The Plotters

(Paperback)

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Description

A darkly funny noir thriller and a fascinating moral tale about power and corruption in Korean society, filled with betrayals, power struggles and effortlessly smooth assassinations The important thing is not who pulls the trigger but who's behind the person who pulls the trigger - the plotters, the masterminds working in the shadows. Raised by Old Raccoon in The Library of Dogs, Reseng has always been surrounded by plots to kill - and by books that no one ever reads. In Seoul's corrupt underworld, he was destined to be an assassin. Until he breaks the rules. That's when he meets a trio of young women - a convenience store worker, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed obsessive knitter - with an extraordinary plot of their own. Will the women save the day Or will Reseng be next on the kill list Who will look after his cats, Reading Lamp and Book Stand Who planted the bomb in his toilet How much beer can he drink before he forgets it all The Plotters is a cracking noir thriller combined with the soul, wit and lyricism of a highly original literary voice.

Reviews

Demands to be read for its incredible cast of charactersa first-rate thriller. * Le Monde *
A rich, funny, cynical Korean noirA delicious surprise. * La Croix *
Like a veteran killerquickly, coolly, and without hesitation, Un-su Kim commands sentences and stories that stab the reader between the ribs. Weve been waiting for this storyteller and his story. * Park Min-gyu, novelist *
Awe is my reaction to The Plotters. The novel thrills me like a wolf feels when it has smelled blood.' -- Kwon Yeo-seon
'Now this is a story with power and style. The one-two punches of humor are a nice bonusYoull be laughing out loud every five minutesyoull find yourself contemplating the meaning of life, death, and desire for a long, long time. Make sure you leave your evening free, because you wont be able to put this book down once you start. -- You-jeong Jeong, author of the bestselling thriller The Good Son
'A book of revelations for murder both violent yet graceful, dark yet poetic. With sharp humour and sparkling prose, Un-su Kim stylishly spins the tale of the extraordinary life of an ordinary assassin.' -- Jungmyung Lee [J.M. Lee], author of The Investigation
More than a crime novel, more than violence and mystery, The Plotters promises both temptation and beauty. -- Eka Kurniawan
The Plottersis what would happen if you took the best South Korean crime cinema and distilled it into words. A smart but lightning fast thriller that keeps the pressure on to the very last page. * Brian Evenson, author ofLast DaysandA Collapse of Horses *
Imagine a mash-up of Tarantino and Camus set in contemporary Seoul, and you haveThe Plotters. Filled with unexpected humour and exquisite fight scenes. * Louisa Luna, author ofTwo Girls Down *
The Plotters by Un-su Kim is a work of literary genius; a quirky, compelling, intelligent, darkly funny, highly original and thought-provoking thriller like nothing I've read. Gorgeous prose elevates the basest of characters and answers the question: How can ours be a life well-lived if we only do as were told I loved this book! * Karen Dionne, author ofThe Marsh Kings Daughter *
The Plotters tells the story of Renseng, a jaded assassin who startles himself by realisingsomewhat belatedlythat he has a moral code, a sense of honour, a soul. All of these will prove to be perilous liabilities in his world. Un-Su Kim is a tremendous writer, and hes crafted a smart, stylish, and surprisingly moving thriller. * Scott Smith, author ofA Simple PlanandThe Ruins *
A novel to keep readers on their toes. * Booklover Book Reviews *
It is a harder-than-hard-boiled kooky blast of a book. It is wildly funny and surreal. * NZ Listener *
Laugh-out-loud funny. * Radio NZ *
The Plotters is a constantly surprising book full [of] fascinating stories and unforgettable charactersA savage, beautifully observed, often poetic novel. * AustCrime *
Rich and amusing, with sparkling prosea cracking noir thriller with soul, wit and intelligence. * West Weekend *
A dark, witty, complex and moral tale in a style that is bound to fascinate. * Otago Daily Times *
The kind of genre fiction Quentin Tarantino might be inspired by. * Age *
Dark wit and searing sarcasm in an irresistible sociopolitical parable designed to delight and dismay. * Booklist (Starred Review) *
Engaging reading to the bitter end. * Complete Review *
The Plotters is no primer for a visit to Korea. What it does offer is a vivid portrait of a mesmerising central characterthe stoic Reseng. It will also keep readers delightfully off-balanceKim has mixed bookishness, crackpots and commissioned murder into a rich and unsettling blend. * Washington Post *
'Pleasingly deadpan, The Plotters manages to be both humorous (Resengs cats are called, delightfully, Desk and Lampshade) and violent, and sometimes even wise...in a translation from Sora Kim-Russell that is both seamless and intriguingly provoking. * Guardian *
[A] raucous extravaganza of assassins and lunatics by the lauded Korean writer Un-Su Kim...Kim is a good writer, soulful and observant. * New York Times *
'A seductive, Tarantino-like blend of fight scenes and bizarre social comedy. Sora Kim-Russells translation is fluent and hiccup-free.' * Sunday Times *
Tightly plotted, elegantly crafted, and as noir as it gets * CrimeReads *

Author Bio

Un-su Kim was born in 1972 in Busan and is the author of several highly praised novels. He has won the Munhakdongne Novel Prize, Korea's most prestigious literary prize, and was nominated for the 2016 Grand Prix de la Litteraire Polici re. He lives in Jinhae-gu, South Korea. Sora Kim-Russell is a Korean-American living in Seoul, where she teaches translation. She has translated works by Hwang Sok-yong, Jeon Sungtae, Pyun Hye-young and Shin Kyung-sook, among others.