The joys and sorrows of work
 |
Description
Book Introduction
Joy and sorrow sparkle, the emergence of such a refreshing story The big newcomer our literature has been waiting for! A name everyone will remember. After debuting in 2018 with the Changbi New Writer's Award, author Jang Ryu-jin, who caused a sensation by instantly garnering the attention of numerous readers and the literary world, has published her first collection of short stories, "The Joy and Sorrow of Work." Jang Ryu-jin's debut work, "The Joy and Sorrow of Work," was released on the website of "Creation and Criticism" and immediately spread rapidly through word of mouth via social media. The number of visitors was so high that the server crashed and the cumulative number of views reached 400,000, garnering an explosive response. The author's breathless pace, which continued with each work he published since then, presented outstanding fun and individuality, and culminated in the rare achievement of publishing a collection of short stories exactly one year after his debut. Novelist Jeong I-hyeon praised this book, saying, “If you were to create a time capsule explaining today’s Korean society, this is a book you would have to include” (recommendation). The eight novels included here mainly deal with the stories of young office workers in their twenties and thirties. The fact that the details of each person's work life, filled with their joys and sorrows, are depicted with great realism has already been proven by the enthusiastic response from 'current' readers to the title work, and the author goes a step further, meticulously depicting the pain of young people struggling with the weight of everyday life, while at the same time beautifully capturing the precious moments of our lives that shine despite all that. This book is filled with stories of us shedding tears but not sinking into silence, struggling but persevering with our own wisdom, and somehow knowing how to create joyful moments in life. This remarkable new work, which stands out in many ways, including its humor, individuality, and timeliness, will surely become a significant point of interest for our novels as we approach a new decade. |
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
I'll live well / The joys and sorrows of work / My Fukuoka guide / Somewhat low / A helping hand / The 100th resume and the first commute / Early morning visitors / Tampere Airport
Commentary (Inayoung) / Author's Note / Announcement of the included works
Commentary (Inayoung) / Author's Note / Announcement of the included works
Into the book
I looked at the bowl in front of my sister.
The shrimp tempura was so thick that you couldn't see the rice underneath.
One, two, three… … There were six in sight.
My sister laughed out loud and even clapped her hands so loudly that it made a clap-clap sound.
“This is the first time I’ve seen so many shrimps given out.
“It’s so nice here, isn’t it?”
I felt a little puzzled.
“It’s because my sister ordered the special shrimp bowl.”
"huh?"
--- p.11
“Do people like points that much?”
“Don’t you all like it?”
“Yes, that’s right.
So I answered confidently again.
“Yes, I like it! Do you know what he said?”
"well."
"If it's that good, then for the next year, Vice President Lee will receive his salary in points." (The Joys and Sorrows of Work, p. 50)
Whenever I talk to Jiyu, the breath of her words and my breathing blend together well, creating a unique rhythm.
We played cards, taking turns being polite and informal, cheerful and witty, affectionate and mischievous.
She laughed a lot and teased a lot too.
He was strong in both offense and defense.
There really wasn't a moment to be bored.
--- p.75
“I put in ten thousand won more today.”
Only then did color return to her face.
“Oh my, thank you.”
The woman nodded, accepting the envelope with both hands.
From then on, as soon as she opened the door to our house and came in, she started asking questions like this without even taking off her shoes.
“How about cleaning the window sill today?”
As if nothing had happened, he spoke in a voice that couldn't hide the excitement he was holding back.
The shrimp tempura was so thick that you couldn't see the rice underneath.
One, two, three… … There were six in sight.
My sister laughed out loud and even clapped her hands so loudly that it made a clap-clap sound.
“This is the first time I’ve seen so many shrimps given out.
“It’s so nice here, isn’t it?”
I felt a little puzzled.
“It’s because my sister ordered the special shrimp bowl.”
"huh?"
--- p.11
“Do people like points that much?”
“Don’t you all like it?”
“Yes, that’s right.
So I answered confidently again.
“Yes, I like it! Do you know what he said?”
"well."
"If it's that good, then for the next year, Vice President Lee will receive his salary in points." (The Joys and Sorrows of Work, p. 50)
Whenever I talk to Jiyu, the breath of her words and my breathing blend together well, creating a unique rhythm.
We played cards, taking turns being polite and informal, cheerful and witty, affectionate and mischievous.
She laughed a lot and teased a lot too.
He was strong in both offense and defense.
There really wasn't a moment to be bored.
--- p.75
“I put in ten thousand won more today.”
Only then did color return to her face.
“Oh my, thank you.”
The woman nodded, accepting the envelope with both hands.
From then on, as soon as she opened the door to our house and came in, she started asking questions like this without even taking off her shoes.
