The Hole

When Asa's husband is offered a new job away from the city, the couple end up relocating. And since his new office is very close to his family's home, it makes sense to move in next door to his parents. Through the long hot summer, Asa does her best to adjust to their new rural lives, to the constant presence of her in-laws, to the emptiness of her existence and the incessant buzz of cicadas. And then one day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole - a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her. Thus begins a series of bizarre experiences that drive Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape and the family she has married in to, leading her to question her role in this world and, eventually, who she even is.

When Asa's husband is offered a new job away from the city, the couple end up relocating. And since his new office is very close to his family's home, it makes sense to move in next door to his parents. Through the long hot summer, Asa does her best to adjust to their new rural lives, to the constant presence of her in-laws, to the emptiness of her existence and the incessant buzz of cicadas. And then one day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole - a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her. Thus begins a series of bizarre experiences that drive Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape and the family she has married in to, leading her to question her role in this world and, eventually, who she even is.

'As I tried to move, I realized how narrow the hole really was. The hole felt as though it was exactly my size - a trap made just for me' When Asa's husband is offered a new job away from the city, the couple end up relocating. And since his new office is very close to his family's home, it makes sense to move in next door to his parents. Through the long hot summer, Asa does her best to adjust to their new rural lives, to the constant presence of her in-laws, to the emptiness of her existence and the incessant buzz of cicadas. And then one day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole - a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her. Thus begins a series of bizarre experiences that drives Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape and the family she has married in to, leading her to question her role in this world and, eventually, who she even is. 'A great book' Patti Smith 'Surreal and mesmerizing' New York Times 'A rare literary page-turner' Monique Truong 'A haunting and transformative work of fiction' Laura van den Berg

'As I tried to move, I realized how narrow the hole really was. The hole felt as though it was exactly my size - a trap made just for me' When Asa's husband is offered a new job away from the city, the couple end up relocating. And since his new office is very close to his family's home, it makes sense to move in next door to his parents. Through the long hot summer, Asa does her best to adjust to their new rural lives, to the constant presence of her in-laws, to the emptiness of her existence and the incessant buzz of cicadas. And then one day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole - a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her. Thus begins a series of bizarre experiences that drives Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape and the family she has married in to, leading her to question her role in this world and, eventually, who she even is. 'A great book' Patti Smith 'Surreal and mesmerizing' New York Times 'A rare literary page-turner' Monique Truong 'A haunting and transformative work of fiction' Laura van den Berg

Asa’s husband is transferring jobs, and his new office is located near his family’s home in the countryside. During an exceptionally hot summer, the young married couple move in, and Asa does her best to quickly adjust to their new rural lives, to their remoteness, to the constant presence of her in-laws and the incessant buzz of cicadas. While her husband is consumed with his job, Asa is left to explore her surroundings on her own: she makes trips to the supermarket, halfheartedly looks for work, and tries to find interesting ways of killing time. One day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole—a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her. This is the first in a series of bizarre experiences that drive Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape filled with eccentric characters and unidentifiable creatures, leading her to question her role in this world, and eventually, her sanity.

Asa’s husband is transferring jobs, and his new office is located near his family’s home in the countryside. During an exceptionally hot summer, the young married couple move in, and Asa does her best to quickly adjust to their new rural lives, to their remoteness, to the constant presence of her in-laws and the incessant buzz of cicadas. While her husband is consumed with his job, Asa is left to explore her surroundings on her own: she makes trips to the supermarket, halfheartedly looks for work, and tries to find interesting ways of killing time. One day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole—a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her. This is the first in a series of bizarre experiences that drive Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape filled with eccentric characters and unidentifiable creatures, leading her to question her role in this world, and eventually, her sanity.

