Choi Jin-young
Europa Editions
12 May 2026
208
eBook - PDF
Contemporary Fiction
ARC via NetGalley
On an ordinary afternoon, a woman sees her partner murdered in the street. Time freezes. She lifts his body from the pavement, cradles him home, disinfects each inch of skin—and sits down to begin.
As he witnesses his own funeral from beyond, their two voices—living and dead—lament a lifetime of bone-grinding labor in a society that devours everyone whole. But the woman is no longer willing to bow before law, God, or money. In an act of love and rebellion, she transforms his body into her own, entombing him within her flesh so that he may live again.
Raw, furious, and unflinchingly intimate, Hunger is the Korean underground phenomenon that indicts capitalism, mourns lost love, and pushes the boundaries of what the body can endure for justice and survival. A psychologically and philosophically thrilling novel, it cuts to the core of how we are consumed by the world—and how we might consume it back.
Hunger was certainly a different read. I could see from the text what Choi wanted to achieve, and it was certainly a thought-provoking work on many levels. However, I felt that the 'shock factor' rather overtook any profundity, especially because I didn't get enough depth from the relationship between the two characters to really accept why she would go to such lengths after his death. Where the story worked for me was in the representation of the darker side of capitalism and the role money plays in our lives. Those social commentary aspects did come across well. For the first few chapters I found the narrative confusing, but then I realised the black and white dots represented the change in narrator between the two characters, and after that it made more sense. Overall, I would say this was an interesting and impactful read, but it definitely won't be to everyone's tastes. I am giving it 3.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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