[This Week's Novels] "Ex-Wife" and More

Ex-Wife

This provocative novel caused a sensation upon its publication in 1929, selling four times more copies than "The Great Gatsby." Set in Jazz Age New York, it boldly explores the desires and realities of the "modern woman"-modern marriage, infidelity, divorce, abortion-subjects that literature of the time rarely addressed. Through the story of Patricia, who is wounded by her husband's affair but refuses divorce and instead chooses to live as an "ex-wife," the novel directly confronts women's economic independence, sexual freedom, and the vulnerabilities and pain that lie beneath. Drawing from Ursula Parrott's own experiences, this novel revives the female voice that Fitzgerald could not capture, sharply depicting the era's confusion around divorce and women's liberation. It is regarded as a truly modern classic. (Written by Ursula Parrott | Wisdom House)

Black Monday

This psychological suspense novel relentlessly traces how a lack of social recognition and distorted desires drive a man toward catastrophe. Yeonsu, a doctoral student in English literature, is tormented by an inferiority complex over his deceased brother and suffers from sexual and obsessive-compulsive disorders. He develops a pathological obsession with Hyeonjin, his former tutor, gradually encroaching on her life. The dangerous cracks among Yeonsu, Hyeonjin, and Gahui ultimately lead to an irreversible disaster. The judging panel praised the work as "a highly immersive novel that coldly captures a new face of evil." (Written by Park Haedong | Gwanghwamun Books)

My Cat's Plan

This is the tenth essay collection by poet Park Yeonjun, featuring Dangju, the poet's first cat, as the narrator. The book warmly and humorously depicts the everyday life of a cat living with a poet couple. Eighteen essays and cat poems are presented side by side, charmingly conveying the world of humans and the secrets of life as seen through a cat's eyes. Dangju, once a wounded stray, becomes family with the two caretakers as they tame each other, illustrating the process of mutual adaptation. The book encourages readers to "live like a cat"-doing what you love, avoiding what you dislike, and fully embracing the present moment. This is a bright and heartwarming essay collection that helps readers discover happiness in small, ordinary things. (Written by Park Yeonjun | Nanda)

To My Future

Set in a future where all adults have disappeared due to a mysterious epidemic, this novel follows sisters Mia and Mirae as they journey south in search of survival. Amid lawless zones plagued by looting, bunker societies built by children, and religious communities lost in collective hallucination, the two sisters protect each other and search for a way forward in a ruined world. The "strange kindness" left by a stranger and the possibility of solidarity force them to question the meaning of "life" beyond mere survival. Told in the form of letters, the narrative delivers both pace and emotion, creating a powerful coming-of-age and adventure drama that, as praised as the "novel of the year," never lets go of hope. Winner of the 2025 Changbi Story Contest. (Written by Joo Minseon | Changbi)