[A Sip of a Book] The Perfect Way to Kill Putin

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with readers, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

This is a new novel by author Kim Jin-myung. The author stated, “I wrote this book with the conviction that all the people of the world must unite to overcome Putin’s nuclear threats.” He warns that if Putin’s nuclear threats end in victory, a malicious will to seize nuclear weapons will engulf the world, and totalitarianism and dictatorship will threaten humanity instead of liberal democracy. The novel deals with the events that unfold as Russia, isolated by the international community after invading Ukraine, resorts to using nuclear weapons.

"Hmm, are you saying I provoked Putin’s invasion?"

"Regardless of your true feelings, you should have taken an ambiguous stance. You needed to complicate Putin’s calculations. What would the U.S. do? If it failed due to U.S. intervention, everything would be over. You should have let him endlessly fall into such worries. But Your Excellency instead helped Putin to sweep all that away at once, enabling him to make a very clear decision.”

“I was trying to reassure our people.”

“The silent U.S. must have seemed the largest presence?to Putin and to the people.”

Biden frowned, unable to hide his discomfort, and averted his gaze. - p.78

“Defend Bakhmut to the death!”

Faced with a completely transformed Russian army, Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut met death one after another. The patriotism, courage, and passion that Ukrainian soldiers had shown until then piled up on the Bakhmut plains like yellow ginkgo leaves falling in the wind. The Russian army rained bullets like a storm toward the Ukrainian trenches and crawled right up to the trenches to throw grenades inside. This emboldened Russian army completely changed the course of the war. - p.92

“The war won’t end easily. Even if it ends, as long as that Putin exists, the same thing will happen again someday. For peace, that guy must be killed, but the reality is that no one dares to touch Putin.” - p.109

“We must use nuclear weapons. When Russia uses nuclear weapons, which country in the world would dare to punish Russia? The U.S.? The U.K.? Which country would dare to launch an ICBM at Russia? Or send bombers? Then the Tsar Bomba and Sarmat would fly, and the U.S. and everything else would disappear from the Earth.”

Putin pushed aside a Black Russian and gulped down vodka repeatedly.

“Only the moment nuclear weapons are used does Russia become truly Russia.” - p.151

After a brief silence, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke.

“What if Russia responds with nuclear weapons to that attack?”

(…)

“They wouldn’t dare.”

Biden answered shortly and firmly, but in reality, he was just avoiding the question. Scholz pressed on harshly like an interrogator questioning a suspect.

“What if they do dare?”

“……”

Biden gave no answer. NATO leaders felt as if they were facing an unknown abyss of a strange new world. It was a world they must not enter any further. - p.279

“If we give in to Putin’s demands here, it would be a shameful betrayal of human history. The most frightening thing is that if we back down here, such incidents will happen frequently in the future. The perception that nuclear threats are unstoppable will spread, and the whole world will fall into a nuclear arms frenzy, exponentially increasing the risk of global destruction.” - p.282

“Killing fifteen skilled soldiers with a single pistol shot to a vital spot each, then to hide that fact, disguising the twelve corpses of the ship’s guards as if they were shot with HK416s, and blatantly dumping those bodies into the sea in front of the pier?criminals. Criminals who flawlessly executed an enormous plan with a strong heart but were clumsy at hiding their crimes. And the captain’s words that keep rationalizing all this. What are they hiding?”

“What? Are you accusing me now!”

Chapman smiled slyly, bowed slightly as before, and left the interrogation room. - p.295

“Don’t you know? Only a tiny minority of Moscow citizens want revenge. Everyone’s earnest wish is that there be no more war. Moscow citizens have even started praying for the Ukrainian people who suffered a tragedy many times greater. That is Russia. That is the Russian spirit. You are a despicable merchant who paralyzes the people with the illusion of a great Russia and fills only your own filthy greed.” - p.395

The Perfect Way to Kill Putin | Written by Kim Jin-myung | Itabooks | 408 pages | 18,800 KRW