Literature & Fiction
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Love in the Big City
A funny, transporting, surprising, and poignant novel that was one of the highest-selling debuts of recent years in Korea, Love in the Big City tells the story of a young gay man searching for happiness in the lonely city of Seoul
Love in the Big City is the English-language debut of Sang Young Park, one of Korea's most exciting young writers. A runaway bestseller, the novel hit the top five lists of all the major bookstores, went into twenty-six printings, and was praised for its unique literary voice and perspective. It is now poised to capture a worldwide readership.
Young is a cynical yet fun-loving Korean student who pinballs from home to class to the beds of recent Tinder matches. He and Jaehee, his female best friend and roommate, frequent nearby bars where they push away their anxieties about their love lives, families, and money with rounds of soju and ice-cold Marlboro Reds that they keep in their freezer. Yet over time, even Jaehee leaves Young to settle down, leaving him alone to care for his ailing mother and to find companionship in his relationships with a series of men, including one whose handsomeness is matched by his coldness, and another who might end up being the great love of his life.
A brilliantly written novel that takes us into the glittering nighttime of Seoul and the bleary-eyed morning after with both humor and emotion, Love in the Big City is a wry portrait of millennial loneliness as well as the abundant joys of queer life.
Love in the Big City is the English-language debut of Sang Young Park, one of Korea's most exciting young writers. A runaway bestseller, the novel hit the top five lists of all the major bookstores, went into twenty-six printings, and was praised for its unique literary voice and perspective. It is now poised to capture a worldwide readership.
Young is a cynical yet fun-loving Korean student who pinballs from home to class to the beds of recent Tinder matches. He and Jaehee, his female best friend and roommate, frequent nearby bars where they push away their anxieties about their love lives, families, and money with rounds of soju and ice-cold Marlboro Reds that they keep in their freezer. Yet over time, even Jaehee leaves Young to settle down, leaving him alone to care for his ailing mother and to find companionship in his relationships with a series of men, including one whose handsomeness is matched by his coldness, and another who might end up being the great love of his life.
A brilliantly written novel that takes us into the glittering nighttime of Seoul and the bleary-eyed morning after with both humor and emotion, Love in the Big City is a wry portrait of millennial loneliness as well as the abundant joys of queer life.
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Love in the Big City:
Longlisted for the International Booker Prize
A New York Times Book Review Paperback Row Selection
Named a Best LGBTQ+ Book of the Year by BuzzFeed
"Intoxicating . . . In Park's hands, Young is loud and obnoxious, insufferable and magnetic, messy and wise. The prose, translated by Anton Hur, reads like an iPhone screen, vibrant and addictive. What a joy it is to see such a profound exploration of contemporary queer life - its traumas and its ecstasies throbbing in harmony. It's a shimmering addition to the recent genre of novels chronicling queer millennial malaise . . . Dazzling."-Bobby Finger, New York Times Book Review
"It's a mark of the generous spirit of the South Korean author's English-language debut that it made me laugh on the first page. The novel's loosely autobiographical account of a young gay man losing and finding his way in a conservative society isn't always so funny, but even bad news is delivered with a spark . . . The modulation of tone casts out any initial fear that the novel might just skate across the surface."-Guardian
"An exuberant hunger drives the characters of Love in the Big City, people who are young, broke and eager to indulge in the many pleasures of Seoul, be they carnal or culinary . . . There's a generosity and biting humor that imbues his stories, with glittering descriptions that render our food-and-drink-obsessed culture in liquid-crystal high definition . . . Hur, the book's translator, manages to preserve that rhythm in English through a flawless, breezy millennial vernacular that veers artfully between slang like ‘dickmatized' and poetic ruminations on ‘the taste of the universe' within the span of a single chapter. The delicious, unbridled joy in Park's depiction of queer Korean life is revolutionary and fun as hell to read."-Hannah Bae, Eater
"Translated by Anton Hur with startling immediacy, Park's English language debut-as framed by this unforgettable scene-captures the ambiguous landscape inhabited by South Korean gays, of being both visible and unacknowledged . . . While reading
Longlisted for the International Booker Prize
A New York Times Book Review Paperback Row Selection
Named a Best LGBTQ+ Book of the Year by BuzzFeed
