Let's go to the moon
 |
Description
Book Introduction
Salary alone is not enough! We need a windfall! Jang Ryu-jin's first full-length novel, "The Joys and Sorrows of Work" A hyper-realistic novel that resonates with office workers Novelist Jang Ryu-jin, who received both critical acclaim and reader acclaim for her first short story collection, The Joy and Sorrow of Work (Changbi 2019), ambitiously presents her first full-length novel, Let's Go to the Moon. Jang Ryu-jin's latest work, which has been praised as "the face of Korean literature that will lead the 2020s" and "a big newcomer" in the literary world, has received an enthusiastic response from young readers in their 20s and 30s since its serialization (March 2020-21, Changbi [Literature 3] webzine and 'Switch') with its vivid character descriptions and fast-paced development. In particular, Jang Ryu-jin's realistic background settings and dialogue, which are evaluated as 'hyper-realism' that dreams of constructing a creative and individual reality rather than simply reflecting reality, have become even more specific and detailed. Jang Ryu-jin, who excels at portraying even the smallest details in her work as if they were all her own story, amplifies its appeal by turning her attention to the recent social issue of 'virtual currency', and closes in on the current social reality and generation with the author's unique, outstanding sensibility, but it is by no means an easy-to-read novel about the times. The story of three women from poor families who cannot leave their single room despite working at a prestigious company, riding the Coin Train, instantly pierces through the chronic low-growth situation and hereditary capitalism, drawing readers into the story. While reading this work, readers will find themselves cheering on these protagonists as they ride up and down the Coin Train's "roller coaster." We cannot help but acknowledge the efforts of author Jang Ryu-jin, who reflects the realities of his time and generation while expanding his own fresh and unique world, and we believe that he will once again captivate readers. |
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Commentary by Han Young-in
Author's Note
Part 2
Part 3
Commentary by Han Young-in
Author's Note
Detailed image
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Into the book
I felt closer to Eun-sang and Ji-song than to my friends who I had known for a long time since I was little.
Rather, we had a lot more to talk about and a lot more in common than with my 'original friends', and I was sometimes amazed when I thought about that fact.
Looking back, it made sense.
We spent most of our days at work, except for when we were sleeping, so anything that happened to me was, directly or indirectly, 'work.'
Happy things, sad things, funny things, angry things, refreshing things, and amazing things.
When talking about such things with Eun-sang and Ji-song, there was no need for a separate background explanation because the main characters and preceding events were shared.
--- p.
30
I had a strange feeling that he already knew everything, that he was looking down on me from the future as if I were in the past.
I have a feeling that when the day comes that I no longer work for this company, and if I ever get to miss this place, I will miss this exact scene right now.
I was standing in the middle of this moment, reminiscing about this moment.
--- pp.
156∼57
“Hey! Why don’t you deserve that? You deserve that.
Everyone deserves something good, something better.
There is no one in the world who is not qualified to do so.
You, me, and my mom.
It's all the same.
“There are good things in the world, better things, and even better things, but what do I do now that I know about them?”
Eun-sang stretched one arm, holding a glow stick, into the air and whispered in my ear.
"don't worry.
“We’re going to get there.”
The tip of the glow stick, emitting a yellow beam of light, was pointing at the moon in the night sky.
It was a very precise crescent moon, one half immersed in pitch darkness and the other half shining coolly.
--- p.
194
No one forced me to work on weekends.
There was just some work left to be done by Monday.
It was not a large amount, so it could be finished in two or three hours of concentration.
It would have been fine to just do it at home, but in these cases, I usually chose to go to the office.
To some, it might seem like a mystery why people bother to go to work on a weekend when it's not even close.
Of course, I was in the same position at first, but after trying to work on weekends voluntarily a few times when I was struggling with a large workload, I realized it.
The company on weekends is not a place to let off steam as much as on weekdays.
In some ways, it is also recharging.
But, this is assuming that there is no one else besides me.
Rather, we had a lot more to talk about and a lot more in common than with my 'original friends', and I was sometimes amazed when I thought about that fact.
Looking back, it made sense.
