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Photo Shop Murder
'사진관 살인 사건', '당신의 나무' 등 9편의 단편을 실었다. 이전 작품들에서 드러난 나르시시즘적 인물, 실재와 환상을 오가는 구성 등의 특징들이 이번 작품집에서도 발견된다. 반면 '이야기'를 만들어내는 방식이 더욱 세련되어졌고, 소설은 허구라는 모토에 훨씬 접근해있다.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
10 people are currently reading
499 people want to read
About the author
Young-ha Kim
39 books563 followersKim Young-ha is the author of seven novels, including the acclaimed I Have the Right to Destroy Myself and Black Flower - and five short story collections.
He has won every major Korean literature award, and his works have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He lives in Seoul, South Korea.
He has won every major Korean literature award, and his works have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He lives in Seoul, South Korea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 24, 2025
Watch my review on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRlN7...
Read my review on Substack here - https://barrywelsh1.substack.com/p/re...
KBS Korea 24 @KBSKorea24
“For #KoreaBookClub today, @barrypwelsh brings us a 90’s #murdermystery short story 'Photo Shop Murder' by the celebrated writer #KimYoungHa, drawing on the conventions of #crimefiction to set up a compelling detective story in Seoul. #김영하 #김영하작가 #사진관살인사건 #literature”
#KBSWORLDRadio #KBS월드라디오 #Korea24 #코리아24 #책추천 #책스타그램 #북스타그램 #bookstagram #book #reading #KoreanLiterature
19:10-20:00 KST, Mon-Fri on KBS WORLD Radio.
Download the KBS Kong / KBS WORLD Radio Mobile apps or subscribe to the Korea 24 podcast for your daily updates!
Read my review on Substack here - https://barrywelsh1.substack.com/p/re...
KBS Korea 24 @KBSKorea24
“For #KoreaBookClub today, @barrypwelsh brings us a 90’s #murdermystery short story 'Photo Shop Murder' by the celebrated writer #KimYoungHa, drawing on the conventions of #crimefiction to set up a compelling detective story in Seoul. #김영하 #김영하작가 #사진관살인사건 #literature”
#KBSWORLDRadio #KBS월드라디오 #Korea24 #코리아24 #책추천 #책스타그램 #북스타그램 #bookstagram #book #reading #KoreanLiterature
19:10-20:00 KST, Mon-Fri on KBS WORLD Radio.
Download the KBS Kong / KBS WORLD Radio Mobile apps or subscribe to the Korea 24 podcast for your daily updates!
February 11, 2025
„Какво се случи с мъжа, заклещен в асансьора“ е сборник с осем разказа от южнокорейския писател Ким Йонха. Една от най-запомнящите книги, които съм чела напоследък и категоричен мой книжен любимец.
Всеки разказ носи в себе си мистерия, която държи читателя в плен на случващото се и го кара да се вълнува от първото до последното изречение. Накрая остава шокиран. На мен ми се налагаше след края на всеки разказ да се връщам отново в началото, дори да препрочитам, защото оставах толкова изненадана от развързката, че си казвах ,,трябва да съм пропуснала нещо”.
Мисля, че най-много ме спечели факта, че в разкази, които са по няколко странички, освен главните герои и второстепенните такива, са разработени толкова майсторски, че на читателя на моменти му се иска те самите да си имат отделни истории. Всъщност всеки един разказ има потенциал да бъде развит в самостоятелен роман.
Всеки разказ носи в себе си мистерия, която държи читателя в плен на случващото се и го кара да се вълнува от първото до последното изречение. Накрая остава шокиран. На мен ми се налагаше след края на всеки разказ да се връщам отново в началото, дори да препрочитам, защото оставах толкова изненадана от развързката, че си казвах ,,трябва да съм пропуснала нещо”.
Мисля, че най-много ме спечели факта, че в разкази, които са по няколко странички, освен главните герои и второстепенните такива, са разработени толкова майсторски, че на читателя на моменти му се иска те самите да си имат отделни истории. Всъщност всеки един разказ има потенциал да бъде развит в самостоятелен роман.
