I Have the Right to Destroy Myself
Serious and literary fiction, Suspense and thrillers
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
A &“mesmerizing&” novel of a love triangle and a mysterious disappearance in South Korea (Booklist). In the fast-paced, high-urban landscape of Seoul, C and K are brothers who have fallen in love with the same beguiling drifter, Se-yeon, who gives… herself freely to both of them. Then, just as they are trying desperately to forge a connection in an alienated world, Se-yeon suddenly disappears. All the while, a spectral, calculating narrator haunts the edges of their lives, working to help the lost and hurting find escape through suicide. When Se-yeon reemerges, it is as the narrator&’s new client. Recalling the emotional tension of Milan Kundera and the existential anguish of Bret Easton Ellis, I Have the Right to Destroy Myself is a dreamlike &“literary exploration of truth, death, desire and identity&” (Publishers Weekly). Cinematic in its urgency, the novel offers &“an atmosphere of menacing ennui [set] to a soundtrack of Leonard Cohen tunes&” (Newark Star-Ledger). &“Kim&’s novel is art built upon art. His style is reminiscent of Kafka&’s and also relies on images of paintings (Jacques-Louis David&’s &‘The Death of Marat,&’ Gustav Klimt&’s &‘Judith&’) and film (Jim Jarmusch&’s &‘Stranger Than Paradise&’). The philosophy—life is worthless and small—reminds us of Camus and Sartre, risky territory for a young writer. . . . But Kim has the advantage of the urban South Korean landscape. Fast cars, sex with lollipops and weather fronts from Siberia lend a unique flavor to good old-fashioned nihilism. Think of it as Korean noir.&” —Los Angeles Times &“Like Georges Simenon, [Kim&’s] keen engagement with human perversity yields an abundance of thrills as well as chills (and, for good measure, a couple of memorable laughs). This is a real find.&” —Han Ong, author of Fixer Chao