We spent most of our days at work, except for when we were sleeping, so anything that happened to me was, directly or indirectly, 'work.'
Happy things, sad things, funny things, angry things, refreshing things, and amazing things.
When talking about such things with Eun-sang and Ji-song, there was no need for a separate background explanation because the main characters and preceding events were shared.
--- p.
30
I had a strange feeling that he already knew everything, that he was looking down on me from the future as if I were in the past.
I have a feeling that when the day comes that I no longer work for this company, and if I ever get to miss this place, I will miss this exact scene right now.
I was standing in the middle of this moment, reminiscing about this moment.
--- pp.
156∼57
“Hey! Why don’t you deserve that? You deserve that.
Everyone deserves something good, something better.
There is no one in the world who is not qualified to do so.
You, me, and my mom.
It's all the same.
“There are good things in the world, better things, and even better things, but what do I do now that I know about them?”
Eun-sang stretched one arm, holding a glow stick, into the air and whispered in my ear.
"don't worry.
“We’re going to get there.”
The tip of the glow stick, emitting a yellow beam of light, was pointing at the moon in the night sky.
It was a very precise crescent moon, one half immersed in pitch darkness and the other half shining coolly.
--- p.
194
No one forced me to work on weekends.
There was just some work left to be done by Monday.
It was not a large amount, so it could be finished in two or three hours of concentration.
It would have been fine to just do it at home, but in these cases, I usually chose to go to the office.
To some, it might seem like a mystery why people bother to go to work on a weekend when it's not even close.
Of course, I was in the same position at first, but after trying to work on weekends voluntarily a few times when I was struggling with a large workload, I realized it.
The company on weekends is not a place to let off steam as much as on weekdays.
In some ways, it is also recharging.
But, this is assuming that there is no one else besides me.
--- pp.335∼336
Publisher's Review
"don't worry.
“We’re going to get there.”
Jang Ryu-jin's voice cheering on those on their way to work
"Let's Go to the Moon" depicts the daily lives and friendship of three coworkers at Marron Confectionery: Jeong Da-hae, Kang Eun-sang, and Kim Ji-song.
Da-hae from the Brand Room Snack Team, Eun-sang from the Management Support Office Purchasing Team, and Ji-song from the Accounting Team are all different in terms of experience and age, but they joined the company around the same time and attended orientation together, which is why they consider each other to be 'classmates.'
For them, who spend most of their days at the company except for when they sleep, a close bond develops that goes beyond just being 'company people', and they become special friends who share "happy times, sad times, funny times, angry times, exhilarating times, and shocking times" (p. 30).
They were able to become close “quickly because they implicitly thought of each other as being of the same type.” (p. 103) Their performance evaluations always fall short of “average,” they live in poor rented housing, and the stress they receive from their superiors can only be relieved with sweet desserts. They feel a sense of kinship in the fact that they are in a situation where they must take full responsibility for their own lives.
Then one day, Da-Hwa and Ji-Song sense that something has happened to Eun-Sang, who is usually not emotionally fluctuating, that makes her so happy that she can't control it. While questioning what's going on, they find out that Eun-Sang has been making a lot of money by investing in Ethereum, a type of virtual currency.
Eun-sang tries to persuade Da-ha and Ji-song to invest in Ethereum together, but Ji-song refuses outright, and Da-ha is shaken by Eun-sang's words that this is the only way left for "kids like us."
While preparing to move, Da-Hye sees a room she really likes. She decides she wants to live there with a slightly higher deposit and monthly rent, so she breaks her savings and starts investing in cryptocurrency.
Da-hae and Eun-sang, who are on the same roller coaster, experience the ups and downs of 'tteok-rak' and 'tteok-sang' together, but even in the midst of all this, Ji-song still ignores them.
Then, the three of them go on a trip to Jeju Island together during the vacation season, and while they are there, the Ethereum graph soars like crazy, and the number in Dahae's virtual wallet finally reaches 100 million won.
Da-hae and Eun-sang, who have tasted the joy of being rich, try to persuade Ji-song again, and after many twists and turns, Ji-song finally pours in all her assets and joins Ethereum, but after returning to Seoul, the graph plummets without a trace, and Eun-sang is tormented by guilt.
