In his short, beautiful novel, Won-Pyung Sohn takes us into the mind of Yunjae, a 16-year-old who has suddenly been orphaned after his single mother and grandmother are brutally attacked. He has a brain condition (alexithymia) that makes it difficult for him to recognize feelings like love, frustration, or fear. This renders him socially inept in many cases, something his mother was lovingly helping him address. (Yes, it’s all very similar to how we discuss and describe autism.) Yunjae is soon introduced to Gon who bullies him but is troubled in his own way – a common ground of sorts is found. With Gon and a caring neighbor, Yunjae learns to navigate a world that does not make accommodations for him.
I was inspired to pick this up after a booktokker reviewed it while noting that it’s one of the first translated books she read that didn’t feel like it had been translated. To be able to perfectly recreate a character’s feelings and capture the nuances of language and connotation is a feat. After reading it, I have to agree. Yunjae feels no emotion while Gon feels too much. Both cases send them to the fringes – a reminder that society asks a lot of us when it comes to behavior.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: a dry Riesling and pickled string beans
Peaches to Apples 