Introduction
Published in April 2026, this instant hit authored by Choi Jin-Young and translated by Soje has cemented itself as a standout piece of literary fiction among beloved readers. This psychologically challenging novel has dark themes of loneliness, obsession and poverty.
A Summary
Dam finds her soulmate on an ordinary day, lying cold and abandoned on the pavement. There is no crowd, no miracle, just her and the body she refuses to leave behind. She carries him home, cleans him with the care she once saved for the living, and prepares to do what she believes will keep him close for a little longer. From somewhere beyond the world he knew, he watches her grief consume her. Their voices swirl around each other as they describe a place where the wealthy never feel hunger and everyone else is expected to swallow their suffering quietly. Dam has spent her whole life obeying rules that were never made for her. Now she is done obeying.
Writing Style
Hunger flicks between two POV’s, and the book flows between the past and the present without clear lines. This book doesn’t have typical chapters, and it flips back and forth between the two perspectives every few pages. The writing style is fairly simplistic, and a fast paced read with deep philosophical meaning behind it’s words.
My Thoughts
My decision to delve into darker fiction, specifically darker translated fiction, is off to a flawless start with Hunger. There is not a single thing I have to complain about with this novel, so prepare for this review to be me just hyping it up.
Now this book definitely isn’t for everyone, with heavy discussions of cannibalism, death and poverty, but it is incredibly well-written so those discussions linger with you as you read; and even after you have finished. The obsessive, almost compulsive, love between the main characters resonated with me in a way that caused me to look inside of myself and dig for answers. For reference, I have BPD, which above all else, causes me to love deeper and to a more extreme level than most, and despite the grotseque nature of the portrayal of love in Hunger, it allowed me to open a part of me I had long forgotten about. The character’s in this novel were expertly written in my eyes, as they had personality and enough description to imagine them, yet simultaneously the perspective it is written causes you to feel like you’re watching them in real time, rather than reading fiction. As it flicks back and forth between the two POV’s, you can immediately tell whose perspective you are in, despite both of their main (and only) motivations being each other. The pacing is another brilliant part, flicking between their lives as they grew up, and the present where she is consuming him. It draws you into their history and immerses you, only to abruptly bring you back into the present with such force you get whiplash.
This is certainly an experience, and I wouldn’t say I loved every second, but that’s not what the book was made for. This book explored the loneliness that comes with life, and how that can form into unhealthy relationships for even the most well-minded of us.
Recommendation
This book wasn’t particularly gruesome (at least not for a book with cannibalism as its premise) so I would recommend it for those that want to read darker fiction but can’t handle too much gore. It’s fairly short as well, at 144 pages in total, so definitely one to check out. I highly recommend this.