December 23, 2012
It's amazing that I could hate this book so much but love Young-Ha Kim's I Have the Right to Destroy Myself. The writing was poor, which could be blamed on the translator, but that doesn't excuse the short, pointless story. I found it to be boring, tedious, and flat. The added short story is even worse.
December 8, 2024
Pierwsze trzy opowiadania były super, a potem to poleciało w jakimś dziwnym kierunku i nie wiem co to miało być.
February 16, 2017
Last read: 21/03/2014
December 3, 2014
역시 최고다.
사랑한다 김영하 작가!
사랑한다 김영하 작가!
September 16, 2015
Första fem, mycket stilsäkra och välskrivna! Sedan faller stilen och intresset för de fyra sista... Så betyget är satt för de fem första!
September 4, 2021
4 nouvelles absurdes. Une manière de penser à nos propres vies, et l'occasion de se plonger dans le rêve et l'imagination!
November 18, 2019
Two short stories, "Photo Shop Murder" and "Whatever Happened to the Guy in the Elevator?" Frankly, I expected something more; they are entertaining stories, but that's all.
The first story is sort of a murder mystery, or perhaps a parody of a murder mystery, because the solution has nothing to do with the interrogation or the detective work, but just gets revealed out of the blue at the end. I had thought from the title that it would have something to do with the program Photoshop, but I should have looked at the date: the victim is the owner of a photo shop, that is a place that develops people's film and takes ID pictures and so forth. I suppose it could be considered "noire" but it doesn't exactly fit that genre either.
The second story is about a day that goes wrong, from the razor that snaps half way through shaving in the morning, to the man stuck in the elevator in the apartment, and so on through the day. The people don't care about each other, which is probably the point, and it is somewhat comic in a slapstick comedy sort of way.
The first story is sort of a murder mystery, or perhaps a parody of a murder mystery, because the solution has nothing to do with the interrogation or the detective work, but just gets revealed out of the blue at the end. I had thought from the title that it would have something to do with the program Photoshop, but I should have looked at the date: the victim is the owner of a photo shop, that is a place that develops people's film and takes ID pictures and so forth. I suppose it could be considered "noire" but it doesn't exactly fit that genre either.
The second story is about a day that goes wrong, from the razor that snaps half way through shaving in the morning, to the man stuck in the elevator in the apartment, and so on through the day. The people don't care about each other, which is probably the point, and it is somewhat comic in a slapstick comedy sort of way.
November 11, 2009
Both Young-ha Kim stories in this volume incisively capture aspects of modern day urbanity - darkness, depravity, and secrets in the title story, "Photo Shop Murder" and absurdity and randomness in "Whatever Happened to the Guy in the Elevator?". I liked both of them...although I especially enjoyed the second story. "Whatever Happened to the Guy in the Elevator" hugely reminded me of Martin Scorsese's greatly underrated film "After Hours". I don't know if Kim ever saw or has since ever seen that mostly forgotten gem, but his story contains the same themes and captures the same flavour - the only real differences to me being the setting is Seoul instead of New York City and the time of the narrative takes place during the span of one working day in contrast to one overnight period.
April 1, 2022
cute but I know for sure that I'm going to forget those stories. Here's my ranking tho
Qu'est devenu l'homme coincé dans l'ascenseur ? ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Vampires ⭐⭐☆☆☆
L'amour à haute tension ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (wtf was that tho, like they included a full on smut story in the middle on nowhere)
L'homme qui n'avait pas d'ombre ⭐⭐☆☆☆
Qu'est devenu l'homme coincé dans l'ascenseur ? ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Vampires ⭐⭐☆☆☆
L'amour à haute tension ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (wtf was that tho, like they included a full on smut story in the middle on nowhere)
L'homme qui n'avait pas d'ombre ⭐⭐☆☆☆
Read
February 21, 2012Najgorzej przetłumaczona książka, na jaką kiedykolwiek trafiłam! Nienaturalne zdania, dziwny szyk, natrętne kalki, po pierwszym opowiadaniu miałam dość. Szkoda, że tak popsuto zapewne ciekawego pisarza:( Nie daje gwiazdek, bo nie ma ujemnych...
