ένα στοιχείο που μου άρεσε, ήταν ότι το βιβλίο αυτό έθιγε πολλά θέματα για το τι είναι η καλοσύνη, η ηθική, η αγάπη, το νοιαξιμο και πως όλα αυτά καθορίζονται από τον εγωισμό μας.
Τελος θα πω ότι δεν δίνω το 5αρι γιατί η αρχή του βιβλίου ήταν κάπως κουραστική και άργησε να πάρει μπρος η όλη δράση, όταν όμως αυτό έγινε, κυριολεκτικά δε μπορούσα να αφήσω το βιβλίο μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα.
사랑합니다 ♥️♥️
Υ.Γ. Μόνο εγώ διαβάζοντας τον τίτλο του βιβλίου σκεφτόμουν πάντα εκείνη την παλιά ταινία την ομότιτλη, με τον γλυκουλη Elijah wood και τον "δε θα σε πιάσω στα χέρια μου? Θα σου δείξω" Macauley Culkin? 😂😂😂
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