Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun (tr. Janet Hong)
Review by Han Clark
I have a particular fondness for stories that are told in a non-linear fashion, and those that feature multiple narrators, all of whom possess varying degrees of reliability. Oh, and it’s a crime novel, too? I’m in. There is a distinct element of Create Your Own Adventure about Lemon, the latest book from acclaimed South Korean writer Kwon Yeo-sun. And even though the author retains enough control of her twisting plot to provide a satisfying conclusion, for the most part the reader has the small thrill of getting to make informed guesses about what Lemon’s unsettling truth might be.
Spanning seventeen years, the book tells the story of Kim Da-On, whose sister Kim Hae-on was brutally murdered in 2002. There were two suspects: Shin Jeongjun, the most popular and wealthy boy in Hae’s class; and Han Manu, who lingered at the other end of the social spectrum. However, the evidence was insufficient to prove that either boy had committed the crime, and so the case went cold — Hae’s killer was never brought to justice. With Da-on pushed to the brink of madness by her uncertainty and grief, Lemon explores the psychology of vengeance and the toll guilt may take on the human soul.
Lemon is Kwon Yeo-sun’s first novel to be translated into English, masterfully done by award-winning Korean-English translator Janet Hong. Each chapter nudges the chronology forward and the three narrators take it in turns to reveal slices of the truth, building to an immensely satisfying conclusion.
Korean noir is having something of a moment in literature of late (think: Kim Un-su’s The Plotters) and Lemon sits proudly in such company: a beautiful young woman is murdered, there is a quest to identify her killer, and the urban setting is vividly realised. But there is something about Lemon that goes beyond noir and into the much more nuanced realm of moral and ethical fiction. The reason for this is due largely to the character of Da-on, a shrewd and complex young woman who is capable of great loyalty to her family, particularly her sister (despite being being brutally candid about her flaws): ‘Since babies are indifferent, selfish creatures who think only of satisfying their own needs, perhaps my sister’s time as a baby suited her personality more than any other phase in life.’
She is a feminist who laughs loudly and regards her brain as her greatest gift, even as she strives to fill the void that her sister has left behind. Da-on’s appearance is a key component of the narrative and Kwon does not shy away from acknowledging the high currency of feminine beauty in society, but she tempers her acknowledgment with caution. We are all of us shape-shifters in one way or another, and beware those who seek to conceal it. Lemon is a sharp, explosive novel that challenges the reader to consider the impact of beauty standards in our culture on young people, and compels us to examine our notion of what justice can be when we are faced with the unthinkable. Highly recommended.
Lemon is published by Head of Zeus, 14th October 2021