March 10, 2010
Disappointment.
November 28, 2018
Quatre courtes nouvelles drôles/tristes ou absurdes, faciles à lire et passionnantes.
August 11, 2020
Read e-book re-addition 2020
July 4, 2023
Challenge 7 jours 7 livres
Comme je suis dans un bon mood de lecture en ce moment, j'ai décidé de me lancer un petit challenge livresque pour me motiver à lire les petits livres de ma PAL, vers lesquels je ne me tourne pas trop car ce sont surtout des jeunesse. C'est parti !
4/7
Qu'est devenu l'homme coincé dans l'ascenseur ?
La description d'une mauvaise journée par excellence. Ça m'a fait sourire. En revanche, je me doute que le narrateur est fait pour être assez antipathique et un peu le cliché du macho coréen mais j'avoue que ses réflexions sur les femmes, c'était assez insupportable (du style, "moi je suis sale mais c'est pas grave, je suis un homme, alors que, elle, c'est une femme, c'est différent", like dude!! Stop it! ).
Vampires
L'histoire d'une femme qui épouse un homme étrange.
Est-ce normal si j'ai trouvé la femme plus étrange que l'homme ? J'avoue m'être plus identifié à lui qu'à elle... Déjà, il est asexuel (친구!!), trouve que c'est un crime de donner naissance à des enfants dans le monde actuel (encore une fois, 친구!!) et est profondément dépressif (bon, sur ce point-là, on l'a été mais j'espère qu'on ne sera plus jamais 친구 😅).
L'amour à haute tension
En fait, j'hésitais entre un narrateur voulu macho et un auteur macho dans la première nouvelle mais là, clairement, Kim Young-Ha me dégoûte... Le narrateur de cette nouvelle (et très très très probablement son auteur par la même occasion) est un gros porc qui pense que l'amour, c'est vouloir "baiser" (comme il dit) une femme parce qu'elle a des gros seins. À vomir 🤢🤮
L'homme qui n'avait pas d'ombre
J'ai pas très bien saisi le lien entre le titre et l'histoire... Et puis, encore une fois, les remarques sur la poitrines des femmes, il faut arrêter ! L'auteur a un vrai problème avec les boobs, il est frustré je crois, pour en parler autant !
Comme je suis dans un bon mood de lecture en ce moment, j'ai décidé de me lancer un petit challenge livresque pour me motiver à lire les petits livres de ma PAL, vers lesquels je ne me tourne pas trop car ce sont surtout des jeunesse. C'est parti !
4/7
Qu'est devenu l'homme coincé dans l'ascenseur ?
La description d'une mauvaise journée par excellence. Ça m'a fait sourire. En revanche, je me doute que le narrateur est fait pour être assez antipathique et un peu le cliché du macho coréen mais j'avoue que ses réflexions sur les femmes, c'était assez insupportable (du style, "moi je suis sale mais c'est pas grave, je suis un homme, alors que, elle, c'est une femme, c'est différent", like dude!! Stop it! ).
Vampires
L'histoire d'une femme qui épouse un homme étrange.
Est-ce normal si j'ai trouvé la femme plus étrange que l'homme ? J'avoue m'être plus identifié à lui qu'à elle... Déjà, il est asexuel (친구!!), trouve que c'est un crime de donner naissance à des enfants dans le monde actuel (encore une fois, 친구!!) et est profondément dépressif (bon, sur ce point-là, on l'a été mais j'espère qu'on ne sera plus jamais 친구 😅).
L'amour à haute tension
En fait, j'hésitais entre un narrateur voulu macho et un auteur macho dans la première nouvelle mais là, clairement, Kim Young-Ha me dégoûte... Le narrateur de cette nouvelle (et très très très probablement son auteur par la même occasion) est un gros porc qui pense que l'amour, c'est vouloir "baiser" (comme il dit) une femme parce qu'elle a des gros seins. À vomir 🤢🤮
L'homme qui n'avait pas d'ombre
J'ai pas très bien saisi le lien entre le titre et l'histoire... Et puis, encore une fois, les remarques sur la poitrines des femmes, il faut arrêter ! L'auteur a un vrai problème avec les boobs, il est frustré je crois, pour en parler autant !
