Hunger
The CULT CLASSIC that sold a QUARTER OF A MILLION copies
by Choi Jin-young
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Pub Date 26 Jun 2025 | Archive Date 19 Jun 2025
Octopus Publishing | Brazen
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Description
If you liked PARASITE or SQUID GAME, you've come to the right place...
A sleeper hit with over a QUARTER OF A MILLION copies sold
THE KOREAN CULT CLASSIC PHENOMENON
'Perfect reading for fans of BUTTER and Nobel-Prize winning THE VEGETARIAN' WATERSTONES
I had chosen and no law, no gun, no God could stop me now. Only him.
A woman sees her man murdered on the street - and time stands still.
Until she cradles his corpse to her chest and carries it home, where she disinfects every inch of skin before seating herself to begin. What happens next reverberates from this realm into the next, where the man is witnessing his own funeral.
Together, the lovers lament a lifetime of working their fingers to the bone in a country sucking everyone dry - but a choice has already been made. The woman is beating them at their own barbaric game, eating and entombing the body in her own where her soulmate will live again.
The word-of-mouth sensation that everyone has an opinion on, HUNGER is a psychologically and philosophically thrilling cult classic that cuts to the very heart of love, money and the things they do to us.
HUNGER was a top bestseller for over half a year, breaking records for literary fiction in South Korea.
--
'Raw beauty... It will consume you as you consume it' DEAN ATTA, author of The Black Flamingo
'A short novel, but a hefty work of creative genius' BARBARA ZITWER, author of The Korean Book of Happiness
'I savoured every word. A novel of remarkable depth' AYESHA MANAZIR SIDDIQI, author of The Centre
'Lyrical and dark, delicate and cruel... You will devour this' JUNG-MYUNG LEE, author of The Investigation
'What a propulsive, strangely tender book... Incredibly moving' E.K. SATHUE, author of youthjuice
'A heart-moving novel' NOW IN SEOUL
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781840919011 |
PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 208 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

This book is a visceral, poetic descent into grief, rebellion, and undying love.
Absolutely a 5 star read for me!
The imagery is both beautiful and horrifying—blending romance and horror in a way that lingers long after reading. The concept of time pausing in the face of tragedy, followed by a surreal yet deeply emotional ritual of reclamation, is executed with haunting precision. It’s a fierce indictment of a broken system and a tender, if unsettling, act of devotion. Unforgettable and masterfully written.

A short coming of age book.
A story between 2 lovers Gu and Dam. Gu dies and Dam must hide his body.
They reminisce about their lives as poor children, to loving teenagers and trying to survive as adults where they learn about grief, hardship, breakups and tragedy all at the same time.
The story jumps between both Gu and Dam, so there can be some confusion with who's talking through the book.
There is some grossness at the start of the book, but throughout it becomes so poetic... Love is so harsh.
If you like The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Heaven by Mieko Kawakami and Boulder by Eva Baltasar, then I think you will like this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Octopus Publishing for letting me read this book!

Gu and Dam are destined to be together, but when Gu dies Dam doesn't know how to continue. That's why she decides to eat him. Together forever.
This romantic horror novella was a bestseller in Korea and surprised me more than once. Chapter by chapter the reader figures out why Dam reacts in this way and what happened to Gu. This is short but it packs a punch. Recommend for readers who aren't squirmish and interested in the underbelly of Korea.
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