Review: Wolves

Wolves by Jeon Sungtae
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A collection of short stories. I enjoyed them for the most part. Interestingly almost all of them take place in Mongolia, with the Korean population there (Korean businessmen, North Korean refugees & immigrants). Got me interested in possibly reading some Mongolian fiction at some point. 

Once again, since Goodreads doesn't give me enough space in the private section, I am writing my synopses in this public section for my notes. So, fair notice, MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW:

The Magnolia: It is the name of a North Korean restaurant in Ulaan Bataar. This same restaurant features in other stories. I liked this one. A new chef from North Korea is announced, and people love the food. But it turns out the chef never arrived.

Wolves: This was interesting, but too many characters and points of view for a short story, at least for me. I got lost. Like, why was the hunter obsessed with catching the black wolf? And why alive?

Southern plants. A South Korean who is not sure whether to help a Mongolian go to South Korea illegally. Also deals with some waitresses in the Magnolia. And the South Korean cheated on his wife, who left him and is back with their daughter in Seoul. 

Korean soldier: Probably my favorite thus far. A Korean poet comes to Mongolia for 3 months. He gets mugged, almost get assaulted outside an internet cafe, and then gets locked out of his apartment. He then gets some rope from a construction site and is able to lower himself to his window. 

Second waltz: I'm not sure I got this one. A poet is going to a town to look for a North Korean woman who is supposed to live in the mountains around there. A policeman asks for his papers, and when he can't produce them, tells him he can't leave the hotel. But it turns out the copy is in love with the lady acting as the poet's guide. They find where the old lady lived, but it sounds like she died. 

Chinese Fireworks. This one is a touching story about homeless children in Mongolia asking for recyclables they can resell. 

River Crossers: The first story not taking place in Mongolia. This is also probably the most depressing story. Every story I read about crossing from North Korea over the border involves the death of a child. I might skip these from now on. 

Has anyone seen my shoes: This was quirky and sort of fun. An old man in an island off the coast of Jeolla-do still uses an ox when farming, so he's featured in the news once a year. But he's hungover and not sure why his shoes are missing and he has a different pair. They might belong to a friend of his, originally from NOrth Korea, who is a police officer. It turns out he might have drowned himself. I'm not sure I get the end though. 

Kids need money too: Oddly enough, another story featuring shoes. These are running shoes. A kid is a good runner, so he has top of the line shoes and eats ox meat soup, paid for by his school principal. Anyway, the narrator finds money on the ground, buys the same shoes, but then borrows the money to return it, and has to pay off his debt. He and the other kid are helping with a chore, since they have the good shoes, and then..? Once again, not sure I got the ending. 

Imitayshun: I liked this one. A Korean guy who looks like a 'hapa' (half korean, half foreigner) works at an English cram school in a newly built city. It recounts the crap he went through growing up looking different, and how he can reinvent himself here. 

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