Park Minwoo is a successful director of a large architectural firm. One night, he receives an unexpected message from an old friend, Cha Soona. At the same time, the construction company that hired him is under investigation for corruption.
Living a comfortable life, Minwoo thought he had left the past behind. However people from the past show up, reminding him of his root. The story goes back to Minwoo’s tough childhood filled with poverty when living in the countryside of Seoul, a place where he remembers so well that went through big transformation.
The story captures the impact of rural modernization, the architecture and legacy. In a rapidly modernizing society, what value remains after power and corruption? From childhood friend to first love, Sok-yong also examines the essence of the human, anchored by connections that transcend time and space.
The characters can feel muddled at first (also with the transitions between present-past) - I believe the author’s strength doesn’t rely on the character attachment, but rather the characterization in which Sok-yong invites one to witness how each side characters’ life corresponds with a change in the MC’s life. The letters exposed throughout the novel are emotionally laden, its melancholic tone highlighted by the evocative prose. The way these tumultuous lives converge is a revelation if such brilliance that offers rich satisfaction towards the end of the story.
Memory has different versions and this novel has an incredible ability to cover the power of memories.
Longlisted for 2019 International Booker Prize, AT DUSK (tr. Sora Kim-Russell) is a meditative read about life, the brevity and what survives transformation. This slim book felt quite smart for me with its ingenuous execution, demanding a re-read right after I finished it. I am eager to read Sok-yong’s other works { the more recent Mater 2-10! }
{ #gifted @scribepub | Out now }
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