“You can’t even hold virtual currency in your hand.
It exists only in code.
If I can't resell this, I'll be losing all my money.
“We have to start from zero again.” (Page 89) Will they be able to make it to the ‘moon’ where the future of ‘getting rich overnight’ lies?
“No one can follow Jang Ryu-jin.”
Laughter and Tears Depicted Through the Anatomy of Customs
Author Jang Ryu-jin, who won the 2018 Changbi New Writer's Award and debut novel, "The Joy and Sorrow of Work," became a hot topic when it was released on the "Changjakgwa Bipyeong" website, causing the server to crash due to a surge in traffic. She has established a solid style with her signature realism and individual writing style, and is a writer whose perspective on Korean society is sharper than anyone else's.
Many readers are enthusiastic about Jang Ryu-jin's novels because they unfold the raw social aspects captured in such a humorous and fast-paced manner.
Literary critic Han Yeong-in said that Jang Ryu-jin “achieves outstanding realism by embodying the physiology of the body and mind of Koreans into literary customs,” and that in this “anatomy of customs,” Jang Ryu-jin “is currently pioneering a unique field” (Commentary, p. 349).
The three main characters' "impossible" situation of being unable to escape their "5-pyeong, 6-pyeong, and 9-pyeong studio apartments" (page 105) despite having successfully secured "decent" jobs, and the "adventure" of those who take risks with "virtual currency" are both heartbreaking and humorous, and readers soon find themselves rooting for the characters who are "used up to the max" (page 351) by overlapping their situations with their own real-life situations.
The image of the main characters obsessed with 'one way' to turn their lives around also reflects the image of us, who have too few options for turning our lives around.
That is why the laughter that Jang Ryu-jin brings is followed by a “cool face” (Jeong Se-rang, recommendation).
Novelist Jeong Se-rang said, “There may be many people who want to follow Jang Ryu-jin, but no one can do it.
He recommended this book, saying, “Only Jang Ryu-jin can write a novel like this.”
Readers will be convinced of this powerful recommendation as they read “Let’s Go to the Moon.”
Meanwhile, 『Let's Go to the Moon』 was first serialized through 'Switch' (Story With Changbi/switch.changbi.com), a reading experience platform launched by Changbi earlier this year.
'Switch' is a web-based platform that serializes not only novels but also various literary works such as poetry and essays and provides a space for reading groups. It is a service that combines existing literary magazines, magazines, literary clubs, and webzines.
『Let's Go to the Moon』 started pre-orders for the 'Switch Edition' for 'Switch' members on the 5th and received an explosive response.
In particular, the product combined with the subscription to the quarterly journal 『Creation and Criticism』 is gaining great popularity, satisfying the needs of readers who have been thirsty for new literature and at the same time proving the potential of the new writer Jang Ryu-jin.
“We’re going to get there.”
Jang Ryu-jin's voice cheering on those on their way to work
"Let's Go to the Moon" depicts the daily lives and friendship of three coworkers at Marron Confectionery: Jeong Da-hae, Kang Eun-sang, and Kim Ji-song.
Da-hae from the Brand Room Snack Team, Eun-sang from the Management Support Office Purchasing Team, and Ji-song from the Accounting Team are all different in terms of experience and age, but they joined the company around the same time and attended orientation together, which is why they consider each other to be 'classmates.'
For them, who spend most of their days at the company except for when they sleep, a close bond develops that goes beyond just being 'company people', and they become special friends who share "happy times, sad times, funny times, angry times, exhilarating times, and shocking times" (p. 30).
They were able to become close “quickly because they implicitly thought of each other as being of the same type.” (p. 103) Their performance evaluations always fall short of “average,” they live in poor rented housing, and the stress they receive from their superiors can only be relieved with sweet desserts. They feel a sense of kinship in the fact that they are in a situation where they must take full responsibility for their own lives.
Then one day, Da-Hwa and Ji-Song sense that something has happened to Eun-Sang, who is usually not emotionally fluctuating, that makes her so happy that she can't control it. While questioning what's going on, they find out that Eun-Sang has been making a lot of money by investing in Ethereum, a type of virtual currency.
