Saha - Cho Nam-Joo

AUTHOR: Cho Nam-Joo

TRANSLATOR: Jamie Chang

GENRE: Literary Fiction, Korean, Dystopian.

RATING: 3 stars.

In a Nutshell: A character-oriented dystopian story set on a fictional estate named Saha. This is like a montage of disconnected stories that have a partial bearing on each other. The book is not for everyone. Do not compare it with “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982” – it won’t match up.

Story Synopsis:

A dystopian town known only as ‘Town’ - erstwhile a fishing village but now purchased and run by a capitalist corporation. Town takes care of its assets – the top class citizens (those with qualifications and wealth) with the L status. The second tier citizens, the L2s, function based on residence permits that they need to renew every two years, depending on their working status. And then there are those without any permit, the residents who survive via contractual work, those who have no access to insurance or security. The residents of the illegal Saha housing complex fall in this third category. Through the experiences of some of the Saha residents: siblings Do-Kyung and Jin-Kyung, gentle giant Woomi, one-eyed Sara, the old custodian, and many other such characters, we see life under the totalitarian regime.

“Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982” is one of my absolute favourite books. All these years, it had been the only novel of Cho Nam-Joo to be translated into English. So when I saw that there was finally going to be a second work of hers translated, I grabbed the opportunity to read it. But the premises of the two novels are very different, and as a result, so are my experiences.

The brilliance of the author is visible even this time. Through a complicated series of events that are mostly disconnected but do have a partial bearing on at least one other situation, the author unveils the repercussions of an extremely stifled life under an authoritarian corporation. She creates the atmosphere on the island in such a way that we too begin feeling the hopelessness of their lives. But the citizens of Saha don’t complain because they are accustomed to their situation and know no other option. Their resignation, however, doesn’t mean blind acceptance of every dictate of the state-corporation, but how far can little rebellions go?

As a literary fiction, this novel is slow-paced and greatly character-oriented. Moreover, each of the main characters has a storyline built around them. As such, rather than functioning like one smooth novel, the book is almost like an anthology, making us feel as if we are peeking through each window of the Saha housing complex, and uncovering the backstory of the central characters in that house. The resultant montage is striking, but it is also tricky to grasp. The back-and-forth in the timelines and the house numbers add to the complexity.

With the background of the state-corporation clearly provided towards the start, I had assumed that this would be a resounding slap on the face of extreme capitalism, just as Kim Jiyoung was on the face of patriarchy. However, the execution feels somewhat amoebic this time – simplistic, shapeless, and sedate. There is no direct vitriol against capitalistic behaviour but just a sense of resignation. The oomph is missing. The ending offers the biggest disappointment as it comes out of nowhere and finishes almost before we realise what’s happening! I was perched comfortably on the 3.5 stars position until the ending made me slide two levels down.

A part of me wonders if a poor translation might have impaired my reading experience. Both of Cho Nam-Joo’s novels have been translated to English by Jamie Chung. I had had no issues in the language of Kim Jiyoung but a few of my friends hadn’t been happy with the dry writing style. I have no idea if the author’s writing itself is such or if the translation makes it appear drab.

To those who have read both books, a comparison with Kim Jiyoung is inevitable, given that Kim Jiyoung was almost a trailblazer. But it’s better you not attempt a comparison because there’s no way Saha will rate better. Kim Jiyoung offered a very personal connect to its readers, especially to women readers. While a part of the dystopian premise of Saha is already present in our world, most of it seems distant and disconnected from us. This results in a comparatively lacklustre impact.

I will still read any future translation of Cho Nam-Joo’s other works, because I find her a thinking writer. She doesn’t stop at writing ordinary stories on important themes but also subverts their impact by her unexpected plot choices at the end. Her character detailing is impeccable, and the sense of doom she can incorporate through a deceptively subtle approach is beyond compare.

Saha was mostly a 3.5 star experience for me, but the ending left me very disappointed. Hence, I round my rating down to 3 stars. If I had read it without having experienced the brilliance of Kim Jiyoung, I might have enjoyed it better.

My thanks to Liveright, W. W. Norton, and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Saha”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.