Book Review: Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun (translated by Janet Hong)

 

Like Elena Knows, but in a much creative and different way, Lemon (translated from Korean into English by Janet Hong) is at the first sight a mystery novel but in fact the label is misleading as the novel is much more than that. Can we eventually try to avoid labels and start by appreciating a book for what it is, a story?

I was lucky enough to have access to the book in audiobook format, excellently narrated by Greta Jung, Jaine Ye and Greg Chun. The alternate voices given to the different characters in the book are an inspired audio setting, appropriate for the non-written variant of the novel.

Almost two decades after the death of Hae-on a beautiful high school student, there is still no official culprit. After she was found dead, the investigators were not able to decide who killed her and why. Was it the delivery boy on whose scooter Hae-on, wearing a beautiful lemon-colored dress, was seen last. Or wasn´t? There are different angles added to the story, from different people who knew her, her sister, friends and classmates and people affected indirectly by her death. Through the different testimonies the complexities of the South Korean society and culture are outlined, and there are many interesting details I was not aware of before. The focus is moved from one topic to another, from different society facts and habits - excessive plastic surgery, the hierarchy within the Christian denominations and their impact on social stratification etc. The big story and the various micro-stories are not always coming along together but however it is an innovative game of voices, as genuine human stories which add an universal value to the story, beyond any labels and literary expectations. 

A special note to the cover which is out of this world, in terms of combination of colours and the lettering design.

Here you can watch a short interviw in Korean (with English translation) with Kwon Yeo-sun where she explains how ´lives of people are what matter most to me´, but also shares her love of liquor and remembers how she used to post on Facebook (sorry, ´Meta´) after a few drinks.

Rating: 3 stars