[New Release] Sim Ajin's Short Story Collection 'Sinui Hansu'

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"It was an evening meal that was pervasive yet not intense, delivering an extremely delicate flavor." (‘Dabokhan Clinic’) On the day Han Yong-su, the director of the clinic, and nurse assistant Gyuri restored their old routine of ‘a meal together’ after two months, the novel describes the scene of their dinner together in this way. Even without considering that this is the last sentence of the novel, it is not difficult to notice that this subtle depiction is not solely focused on the taste of the food on the table. It embraces the air and atmosphere surrounding the two people sitting face to face, revealing the passage of time in their relationship. (Omitted) The dense tug-of-war between what is revealed and what is concealed, along with the unique use of the narrative device, is a great pleasure in reading Sim Ah-jin’s novel. Following the emotional trajectory of the focalizer Gyuri beyond surface-level statements is quite enjoyable.” (Literary critic Jeong Hong-su)

The joy of reading a novel is not merely in following the plot. Sometimes, discovering the unique vitality and rhythm woven by words, sentences, letter spacing, and margins brings much greater pleasure. The characters in this deeply human, profoundly human novel laugh heartily and cry foolishly within the author’s vivid vocabulary. We cannot hate these characters who are clumsy, weak, and constantly oscillate between hypocrisy and malice, thanks to the author’s thoughtful and lively language that embraces all of this wholeheartedly.” (Novelist Kim Hye-jin)

Critic Jeong Hong-su read Sim Ah-jin’s new book (Gang Publishing) and described the novel ‘Dabokhan Clinic’ as having a “not intense, extremely delicate flavor.” He said this flavor permeates the entire collection rather than being limited to a single work. He also added that the book demonstrates refined skill in distancing itself from the temptation of dramatic intensification through extremes or excess, instead showing creativity in imagination, diverse narrative exploration, and tracking human psychology and emotions. In this way, evokes ordinary, potentially dull everyday scenes for readers. These scenes transform into fantasy-like memories unfolding in a hazy mist alongside the novels. The author embraces delicacy with a mature perspective and restrained language. Perhaps this allows us to feel the “not intense, extremely delicate flavor” that connects the days we commonly experience and casually pass by.

contains a total of seven works, including ‘Dabokhan Clinic,’ ‘Sister,’ ‘A Divine Move,’ ‘Crying Man,’ ‘Orange Heart,’ ‘Wrestling,’ and ‘Homecoming.’