To the Warm Horizon by Korean author Choi Jin-young is a dystopian story about two strangers growing close and showing affection despite their hardships.
Location: mostly post-apocalyptic Russia
To the Warm Horizon synopsis
A group of Koreans are making their way across a disease-ravaged landscape—but to what end? To the Warm Horizon shows how in a post-apocalyptic world, humans will still seek purpose, kinship, and even intimacy. Focusing on two young women, Jina and Dori, who find love against all odds, Choi Jin-young creates a dystopia where people are trying to find direction after having their worlds turned upside down.
Lucidly translated from the Korean by Soje, this thoughtful yet gripping novel takes the reader on a journey through how people adjust, or fail to adjust, to catastrophe.
Book review
When strangers meet on the road, on the run from a disease, a lot can happen. While some are able to salvage what’s left of their humanity, others play the game of survival in hopes of a better future. The further the story progresses, the more you and some of the characters in the book wonder if there is no other way. It’s interesting to see what such a harsh situation does to one’s character, morals and dreams. You can’t follow the transformations in full detail, the book is too short for that, but you can compare the different outcomes.
Most characters mourn their lost lives, but some suddenly feel alive and kicking because they escaped a miserable situation at home. Those who stick to their dreams draw strength from that and follow their own path. The newfound simplicity gives them a sense of relief and they find that they are now able to pay attention to their loved ones. Others are absorbed in the status quo and do what everyone else does to survive. None of the main characters reaches the end of the book without a scratch.
To a Better Place
The story is slow-paced. The characters keep heading for a “better place” during a Russian winter. No one ages and time does not pass in increments of days and years. The idea of a dystopian world struck by disease is not a new concept and has been done many times before. It was up to the characters to make it a gripping story, but it took them quite a while to reach me. By the time they did, near the epilogue, it was too late. That epilogue, however, was very good.
Prolong their suffering?
The middle of the story was weaker. I liked the voices of Ryu, Joy and Gunji more than Dori and Jina. When Dori was drawn to Jina at the beginning of the book, it was a bit sudden because you had only just met her without knowing much about her. Jina’s attraction to Dori was easier to accept because it was stated more explicitly. I think the book was too short for their story and they needed more words to properly share their feelings with the reader. Gunji’s account of what happened to Dori should not have hit me harder than Jina’s or Dori’s.
To the Warm Horizon is a good example of a book whose ending you don’t really want to get to because the hardships get worse with each page. But as long as some people have dreams and are able to love, there is hope. If I ever find myself in a situation like this, I think I’ll just stay home instead of hiking into Russia.
Conclusion
To the Warm Horizon was a little disappointing for me. If Ryu or Joy had been the narrator of the entire book, I would have liked it better because I was more interested in what they had to say.
Interested?
Get your copy of To the Warm Horizon from Amazon (available 15 May 2021).
Book details
Title: To the Warm Horizon
Author: Choi Jin-young
Translator: Soje
Language: English
Publisher: Honford Star
Pages: 176
ISBN (13): 9781916277144
Publication date: 15 May 2021
About the author and translator
