A scene from the Netflix adaptation of ‘The Trunk’ starring Gong Yoo (right) and Seo Hyun-jin.
A persistent sense of unease persists in Kim Ryo-ryong’s novel trunkIt seems as if the characters exist in different places, and yet the protagonist Noh In-ji is constantly thinking about life and the many people of the past and present.
A novel of 2015, trunk It was recently translated into English by The Collab. The timing couldn’t be better – the much-hyped Netflix adaptation of the book starring Korean superstars Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun-jin is being released today. Korean translations have taken the world by storm over the past few years, and given the global appeal of Korean dramas, it is expected that one will boost the prospects of the other.
In the book, Noh Eng works at Weddings & Life, a shadowy organization about which we know very little. As a ‘field wife’, part of the secret New Marriage subsidiary, Inji is placed in contract marriages with different spouses for short periods of time. In a rare occurrence, Inji reunites with Han Jeong-won, a music producer to whom she was previously “married”, and marries him again.
Throughout the novel, Jeong-won is referred to only as ‘The Husband’ – a seemingly sweet and non-judgmental man who has firm boundaries and respects the nature of their relationship. We learned that this is not always the case with the men, who are often misogynistic and violent, that field wives have to face. But we never delve into the workings of the marriage agency, even when their connections are exposed through some sinister activity. Inji’s life as a field wife is, for the most part, mundane.
Author Kim Ryo-ryong
The novel focuses entirely on Eng’s views on marriage, love, family, and capitalism. In her, we have a feminist heroine who constantly looks at her life or the people living in her area, and questions the practices of society and the limits it sets on love and relationships.
Although Engi’s commentary is charming, nothing else ever happens despite the growing tension between the heroes. And, there are several subplots, devoted to Inji’s neighbor grandmother, and her friend, and her employee, all of which feel convoluted and incomplete. There is no progression or focus in the story, except for a part where the couple sets out in search of a missing person.
A scene from Netflix’s adaptation of ‘The Trunk’.
South Korea, which is struggling with declining population growth, made headlines earlier this year when it was revealed that the fertility rate is set to decline further in 2023. Many Korean women have only one child or are choosing not to have children at all. Last November, the local administration of Seongnam, one of Korea’s largest cities, held a mass blind-dating event in a frantic effort to reverse the falling birth rate. Although the trailer for the new show hints that there may be some major changes to the story, the overarching themes will remain and will definitely shed light on Korean society.
In view of this, trunk Works better as a slow-moving dystopian social commentary rather than a mystery or thriller.
poorvaja.sundar@thehindu.co.in
trunk
Kim Ryo-ryong, Try The Collab
transworld
₹699
published – November 29, 2024 06:21 PM IST
