The movie Parasite alerted those who might not have encountered South Korean storytelling that this is a nation that has produced some serious talent. Parasite reminded us of South Korea’s movie making, Bong Joon-Ho just one of a number of filmmakers to make their mark with their films, but South Korea also has a number of talented writers of narrative fiction, not least Kim Young-Ha.
South Korea’s story telling tradition has a reputation for being quirky, eccentric, and often times more than a little disturbing. The films Parasite, The Host, Old Boy and Lady Vengeance are just some that have showcased that, and the nation’s narrative fiction is no different. Diary of a Murderer, an anthology of short stories, is very much of this vein, and in the way of South Korean storytelling, the four stories contained within its pages are challenging to the readers sensibilities to varying degrees.
The titular story, which gives the book its title, is about a retired serial killer with Alzheimers who learns that his daughter is dating a man he suspects to be a serial killer. He thus decides to kill the boyfriend before it’s too late and he’s lost his mind. This story is really a novella and takes up half the book. The other three stories are much shorter but are similar in that they have twists aplenty.
This is a great collection of short stories and really showcases the brilliantly surreal nature of much of South Korea’s storytelling and the talent of the author, Kim Young-Ha. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this writer and might well read one of the novels he’s written.
4 out of 5 stars
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