"Intoxicating . . . In Park's hands, Young is loud and obnoxious, insufferable and magnetic, messy and wise. The prose, translated by Anton Hur, reads like an iPhone screen, vibrant and addictive. What a joy it is to see such a profound exploration of contemporary queer life - its traumas and its ecstasies throbbing in harmony. It's a shimmering addition to the recent genre of novels chronicling queer millennial malaise . . . Dazzling."-Bobby Finger, New York Times Book Review
"It's a mark of the generous spirit of the South Korean author's English-language debut that it made me laugh on the first page. The novel's loosely autobiographical account of a young gay man losing and finding his way in a conservative society isn't always so funny, but even bad news is delivered with a spark . . . The modulation of tone casts out any initial fear that the novel might just skate across the surface."-Guardian
"An exuberant hunger drives the characters of Love in the Big City, people who are young, broke and eager to indulge in the many pleasures of Seoul, be they carnal or culinary . . . There's a generosity and biting humor that imbues his stories, with glittering descriptions that render our food-and-drink-obsessed culture in liquid-crystal high definition . . . Hur, the book's translator, manages to preserve that rhythm in English through a flawless, breezy millennial vernacular that veers artfully between slang like ‘dickmatized' and poetic ruminations on ‘the taste of the universe' within the span of a single chapter. The delicious, unbridled joy in Park's depiction of queer Korean life is revolutionary and fun as hell to read."-Hannah Bae, Eater
"Translated by Anton Hur with startling immediacy, Park's English language debut-as framed by this unforgettable scene-captures the ambiguous landscape inhabited by South Korean gays, of being both visible and unacknowledged . . . While reading
Readers Top Reviews
WINTHROP SMITHJes
It's not that different. It might be lots of sex, leading to nothing. It might be a boyfriend, older, a boyfriend, younger, discos, getting drunk, becoming infected, trying to figure out life as a gay man. It becomes different as you turn older, fatter, someone who, as a writer, funds himself remembering the past, the relationship, the reasons why, the start, the ending.
aculeusWINTHROP S
I only write in books that really click with me. I wrote so many fun notes all over this book. I'm so grateful for Sang Young Park's words and Anton Hur's wonderful daring translation. I can't imagine what the original hangul for "dickmitized" could've been, but wow I've been there. I've so been there. I love these characters so much. I'm reminded of Cassavetes films where all the characters are struggling to love each other, but it's all about love. the messy chambers in the heart. I loved how the four novellas flow into each other. I'd be so excited to see longer writing and more of this author's work translated into English. The end of the third section really broke me in the best way. That empty page right before part four is OUF. I devoured this book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. Make this your next novel especially if you need something to ease you back into reading. It's full of heart and humor. I'm gifting this novel to all my fellow queers.
Mariners' Fanacul
I enjoyed seeing a young gay man's coming out journey in another culture. Some things carry over from Western culture: the disapproval of homosexuality causing internalized homophobia, for one. The continuing post-traumatic stress disorder caused by AIDS and HIV infection, even today with treatments available. Written with breeziness and humor, the story moves swiftly, but there is in the end surprising poignancy and depth.
yan ekMariners' F
In a book like this both the author and the translator have different, but important roles. It is my impression that the translation is of an extremely accurate, high quality. Some of the situations and dialogue are relatable. The story works very well. On a different note... the hardback copy I had broke apart when I read it the first time. Pages were falling out like leaves from a tree. I've not had that happen before in a new book.
Katieyan ekMarine
This book was put on my radar when I started reading a lot about translated literature and found the Twitter account of a translator named Anton Hur. He seems like a wonderful translator, and this is my first translation that I have picked up done by him. This book was told in 4 parts, each focusing on a different relationship/aspect of Young’s life. My favorite parts were the first 3. I was invested in those three but not as much in the final part. Young’s life is messy and not simple and this book explores the complicated parts of his life. I appreciated reading about some topics that I don’t see often in fiction. The setting of the city felt like part of the story as well. It felt like you really got to know many parts of Seoul, as well as some of Thailand when Young took a trip there. I would recommend this novel, especially if you enjoy Korean literature.
