No. 9's job

Douban

NeoDB

👾Editor's Recommendation

Kim Hye-jin, author of "About My Daughter," once again directly addresses society's pain points, using literature to interrogate the performance-based society and raise the ultimate question for all workers:

Is the end of work connected to hell?

It can be a novel about work or a novel about workers.

In the novel, "Number 9" doesn't even have a name; only the number assigned by the company. From youth involution to middle-age drifting and old age bankruptcy, the experiences and complaints of "Number 9" reflect the pain that every ordinary person may encounter.

There is no bystander here!

★ The "Kafkaesque" prisoner's dilemma of modern workers: low-level employees desperately expose the lies of work and expose the "evil" of the weak in the modern workplace

——Because he couldn't think of any reason to stop himself from becoming an even more brutal person.

Performance, KPIs, performance appraisals, performance reports... We are constantly being asked to demonstrate "results" and be "evaluated" at any time. In the name of "work," we often ignore colleagues who have taken the lead in optimizing...

Work is nothing more than gritting one's teeth and repeating monotonous tasks every day. A sense of belonging, self-worth, empathy, and team spirit are gradually destroyed and crumbled one by one.

Work can be the meaning of life, but please make sure and remember that there are more important things in your life than work.

★ What is more terrifying than quitting your job is a world that openly harms your body and mind through labor.

The first prize of the 28th Daesan Literature Award and the conscientious recommendation of the five major Korean media have caused heated discussions on reading websites: This is a novel that must be read before it is too late.

South Korea's largest media outlet, Dong-A Ilbo, commented:

——"This is the pain that happens to all 'poor' middle-aged people."

Real reviews from readers:

——"This is reality, I am the protagonist!"

——"The strong create stories, the weak quarrel in the stories, and in the end, the scarred people are left to spread the stories. But the world and its stories will not change."

★ No. 1, No. 2, No. 3... No. 8, No. 9... When people in the workplace become nameless and faceless, the fictional story will eventually break through the frame and let us look directly at everything that is happening.

——New illustrators and well-known designers, ingenious design, dedicated presentation

The overall visuals for "Number 9's Work" were created by renowned designer Xihe, using artwork from emerging illustrator Mutui. Textured brushstrokes and a quiet yet powerful palette allow the faceless workers to break free from the frame, lifting our faces and telling us what is happening to them, and what will happen to us too.

110*185mm format, portable and lightweight.

🙌 Celebrity Recommendation

This is the pain that happens to all "poor" middle-aged people. - Dong-A Ilbo

While some say that the readability of novels comes only from the excitement that escapes everyday life, some novels can only tell the story of difficult lives intact. This is because some people's lives are indeed like this, and there are quite a few of them. - Zhongyang Daily

The author constantly ponders how and how much the subject matter of her writing will change her, which is impressive. —Kyunghyang Shinmun

"Many times, it wouldn't be awkward to change the time and place in our young writers' novels from Seoul directly to New York, USA, or Berlin, Germany." - Professor Woo Chan-je of the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Sogang University

When to give up, when to move forward, when to change direction... These are matters so deeply connected to life, yet they are difficult questions that remain unanswered, no matter how much we ponder. These dilemmas become part of our lives, ultimately revealed starkly by the nameless "Number 9." —Jinjiang Daily

The author's nimble brushstrokes depict a man bound by the "no alternative but to survive" theory of livelihood. We watch as a man continually transforms and shrinks through labor. This is an examination of these "metamorphosis" and an indictment of the vicious system of capitalism.

While work is meant to solidify the foundation of life, it can also erode that foundation. This existential contradiction is frightening. Even more terrifying than quitting your job is a world where labor blatantly harms both body and soul. This is a novel you must read before it's too late. —Author Eun-yu

Each of us finds a job, exists in some capacity within an organization, and must achieve results within it. The job title that accompanies us has nothing to do with our efforts and passion, yet we ourselves are constantly being evaluated. Organizations are constantly growing, but promotions and compensation are not permanent, and often seem out of reach. —Comment from a Korean reader

No single job can truly carry a person's heart. In a job, the time we're oppressed often outlasts the time we're rewarded. A life devoted solely to work is destined not only to lose self-esteem, but also to lose awareness and sensitivity to those around us. I hope to fill my time with a job I value. Because as long as we persevere, we still have plenty of time left—only time. —Comment from a Korean reader

🐾Introduction

"About Daughter" is a new masterpiece of social novel by Kim Hye-jin, winner of the Daesan Literature Award, and highly recommended by the five major media in South Korea!

The low-level employees desperately expose the lies about their work and reveal the "evil" of the weak fighting each other in the workplace.

No. 9 questions every worker whether the end of work is connected to hell.

His accusation is the pain that happens to all middle-aged people.

Kim Hye-jin calmly depicts a cruel yet speechless story. When an ordinary worker faces labor disputes such as disguised forced layoffs and unfair dismissals, his belief in work changes from expectation, struggle, to despair, and ultimately to destruction.

Perhaps what makes workers suffer so much is never the ruthless companies or the competitive society, but the future that is difficult for them to secure.

2023-04-01

辽宁人民出版社

One-page folio

240

9787205106324