Fall into the chilling and claustrophobic psychological novel and Korean bestseller from the award-winning author, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and Olga Ravn. WINNER OF THE SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD SOON TO BE A MAJOR FILM STARRING THEO JAMES AND SQUID GAME 'S HOYEON 'A superbly insidious and atmospheric chiller about caring and cruelty: grief, isolation, helplessness and existential fear' Guardian ‘Korea's answer to Stephen King . . . a thoughtful and elegant exploration of a relationship . . . increasingly unnerving’ Observer ‘Beautifully haunting … Probably my favourite book I’ve ever read.’ 5-star reader review Following a devastating car crash that killed his wife, Oghi wakes in hospital to find himself trapped in his own body and under the control of his vengeful mother-in-law as she grieves the loss of her only child. Isolated from his friends and neglected by his nurse, Oghi’s world shrinks to the room he lies in and his memories of his wife, a sensitive woman who found solace in cultivating her garden. But as Oghi remains alone and paralysed, his mother-in-law is hard at work in the now-abandoned garden, uprooting what her daughter had worked so hard to plant and obsessively digging larger and larger holes… A bestseller in Korea, The Hole is a superbly crafted and deeply unnerving novel about the horrors of isolation and neglect in all of its banal and brutal forms. Praise for The Hole ‘A gripping read for fans of literary horror’ The Bookseller ‘Will stay with you long after you turn the last page ’ Heather Parry, author of Carrion Crow and Orpheus Builds a Girl ‘Masterfully unsettling .’ Leon Craig, author of Parallel Hells 'Like Hitchcock or Abe , Pyun peers head on into the unnerving depths of human grief' Blake Butler, author of 300,000,000 'A Korean take on Misery ' Time 'Suspenseful, eerie and surprisingly profound' Big Issue 'While reading The Hole , you’ll find yourself suddenly doubting everything' Kyung-sook Shin, New York Times bestselling author of Please Look After Mother ‘A chilling psychological thriller . . . the reader is drawn in deeper with each new revelation’ PA Media

Fall into the chilling and claustrophobic psychological novel and Korean bestseller from the award-winning author, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and Olga Ravn. WINNER OF THE SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD SOON TO BE A MAJOR FILM STARRING THEO JAMES AND SQUID GAME 'S HOYEON 'A superbly insidious and atmospheric chiller about caring and cruelty: grief, isolation, helplessness and existential fear' Guardian ‘Korea's answer to Stephen King . . . a thoughtful and elegant exploration of a relationship . . . increasingly unnerving’ Observer ‘Beautifully haunting … Probably my favourite book I’ve ever read.’ 5-star reader review Following a devastating car crash that killed his wife, Oghi wakes in hospital to find himself trapped in his own body and under the control of his vengeful mother-in-law as she grieves the loss of her only child. Isolated from his friends and neglected by his nurse, Oghi’s world shrinks to the room he lies in and his memories of his wife, a sensitive woman who found solace in cultivating her garden. But as Oghi remains alone and paralysed, his mother-in-law is hard at work in the now-abandoned garden, uprooting what her daughter had worked so hard to plant and obsessively digging larger and larger holes… A bestseller in Korea, The Hole is a superbly crafted and deeply unnerving novel about the horrors of isolation and neglect in all of its banal and brutal forms. Praise for The Hole ‘A gripping read for fans of literary horror’ The Bookseller ‘Will stay with you long after you turn the last page ’ Heather Parry, author of Carrion Crow and Orpheus Builds a Girl ‘Masterfully unsettling .’ Leon Craig, author of Parallel Hells 'Like Hitchcock or Abe , Pyun peers head on into the unnerving depths of human grief' Blake Butler, author of 300,000,000 'A Korean take on Misery ' Time 'Suspenseful, eerie and surprisingly profound' Big Issue 'While reading The Hole , you’ll find yourself suddenly doubting everything' Kyung-sook Shin, New York Times bestselling author of Please Look After Mother ‘A chilling psychological thriller . . . the reader is drawn in deeper with each new revelation’ PA Media

In September 1994, the passenger ferry Estonia set out on an overnight cruise from Tallinn, Estonia to Stockholm, Sweden and sank in the Baltic Sea, killing nearly 1000 people in 35 minutes. It was the worst peacetime sea catastrophe in European waters in the 20th century. A controversial government investigation blamed the ship's design and high waves. But the Estonia was the only intact ship in maritime history to sink in less than one hour -- faster than some torpedoed ships. This disturbing fact is the core of the tragedy and was left unexplained. The victims still remain in the shipwreck in shallow depth just off the coast of Finland, a spot militarily guarded by Sweden. "The Hole: Another look at the sinking of the Estonia ferry on September 28, 1994" examines alternative explanations in view of post-Soviet chaos, proceeding from the theory that the Estonia had a hole -- from a collision or an explosion.

In September 1994, the passenger ferry Estonia set out on an overnight cruise from Tallinn, Estonia to Stockholm, Sweden and sank in the Baltic Sea, killing nearly 1000 people in 35 minutes. It was the worst peacetime sea catastrophe in European waters in the 20th century. A controversial government investigation blamed the ship's design and high waves. But the Estonia was the only intact ship in maritime history to sink in less than one hour -- faster than some torpedoed ships. This disturbing fact is the core of the tragedy and was left unexplained. The victims still remain in the shipwreck in shallow depth just off the coast of Finland, a spot militarily guarded by Sweden. "The Hole: Another look at the sinking of the Estonia ferry on September 28, 1994" examines alternative explanations in view of post-Soviet chaos, proceeding from the theory that the Estonia had a hole -- from a collision or an explosion.