“How about cleaning the window sill today?”
As if nothing had happened, he spoke in a voice that couldn't hide the excitement he was holding back.
--- p.146
Publisher's Review
“Until then, will my sister and I be able to stay at the company until then?”
A story unfolding freely, with a surprising variety of charms.
The narrator of the title piece, “The Joys and Sorrows of Work,” is “virtually the youngest” working at an IT company in Pangyo.
I, who was trying to find out the identity of 'Turtle Egg', who was spamming posts on the company's used goods trading app, met her and heard her incredible story.
Turtle Egg, who was part of the performance planning team at a credit card company, arranged a concert in Korea for a famous musician and was promised a special promotion, but was unable to be the first to post news of the concert on his personal SNS, and due to Chairman Torajin's tantrum, he ended up receiving his salary in the form of card points.
This novel is a simple yet impressive one, depicting the courageous figure of a turtle egg who, despite humiliation and despair, cleverly uses the capitalist system to make a good living, and of 'I' who regains his energy by booking a ticket to a Cho Sung-jin recital and a flight to Hong Kong despite the pressures of work and interpersonal relationships.
The characters who seem to embody the vitality and confidence of the millennial generation, who never lose their share of freedom and happiness even under the pressure of external forces, create the theme and atmosphere that encompasses the entire collection of novels, making it a masterpiece of Jang Ryu-jin's novels that will remain in the memories of many people.
In "I Will Live Well," three days before her wedding, she receives a call from her coworker, Bitna, whom she has not spoken to for three years, and makes an appointment to send a wedding invitation.
As it turns out, Bitna, who had contacted me because she needed information about her own wedding preparations, did not come to my wedding or give me any congratulatory money.
As I grow more and more frustrated with Bitna, who is always oblivious to everything, I find myself thinking, "If it were me, I wouldn't do that." However, when I discover that she has also been working hard in her position, I begin to root for her well.
This is a masterpiece that portrays the unique character of Sister Bitna in an interesting way, while also convincingly portraying the process through which the protagonist experiences a change of heart while watching her.
The atmosphere of "Visitors at Dawn" is different from the two works.
The protagonist has a dirty job filtering pornographic advertisements online all day long.
Her cramped, dirty one-room officetel is the only place where she can feel safe, but one day, every morning, men she has never seen before come to the place, mistaking it for a red-light district.
After watching the vulgar sight of men ringing the doorbell through the video phone, she suspects that it is an actual prostitution scene and goes to a studio apartment in the building next door, where she encounters an ordinary woman who is just as anxious as she is.
This is one of those works that demonstrates considerable skill in both storytelling and thematic awareness.
The speaker of "Helping Hands" hires a housekeeper, despite her embarrassment, to better manage the house she worked so hard to build.
The woman, who acts like an expert but cannot hide her servility in front of tips, becomes increasingly lazy at work and torments the speaker in various ways.
This novel stands out for its strange suspense that is formed from the unique relationship between the narrator and the woman, who are both workers but contrast each other in many aspects, such as employment relationship, class, generation, and religion.
"Tampere Airport" is the story of a young man who has long dreamed of becoming a documentary producer, but failed due to his mediocre qualifications.
On the way to Dublin for a working holiday, the protagonist has a brief but wonderful encounter with a Finnish man who is about 100 years old at Tampere Airport in Finland, where he makes a brief stopover.
The joy of receiving a letter from him was fleeting, but as a job seeker, I was so busy and anxious that I had no time to reply. The old man's letter soon became a burden that made me feel the uncertainty of my future even more harshly.
This is a work that makes you sympathize with the protagonist who struggles to give up his dream, and then is moved by the beautiful scene where he is finally granted permission.
Meanwhile, the two novels featuring male protagonists also have outstanding individuality.
Jang Woo, the protagonist of "Somewhat Low," is an unknown musician who is known by no one except his long-time girlfriend.
He stands on the verge of becoming a star when a song he made as a joke about his old refrigerator becomes a huge hit on YouTube, but his old-fashioned knowledge of music and naivety inability to read the times send him back to square one.
Jang-woo's story and the Hongdae indie scene unfold in an interesting way like a black comedy, along with the changing number of YouTube views.
Ji-hoon of "My Fukuoka Guide" suddenly goes on a trip to Japan to meet Ji-yu, with whom he once had a romantic relationship, where she lives alone after her husband passed away.
Ji-hoon, who has developed special feelings for Ji-yu after a long time, tries to use all his dating experience to appeal to her charm in order to win her heart.
This novel, which unfolds with an unexpected twist right before the decisive moment, captures attention with its great appeal and humor.
