He is always confused. . show more. Though the world she describes is a fictional one, the story of the extinction and denial of a weak man who must persevere within that world feels all too real. While he's a sympathetic character, he's also guilty of many terrible things himself, as are revealed in his internal reflections and memories. . The man knows no one, has limited language skills, does not seem to have been expected by his home office and soon finds himself homeless. In a future time, a highly contagious disease in an unnamed country called C has completely upended the social order. Pyun builds an airtight masterpiece of agony and mystery with her masterfully crafted sentences, and she colors it with the ash-gray of ruin and the fiery red of life.”―Korea Economic Daily being the same as everyone else meant not having to think about your own existence. skip the Kafka and Ballard comparisons for this one, not because i hate the idea of comparing authors based on simple plot devices (which i do), but because this book is rather average, and Kafka didn't do average (haven't read any Ballard, so can't say anything about his output)... i like Pyun's writing style, it fits the story he is tying to tell, but there isn't much of a story, to be honest... not all that dystopian or bureaucratically circular either, just a few hints of both, sort of... i. skip the Kafka and Ballard comparisons for this one, not because i hate the idea of comparing authors based on simple plot devices (which i do), but because this book is rather average, and Kafka didn't do average (haven't read any Ballard, so can't say anything about his output)... i like Pyun's writing style, it fits the story he is tying to tell, but there isn't much of a story, to be honest... not all that dystopian or bureaucratically circular either, just a few hints of both, sort of... i found the tale more realistic and current and timely... the mystery had its moments of "where is this going?!? If you enjoy reading a book that centers around a nasty person living in a sewer in a foreign country where he has trouble communicating while trying to survive a epidemic that has caused the city to be a huge garbage dump, and the killing of rats is pretty much all that transpires, well, then, this book is for you. . I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. The hits keep coming.”―A Bookish Type “Pyun’s narration creates a wonderful sense of desperation in her central character, sending him scrambling towards any attempt at salvation even as his life falls to pieces . “City of Ash and Red is a tale of survival and ruin that leaves no room for even a single drop of comfort to seep in. The suggested level for this dungeon is between 28-31. He is consistently terrified. . . I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. . But what can we do? Pyun builds an airtight masterpiece of agony and mystery with her masterfully crafted sentences, and she colors it with the ash-gray of ruin and … A nameless male protagonist whose work centers around killing pests is sent to work in a similarly unnamed city far from home, where society has crumbled and the city is filled with trash and pestilence. Publisher: Arcade (March 17, 2020) The unnamed protagonist, referred to only as “the man”, is sent for management training to the home office of his extermination company, based in his skill at killing rats. Buy the eBook. City of Ash and Red by Hye-Young Pyun available in Trade Paperback on Powells.com, also read synopsis and reviews. The unnamed narrator, a foreign rat catcher, believes he has been given a promotion when he moves to Country C for an assignment. A faintly-drawn corporate stooge goes to work as a rat killer in a foreign country, finds himself embroiled in a Kafkaesque nightmare of moral and environmental collapse. Distinguished for his talents as a rat killer, the nameless protagonist of Hye-young Pyun's City of Ash and Red is sent by the extermination company he works for on an extended assignment in C, a country descending into chaos and paranoia, swept by a contagious disease, and flooded with trash. In a way I think that the blurb gives away too much and it might be better to read it after you have read the book. Dystopian? AN NPR 2018 GREAT READ A BARNES & NOBLE BEST HORROR BOOK OF 2018 A CRIMEREADS SELECTION AS ONE OF THE TEN BEST IN INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION OF 2018 “City of Ash and Red will pull you into its nightmare. In an interview the author said she was influenced by Kafka, and more influenced by other Korean writers. From the bestselling author of The Hole, City of Ash and Red is an apocalyptic account of the destructive impact of fear and paranoia on people's lives as well as a haunting novel about a man’s loss of himself and his humanity. . It’s also not easily classified: Horror? Rats, mountains of garbage, and infection have ravaged the streets. . . Get this from a library! Its hard to get a grasp on the whole story though; its dark throughout, and whatever redemption the reader might find is lost in - both literally and figuratively - the fog of disaster happening as the book progress. . Whether you want to believe this is a grim look at the human condition or an exciting bit of weird fiction, it's worth a read.”―NPR “Hye-Young Pyun creates a dark allegory of humankind in this apocalyptic novel. City of Ash & Red is the first translated book I’ve read this year and had me all over the spectrum emotionally, mostly in the anxious and disturbed realm. . "―Crime Reads, "Daily Thrill" “A daring post-apocalyptic novel from a powerful rising literary voice. Refresh and try again. And, for reasons that are unimportant, I have an interest in Korean literature. He was a pretty bad person but somehow his journey made you forget that and root for him (at least I did). . And for those unfamiliar with the Kafkaesque, know that if you feel a familiar tug at your heart when you read of a man lost and frightened, even as an adult, wondering how his life became what it is, and why he cannot find help where he expects it to be, know that you will find company in this story and with its readers.”―Books and Bao "Another gruesome masterpiece. . Your price $16.99 USD. November 6th 2018 'City Of Ash And Red' Will Pull You Into Its Nightmare Hye-young Pyun's new novel, about an exterminator on a work trip to a nameless dystopian country, has … No sooner does he disembark than he is whisked away by quarantine officials and detained overnight. Ballard took on a whole neighborhood instead of just one luxury apartment building. 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