The stories in Flowers of Mold by Korean author Ha Seong-nan challenge you to understand them and to grasp their underlying meaning.
Location: most of the stories are set in Seoul, South Korea
Flowers of Mold Synopsis
Praised for her meticulous descriptions and ability to transform the mundanity of everyday life into something strange and unexpected, Ha Seong-nan bursts into the English literary scene with this stunning collection that confirms Korea’s place at the forefront of contemporary women’s writing. From the title story told by a woman suffering from gaps in her memory, to one about a man seeking insight in bags of garbage, to a surreal story about a car salesman and the customer he tries to seduce, The Woman Next Door charms and provokes with an incomparable style.
Book review
If you ask me about this book in a few years I will probably say rearview mirrors showing a different reality, broken glass, billboard models, getting to know a person by studying garbage and vomit, and flying. Those were the returning tropes for me in the ten stories in Flowers of Mold.
Take everyday life and throw in something unexpected and see how they react, what old traumas resurface and if they can stay in touch with reality. To them the change of fate is normal everyday life, for the reader, it is a short laugh “of course something like that happens”. It is believable, yet after a few stories, you’re waiting for something to happen and are looking for the returning tropes mentioned above.
My favorite stories were Nightmare and The woman next door. Both stories deal with the thin line between reality and dream in such a way that the main character starts to doubt her grip of reality. Which memories are real and which aren’t? This also plays a role in other stories where the rearview mirror or cracked glass shows a different reality from the one the main character perceives as real.
Even though I didn’t find every story as interesting, I would still recommend this short story collection because the stories challenge you to understand them and to grasp their underlying meaning.
More about the stories
1) Waxen wings
A story all about wanting to fly, to rise up like Icarus. The symbolism is strong in this one but the characters felt a bit detached. A special mention for the last sentence of this story though. The story takes place in Seoul and mentions Changgyeong and Changdeok Palace.
2) Nightmare
Interesting order that might not be chronological. Is it a dream or reality? This story takes place at a farm a few hours from Seoul.
3) The retreat
A bit boring, but it resembles everyday struggles about making a living. One of the characters owns a fried chicken franchise (Good Chicken) and the main character inherited a study hall or academy. At the end of the story, they go to a retreat on a deserted island an hour up the Bukhan river from Nami Island.
4) The woman next door
Again about doubting your own memory and version of reality.
5) Flag
This story starts high on a pole. Together with the main character we read a dead man’s diary about his work at a car dealership in Seoul and his meetings with the Billboard model. It is about a dream that feels real, about shedding your skin but also about failing at something you work hard for.
6) Your rearview mirror
Luckily enough this trope gets its own story named after it. While driving in the bus the rearview mirror cracks after an accident and shows a new truth. This story takes place at a shopping center in Myeongdong and we also follow the characters on a walk from Hannam and Yongsan Station to Itaewon.
7) Flowers of mold
The story this book was named after but not my favorite story. It is about obsession and about using garbage collection to get to know a person.
8) Toothpaste
About being traumatized by things from the past. The billboard model makes her return. The character lives in an apartment in Incheon just outside Seoul.
9) Early beans
Can you avoid problems by staying at home? How about lightning? We follow the main character on his delivery trip to Incheon.
10) Onion
The billboard got replaced but a car accident from a previous story makes its return. One of the characters is a chef specialized in fish and talks about restaurants and fish markets (like Noryangjin Fish Market). In the end, he accepts a job at South Korea’s east coast in the Gangneung area.
Translated from Korean by Janet Hong.
Interested?
You can get your copy of Flowers of Mold from Amazon.
