K-LIT REVIEW 'The Trunk' releases English translation in time for Netflix adaptation
The cover of "The Trunk" by Kim Ryeo-ryeong / Courtesy of Penguin UK
"The Trunk" is the second Korean novel I have read recently which contains a significant digression about Metallica’s 1986 "Master of Puppets" album, the other novel being "The Consultant" by Im Seong-sun. Enthusiasm for 1980s thrash metal is not the only similarity the two novels share. While "The Consultant" imagined a shadowy and murderous organization with tendrils reaching into all aspects of Korean society, "The Trunk" depicts a similarly secretive and influential corporation that offers a different set of solutions: rather than disposing of your enemies, this organization will solve your problems of emotional and domestic labor.
New Marriage, or NM for short, organizes temporary marriages, and arranges Field Wives (and Field Husbands, though the novel only mentions these in passing) on a short-term basis.
"The Trunk" was originally published in Korean in 2015, and has been adapted into a K-drama that is to be released to Netflix imminently. The book has been given an English translation to coincide with the drama’s release. It’s also a timely release because it shows how prophetic Kim Ryeo-ryeong’s writing is: since 2015, marriages have dropped by 40 percent, and Korea has a rapidly graying and shrinking population, threatening the long-term prospects of the country’s current influential status.
"The Trunk" introduces us to Inji, who has worked as a Field Wife for the last six years on a variety of assignments. She is surprised when her latest husband makes the unexpected request to renew their marriage contract. The husband, never named in the text, is a wealthy and influential music producer with a powerful appetite for alcohol.
The novel's plot unfolds as Inji navigates her relationship with this nameless man, while also reflecting on her past experiences. Inji is still dealing with a friend who died at their coming-of-age party, and the social stigma of dating a bisexual man in a conservative culture. Described as a thriller, "The Trunk" does contain some thriller-like elements such as NM’s dubious business practices, and Tae-song, a man whose pursuit of Inji begins to become obsessive. However, this is a novel more interested in subplots and digressions rather than building suspense: the reader also learns about Inji’s neighbor, known as Granny, an eccentric older lady in a relationship with a younger man who seems more interested in her bank book than he is in real affection.
This novel seeks to expand its narrative scope, weaving together multiple stories, all conveyed through Inji’s surprisingly straightforward tone. She is immersed in the world of NM and its many corporate initialisms, not peering into this world as an outsider like the reader is. The reader will discover quickly that Inji’s world is what the late Mark Fisher called a “boring dystopia” — not a world where Big Brother efficiently marshals surveillance technology to see and know all, but a world of bureaucracy and jargon, where there’s a disconnect between corporations’ stated visions and their uncaring practices, and where love and marriage have been reduced to pure transactions.
Another striking cultural reference in the book is to Zalman King, whose films the husband likes to watch with Inji. King’s best-known project, "The Red Shoe Diaries," was a mainstay of late-night TV in the 1990s and a byword for camp and dubious erotica. Kim uses this reference to satirize what she sees as the paucity of male sexual fantasies, and to show the uncomfortable intimacy of a transactional marriage.
The diverse plotlines and intricate digressions might be challenging for readers who prefer a more linear narrative. However, I found it captivating to immerse myself in Inji's world, which, while rooted in contemporary Seoul, features some intriguing distinctions. The author also explores the long-term effects of working for NM on Inji, and as you might imagine, these effects are not positive. Although the husband is something of a caricature of a rich and self-absorbed man, Inji is not a helpless victim but a complex character with a unique voice.
The book's English translation is noteworthy in itself: it is the first published project of The KoLab, which currently consists of 13 students from Australia working under the guidance of Drs. Paik Yon-jae and Adam Zulawnik and Ph.D. candidate Aditi Dubey. This intriguing, collaborative approach to translation has nonetheless resulted in a book that feels cohesive and consistent.
The drama adaptation seems to promise a rather different take on the source material, no doubt in order to maximize the potential of charismatic megastar Gong Yoo. But the large-scale translation project and the high-profile adaptation both point to the fact that this is a multi-layered and complex novel with considerable relevance to contemporary Korean culture.
The book will be available through Tongbang Books on Oct. 31. Visit dbbooks.co.kr to order a copy.
John A. Riley is a writer and former university lecturer who spent over 10 years living and working in Korea. He has written for The Asian Review of Books, Popmatters, Screen and numerous other publications.