Description

An acclaimed story collection from the author of the Shirley Jackson Award-winning novel The Hole

*Booklist Starred Review*

Six elephants bolt from an amusement park and vanish; where they’re found brings back memories of a forgotten dictator. A car ride on a foggy highway at night becomes a drive through hell for a young couple getting away for the weekend together. A family lives the dream of moving from the city to a brand-new bedroom town in the country, only to be plagued by debt and fears of eviction, while the sound of incessant barking rings from the kennels nearby. In a city built on the site of ancient tombs, a homeowner’s renovation of a broken wall leads to an outcome no one expected. Older workers hired to play characters from a folk tale and wear smiles no one believes. An accountant asked to cook the books for his boss. A would-be writer disappointed in her students and her choices.

These are some of the premises and characters in Hye-young Pyun’s To the Kennels, winner of one of Korea’s most prestigious literary awards. Infused with psychological acuity, understated suspense, a touch of the uncanny, and her Kafkaesque take on the contemporary world, To the Kennels offers a thrilling, unsettling ride through territory that is both familiar and strange. As Un-su Kim, author of The Plotters has observed, she “reveals to us the cellular division of emotions we’ve never seen before.”

Publisher Review

PRAISE FOR HYE-YOUNG PYUN AND HER WORK: To the Kennels "Pyun turns the subtle anxiety hidden in the daily lives of ordinary people into an eerie but fascinating nightmare. Dark, poisonous stories make you doubt what you know about yourself and the world. . . . Spellbinding collection filled with sharp-edged observations, skillful narration, and deep insights." -JM Lee, international bestselling author of Broken Summer and The Investigation "People in pairs, families, and offices might share spaces, but they remain notably detached in Pyun's exquisitely intricate, occasionally surreal stories. The word 'alone' appears more than a dozen times, underscoring a sense of disconnected isolation. A couple's weekend away quickly turns antagonistic without their ever reaching the sought-after destination. A contentious couple attempts to staunch their home's pest-infested decay with illicit renovations by night, leading to fatal results. An office worker is pressured by a superior to take on a dubious extra project, only to lose his bag containing the desperately sourced results. A city-to-village, relocated family faces eviction in the title story. Six elephants desert their humans and run for the mountains, and a Siberian wolf escapes in 'Birth of the Zoo,' setting off a frenzy of urban hunters. 'Commemoration' features a delivery man who longs for a sustained conversation with the woman to whom he's been bringing packages for years. Pyun suggests a glimmer of hope in a tale about three strangers living in the same apartment building who randomly fall into a weekly poker night. Lauded Kim-Russell and author-academic Fenkl (both, interestingly, biracial Korean Americans) each translates four stories. Despite the mostly Korean settings, Pyun resonantly captures the universal, ubiquitous malaise of aloneness." -Terry Hong, Booklist, Starred Review "I doubt many people would actually want to go 'to the kennels.' But enticed by the sound of Pyun's siren-like prose, readers will find themselves helplessly peering into this fearful and strange space created by the author. Only then will they realize the safety of the world where they resided before opening the book. To the Kennels showcases Pyun's unique aesthetic as a writer, known to be ruthless and denuded of sweetness or mercy. And what a marvel-that this bare, raw world also vividly captures the resilience of those who persevere despite all and move towards tomorrow. I invite everyone to enter this incredible, truthful world of fiction. There you'll stumble into the kennels. There you'll learn all the wonders of what it means to be alive. Pyun's name might as well have become a literary term in itself." -Kyung-ran Jo, international winner of Yisang Prize this year author of Blowfish and Tongue "It's impossible to put down To the Kennels. So unique to Pyun, these stories are frightening, intriguing, and chilling to the bone all at the same time, and you won't get the likes of them from anyone else in the world. And I promise you, these penetrating stories will broaden the horizon of your world." -Kyung-sook Shin, author of Please Look After Mom and Violets The Owl Cries "Hye-Young Pyun's stunning psychological thrillers delve deep into the horrors of being human and the oppressive mechanics of modern society, and The Owl Cries demonstrates a writer at the top of her game."-CrimeReads, "Best International Crime Novels of 2023" "Intense . . . fast-paced and all-consuming . . . A novel of secrets, isolation, and pain, The Owl Cries is another tightly executed feat of writing."-Book Riot "Adventurous mystery fans should check this out."-Publishers Weekly The Hole Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award "A Korean take on Misery." -Time, "Top 10 Thrillers to Read This Summer" "[A] taut psychological thriller. . . . The Hole is an unshakable novel about the unfathomable depths of human need." -Shelf Awareness City of Ash and Red An NPR Great Read, a Barnes & Noble Best Horror Book of 2018, a CrimeReads Ten Best International Crime Fiction Selection "City of Ash and Red will pull you into its nightmare." NPR "Kafkaesque . . . Those with a taste for creepy suspense will be rewarded." Publishers Weekly "Another gruesome masterpiece." Crime Reads The Law of Lines A CrimeReads Best International Crime Novel of 2020 "[A] simmering thriller."-The New York Times Book Review "[A] compelling existential thriller."-Wall Street Journal "Pure, hard-scrabble noir . . . Harrowing and elegiac."-LitHub