Diary of a Murderer (and other stories) by Kim Young-ha
Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-ha is a collection of short stories, originally published in 2019. More accurately, it’s a collection of 1 long story and 3 short. However, Atlantic Books has just republished the collection, translated by Krys Lee, with a gorgeous new ramen-inspired cover.
Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-ha summary
Diary of a Murderer is a collection of 4 stories:
- Diary of a Murderer – 95 pages
- The Origin of Life – 19 pages
- Missing Child – 36 pages
- The Writer – 48 pages
I mention this in case I’m not alone in not noticing the ‘and other stories’ on the front cover. I only realised this book contained more than 1 story when Diary of a Murderer finished. Anyway, to the stories…
Diary of a Murderer
Kim Byeongsu is slowly coming to terms with his dementia diagnosis. What he can’t understand is why he can remember every detail of the murders he committed years ago, but he can’t remember what he had for breakfast.
While Kim’s crimes are years in the past, there’s an active killer in town preying on young women. One day, Kim gets into an argument with a man he believes is the killer. He leaves himself notes to remind himself, but isn’t sure whether he acts on them. Then his daughter, Eunhui, brings her new boyfriend home, and Kim believes it’s the same man.
Is the killer going to make Eunhui his next victim? Does he know about Kim’s past? Or is Kim’s memory simply playing tricks on him?
The Origin of Life
Seojin’s relationship with the married Ina takes a very bleak turn when she calls him, desperate for help. He knows her husband is violent, but wasn’t expecting his unconscious body lying on Ina’s floor. Convinced she’s killed him, Ina wants Seojin’s help to hide the body, but soon they realise he’s not quite dead.
Missing Child
During an average supermarket shop, Mira and Yunseok’s three-year-old son, Seongmin, is abducted. They spend years searching and handing out flyers, but with no results.
Ten years later, they get a phone call. Their son has been found, but time has changed them all, and his return isn’t as simple as they hoped.
The Writer
Bak is a writer without a manuscript, which isn’t great considering he’s spent the advance and his publisher’s new owner wants a book. To keep his editor (also his ex-wife) and the publisher happy, he accepts their offer to stay at an apartment in New York to focus on writing. He has no intention of writing, but he’s more than happy to take the holiday. Once there, a woman arrives, and his writer’s block suddenly disappears.
Top 5 Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-ha quotes
All quotes are from the story, Diary of a Murderer.
“The danger of living too long. People these days really do excel at coming up with amusing phrases.”
“I don’t remember ever feeling happy while doing something with others. I had always turned deep inside myself, and in there I discovered a lasting pleasure. Like a pet snake that requires hamsters, the monster in me required constant feeding. Only at those times did others have any meaning.”
“Laughter equals weakness. It means offering yourself unarmed to others.”
“I excel at only one thing, but it’s the kind of thing I can’t brag about. Think of all the countless people who end up in the grave proud of something they can never share with others.”
“People want to understand evil. A pointless desire. Evil is like a rainbow. It retreats at the same pace as you approach. Evil is evil because you can’t understand it.”
Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-ha review
Diary of a Murder (and other stories) starts incredibly strong with the longest story in the book. As it’s written in a diary format, everything is from the lead character, Kim’s, perspective. You follow his attempts to cling to his memories, while never fully trusting his perspective.
While Kim has carried out truly horrendous crimes, there’s still a part of you that feels sorry for him. As he loses his short-term memory, he’s losing confidence in himself and the world around him. It gets to a point where all he’s trying to do is hold on to enough information to keep his daughter safe. In that situation, you can’t help but feel for him.
The story is written in short, sharp sections, reflecting Kim’s state of mind, which also makes it easy and compulsive to read.
Is Diary of a Murderer (and other stories) by Kim Young-ha worth reading?
I really loved the title story in this collection. It’s tense, sad and ambiguous, and Kim is a really interesting character. At 95 pages, I devoured this story and was left wanting more.
However, this intensely strong start was a lot to live up to. Sadly, I don’t think the following stories achieved that. Instead, a couple of days after reading them, I struggled to recall them in any real detail.
So, is Diary of a Murderer worth reading? Yes, that first story absolutely is worth reading. What I am very aware of is the cost of reading. We all have bills to pay, and they’re not getting any smaller. So a £9.99 paperback for 95 pages is a cost you’ll have to consider for yourselves.
Buy your copy of Diary of a Murderer (and other stories) by Kim Young-ha.
If you liked this, you’ll love My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.