This captivating power and humor, one of the great charms of Jang Ryu-jin's novels, is fully displayed in the short story "The 100th Resume and the First Day at Work," which vividly depicts the time spent worrying about "underarm sweat" and iced Americano on the first day of work at the job she barely managed to secure.
“It might be a little pricey, but it’s payday so it’s okay.”
A bold life without being crushed: A story we need today.
Jang Ryu-jin's novels feature many characters who "embody the system with a unique sense of survival, bend it flexibly, and move forward as quickly and accurately as possible" (In A-young, commentary).
In this way, the author is depicting in a colorful way the cross-sections of this society that he has discovered with his astute perspective.
It is an extremely fun and lovely novel.
While affirming and supporting our current state.
There are continuous reports that the number of readers of Korean literature has decreased significantly.
In such an atmosphere, the appearance of a new star who is worthy of the title of a big rookie is all the more welcome.
Expectations for the paragraph are also high.
Many senior writers have read “The Joys and Sorrows of Work” and have been happy to send me recommendations.
“Between joy and sorrow, the author nimbly and delicately captures the moments when the unnamed hearts of the various resolves collide with the hard surface of the world and subtly sway.
“If you were to create a time capsule to explain today’s Korean society, this is a book you couldn’t leave out.” (Jeong I-hyeon)
“Interesting poetic motifs, details of modern life, excellent readability, and a keen social sensibility.
“Jang Ryu-jin’s novels have almost everything that readers of our time ask for in a novel.” (Lee Jang-wook)
“I first heard about Jang Ryu-jin through rumors, and the readers’ enthusiasm was amazing.
After reading it, I was surprised at how accurate it was.
“The story captured by Jang Ryu-jin is the story of our times.” (Pyeon Hye-young)
"Jang Ryu-jin is a writer who understands the anxieties of the 'corporate people' of the neoliberal era, who develop new things every day and are ultimately exploited by what they have developed." (Kang Young-sook)
“Jang Ryu-jin is a writer who knows how to capture this moment with the warmth of reality, without any excess or deficiency.
As I turned the last page of the novel, I realized that a cool, sweet trace had been etched into my heart.
“It’s rare to find a novel that makes such a thing possible.” (Park Sang-young)
Although he is an author who has already made a name for himself in the minds of many, his real work has now begun.
I sincerely hope that the author who brought joy to our literature will bring joy to many more people.
The novel we need now has arrived.
(*)
A story unfolding freely, with a surprising variety of charms.
The narrator of the title piece, “The Joys and Sorrows of Work,” is “virtually the youngest” working at an IT company in Pangyo.
I, who was trying to find out the identity of 'Turtle Egg', who was spamming posts on the company's used goods trading app, met her and heard her incredible story.
Turtle Egg, who was part of the performance planning team at a credit card company, arranged a concert in Korea for a famous musician and was promised a special promotion, but was unable to be the first to post news of the concert on his personal SNS, and due to Chairman Torajin's tantrum, he ended up receiving his salary in the form of card points.
This novel is a simple yet impressive one, depicting the courageous figure of a turtle egg who, despite humiliation and despair, cleverly uses the capitalist system to make a good living, and of 'I' who regains his energy by booking a ticket to a Cho Sung-jin recital and a flight to Hong Kong despite the pressures of work and interpersonal relationships.
The characters who seem to embody the vitality and confidence of the millennial generation, who never lose their share of freedom and happiness even under the pressure of external forces, create the theme and atmosphere that encompasses the entire collection of novels, making it a masterpiece of Jang Ryu-jin's novels that will remain in the memories of many people.
In "I Will Live Well," three days before her wedding, she receives a call from her coworker, Bitna, whom she has not spoken to for three years, and makes an appointment to send a wedding invitation.
As it turns out, Bitna, who had contacted me because she needed information about her own wedding preparations, did not come to my wedding or give me any congratulatory money.
As I grow more and more frustrated with Bitna, who is always oblivious to everything, I find myself thinking, "If it were me, I wouldn't do that." However, when I discover that she has also been working hard in her position, I begin to root for her well.
This is a masterpiece that portrays the unique character of Sister Bitna in an interesting way, while also convincingly portraying the process through which the protagonist experiences a change of heart while watching her.
The atmosphere of "Visitors at Dawn" is different from the two works.
The protagonist has a dirty job filtering pornographic advertisements online all day long.
Her cramped, dirty one-room officetel is the only place where she can feel safe, but one day, every morning, men she has never seen before come to the place, mistaking it for a red-light district.
After watching the vulgar sight of men ringing the doorbell through the video phone, she suspects that it is an actual prostitution scene and goes to a studio apartment in the building next door, where she encounters an ordinary woman who is just as anxious as she is.