Eun-sang tries to persuade Da-ha and Ji-song to invest in Ethereum together, but Ji-song refuses outright, and Da-ha is shaken by Eun-sang's words that this is the only way left for "kids like us."
While preparing to move, Da-Hye sees a room she really likes. She decides she wants to live there with a slightly higher deposit and monthly rent, so she breaks her savings and starts investing in cryptocurrency.
Da-hae and Eun-sang, who are on the same roller coaster, experience the ups and downs of 'tteok-rak' and 'tteok-sang' together, but even in the midst of all this, Ji-song still ignores them.
Then, the three of them go on a trip to Jeju Island together during the vacation season, and while they are there, the Ethereum graph soars like crazy, and the number in Dahae's virtual wallet finally reaches 100 million won.
Da-hae and Eun-sang, who have tasted the joy of being rich, try to persuade Ji-song again, and after many twists and turns, Ji-song finally pours in all her assets and joins Ethereum, but after returning to Seoul, the graph plummets without a trace, and Eun-sang is tormented by guilt.
“You can’t even hold virtual currency in your hand.
It exists only in code.
If I can't resell this, I'll be losing all my money.
“We have to start from zero again.” (Page 89) Will they be able to make it to the ‘moon’ where the future of ‘getting rich overnight’ lies?
“No one can follow Jang Ryu-jin.”
Laughter and Tears Depicted Through the Anatomy of Customs
Author Jang Ryu-jin, who won the 2018 Changbi New Writer's Award and debut novel, "The Joy and Sorrow of Work," became a hot topic when it was released on the "Changjakgwa Bipyeong" website, causing the server to crash due to a surge in traffic. She has established a solid style with her signature realism and individual writing style, and is a writer whose perspective on Korean society is sharper than anyone else's.
Many readers are enthusiastic about Jang Ryu-jin's novels because they unfold the raw social aspects captured in such a humorous and fast-paced manner.
Literary critic Han Yeong-in said that Jang Ryu-jin “achieves outstanding realism by embodying the physiology of the body and mind of Koreans into literary customs,” and that in this “anatomy of customs,” Jang Ryu-jin “is currently pioneering a unique field” (Commentary, p. 349).
The three main characters' "impossible" situation of being unable to escape their "5-pyeong, 6-pyeong, and 9-pyeong studio apartments" (page 105) despite having successfully secured "decent" jobs, and the "adventure" of those who take risks with "virtual currency" are both heartbreaking and humorous, and readers soon find themselves rooting for the characters who are "used up to the max" (page 351) by overlapping their situations with their own real-life situations.
The image of the main characters obsessed with 'one way' to turn their lives around also reflects the image of us, who have too few options for turning our lives around.
That is why the laughter that Jang Ryu-jin brings is followed by a “cool face” (Jeong Se-rang, recommendation).
Novelist Jeong Se-rang said, “There may be many people who want to follow Jang Ryu-jin, but no one can do it.
He recommended this book, saying, “Only Jang Ryu-jin can write a novel like this.”
Readers will be convinced of this powerful recommendation as they read “Let’s Go to the Moon.”
Meanwhile, 『Let's Go to the Moon』 was first serialized through 'Switch' (Story With Changbi/switch.changbi.com), a reading experience platform launched by Changbi earlier this year.
'Switch' is a web-based platform that serializes not only novels but also various literary works such as poetry and essays and provides a space for reading groups. It is a service that combines existing literary magazines, magazines, literary clubs, and webzines.
『Let's Go to the Moon』 started pre-orders for the 'Switch Edition' for 'Switch' members on the 5th and received an explosive response.
In particular, the product combined with the subscription to the quarterly journal 『Creation and Criticism』 is gaining great popularity, satisfying the needs of readers who have been thirsty for new literature and at the same time proving the potential of the new writer Jang Ryu-jin.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Publication date: April 15, 2021
- Page count, weight, size: 364 pages | 400g | 128*188*23mm
- ISBN13: 9788936434496
- ISBN10: 8936434497
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