Author: Bae Suah
Translated by: Sora Kim-Russell
Publisher: Amazon Crossing, 2015
Original title: 철수, 1998
Link to online store *
A nameless narrator passes through her life, searching for meaning and connection in experiences she barely feels. For her, time and identity blur, and all action is reaction. She can’t quite understand what motivates others to take life seriously enough to focus on anything—for her existence is a loosely woven tapestry of fleeting concepts. From losing her virginity to mindless jobs and a splintered, unsupportive family, the lessons learned have less to do with the reality we all share and more to do with the truth of the imagination, which is where the narrator focuses to discover herself.
LKL says:
I really tried hard with this short novel, going to the trouble of reading it twice. I didn’t get it the first time.
I didn’t get it the second time, either.
LKL rating: 
External links:
- Review by Paul Fulcher (PF rating: ).
- Review by Tony Malone.
- Entry on Goodreads.com.
* Where the book is available from a number of sources, they are prioritised as follows: (1) Amazon UK site, or Bookshop.org for the more recent uploads (2) Amazon US site (3) Other sites in US or Europe, including second-hand outlets (4) LTI Korea, where the title is advertised as available from there (5) Onlines stores in Korea. Links to Bookshop.org and Amazon UK site contain an affiliate code which, should you make a purchase, gives a small commission to LKL at no additional cost to you.