This is one of those works that demonstrates considerable skill in both storytelling and thematic awareness.
The speaker of "Helping Hands" hires a housekeeper, despite her embarrassment, to better manage the house she worked so hard to build.
The woman, who acts like an expert but cannot hide her servility in front of tips, becomes increasingly lazy at work and torments the speaker in various ways.
This novel stands out for its strange suspense that is formed from the unique relationship between the narrator and the woman, who are both workers but contrast each other in many aspects, such as employment relationship, class, generation, and religion.
"Tampere Airport" is the story of a young man who has long dreamed of becoming a documentary producer, but failed due to his mediocre qualifications.
On the way to Dublin for a working holiday, the protagonist has a brief but wonderful encounter with a Finnish man who is about 100 years old at Tampere Airport in Finland, where he makes a brief stopover.
The joy of receiving a letter from him was fleeting, but as a job seeker, I was so busy and anxious that I had no time to reply. The old man's letter soon became a burden that made me feel the uncertainty of my future even more harshly.
This is a work that makes you sympathize with the protagonist who struggles to give up his dream, and then is moved by the beautiful scene where he is finally granted permission.
Meanwhile, the two novels featuring male protagonists also have outstanding individuality.
Jang Woo, the protagonist of "Somewhat Low," is an unknown musician who is known by no one except his long-time girlfriend.
He stands on the verge of becoming a star when a song he made as a joke about his old refrigerator becomes a huge hit on YouTube, but his old-fashioned knowledge of music and naivety inability to read the times send him back to square one.
Jang-woo's story and the Hongdae indie scene unfold in an interesting way like a black comedy, along with the changing number of YouTube views.
Ji-hoon of "My Fukuoka Guide" suddenly goes on a trip to Japan to meet Ji-yu, with whom he once had a romantic relationship, where she lives alone after her husband passed away.
Ji-hoon, who has developed special feelings for Ji-yu after a long time, tries to use all his dating experience to appeal to her charm in order to win her heart.
This novel, which unfolds with an unexpected twist right before the decisive moment, captures attention with its great appeal and humor.
This captivating power and humor, one of the great charms of Jang Ryu-jin's novels, is fully displayed in the short story "The 100th Resume and the First Day at Work," which vividly depicts the time spent worrying about "underarm sweat" and iced Americano on the first day of work at the job she barely managed to secure.
“It might be a little pricey, but it’s payday so it’s okay.”
A bold life without being crushed: A story we need today.
Jang Ryu-jin's novels feature many characters who "embody the system with a unique sense of survival, bend it flexibly, and move forward as quickly and accurately as possible" (In A-young, commentary).
In this way, the author is depicting in a colorful way the cross-sections of this society that he has discovered with his astute perspective.
It is an extremely fun and lovely novel.
While affirming and supporting our current state.
There are continuous reports that the number of readers of Korean literature has decreased significantly.
In such an atmosphere, the appearance of a new star who is worthy of the title of a big rookie is all the more welcome.
Expectations for the paragraph are also high.
Many senior writers have read “The Joys and Sorrows of Work” and have been happy to send me recommendations.
“Between joy and sorrow, the author nimbly and delicately captures the moments when the unnamed hearts of the various resolves collide with the hard surface of the world and subtly sway.
“If you were to create a time capsule to explain today’s Korean society, this is a book you couldn’t leave out.” (Jeong I-hyeon)
“Interesting poetic motifs, details of modern life, excellent readability, and a keen social sensibility.
“Jang Ryu-jin’s novels have almost everything that readers of our time ask for in a novel.” (Lee Jang-wook)
“I first heard about Jang Ryu-jin through rumors, and the readers’ enthusiasm was amazing.
After reading it, I was surprised at how accurate it was.
“The story captured by Jang Ryu-jin is the story of our times.” (Pyeon Hye-young)
"Jang Ryu-jin is a writer who understands the anxieties of the 'corporate people' of the neoliberal era, who develop new things every day and are ultimately exploited by what they have developed." (Kang Young-sook)
“Jang Ryu-jin is a writer who knows how to capture this moment with the warmth of reality, without any excess or deficiency.
As I turned the last page of the novel, I realized that a cool, sweet trace had been etched into my heart.
“It’s rare to find a novel that makes such a thing possible.” (Park Sang-young)
Although he is an author who has already made a name for himself in the minds of many, his real work has now begun.
I sincerely hope that the author who brought joy to our literature will bring joy to many more people.
The novel we need now has arrived.
(*)
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of publication: October 25, 2019
- Format: Paperback book binding method guide
- Pages, weight, size: 236 pages | 338g | 145*210*20mm
- ISBN13: 9788936438036
- ISBN10: 8936438034
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카테고리
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