January 7, 2024
Est le second ouvrage que je lis de l'auteur. Les nouvelles commencent bien, l'atmosphère est plutôt bien établie, mais le reste ne suit pas. Lors de la lecture, l'intérêt initial que j'avais pour l'histoire racontée est la plupart du temps retombé comme un soufflé. Je pense que le format de nouvelles me convient difficilement. Aussi, les nouvelles de cet ouvrage semblent avoir une symbolique intéressante, mais elle m'est passée au-dessus
February 15, 2023
I like these short reads around the holidays when it feels like I don't have any time. This pair of stories by Kim Young-Ha really pack a punch, capturing the drudergy, animosity, and exasperation of modern life. It is kinky photographs, crumbling marriages, crocodile tears, and jaded police. It's a frazzled businessman, half-shaved face, with a lofty goal of saving office toilet paper.
None of it cleans up well in the prose; there are no tidy endings here. It's just a gritty snapshot.
Kim's work feels like wandering to me. There is no linear plot here; instead, it reads like a city feels-- winding streets and dark alleys that pop out onto bright boulevards. There definitely are echoes of 'I Have the Right to Destroy Myself' here, with the author exploring some of the same themes.
If you don't try to impose your own path/presumptions to it, you will enjoy the adventure.
None of it cleans up well in the prose; there are no tidy endings here. It's just a gritty snapshot.
Kim's work feels like wandering to me. There is no linear plot here; instead, it reads like a city feels-- winding streets and dark alleys that pop out onto bright boulevards. There definitely are echoes of 'I Have the Right to Destroy Myself' here, with the author exploring some of the same themes.
If you don't try to impose your own path/presumptions to it, you will enjoy the adventure.
April 6, 2019
This is a bit of a generous two stars but it is what it is.
Photo Shop Murder - 2 stars
Whatever Happened to the Guy in the Elevator - 1 star, negative stars, no stars? i wish i could give this negative stars
Photo Shop Murder is pretty dry, but the actual procedural aspect of it isn't too bad. The interpersonal things with the main character don't detract from the story (though I wish there was less about him getting aroused while interrogating a murder suspect). The ending really tanks this whole story, not only because the twist is pretty lousy but then the tone randomly, suddenly shifts and ends on the note about his dream which really comes out of nowhere and ruins the atmosphere of the story.
The elevator story is god awful. I am willing to say part of it must be the shitty translation, but good god this story really blows. I guess I never really liked absurdism but there's really nothing going for this one, except the guy's having one spectacularly awful day. The tone doesn't really work though, it isn't funny - like some absurdism - but it also doesn't take itself seriously enough either. I really didn't like it.
I reread these two short stories in preparation for Diary of a Murderer which is coming out soon. I don't want to jinx it, but given the low quality of these two stories, anything Young Ha Kim's written recently can't be worse.
Photo Shop Murder - 2 stars
Whatever Happened to the Guy in the Elevator - 1 star, negative stars, no stars? i wish i could give this negative stars
Photo Shop Murder is pretty dry, but the actual procedural aspect of it isn't too bad. The interpersonal things with the main character don't detract from the story (though I wish there was less about him getting aroused while interrogating a murder suspect). The ending really tanks this whole story, not only because the twist is pretty lousy but then the tone randomly, suddenly shifts and ends on the note about his dream which really comes out of nowhere and ruins the atmosphere of the story.
The elevator story is god awful. I am willing to say part of it must be the shitty translation, but good god this story really blows. I guess I never really liked absurdism but there's really nothing going for this one, except the guy's having one spectacularly awful day. The tone doesn't really work though, it isn't funny - like some absurdism - but it also doesn't take itself seriously enough either. I really didn't like it.
I reread these two short stories in preparation for Diary of a Murderer which is coming out soon. I don't want to jinx it, but given the low quality of these two stories, anything Young Ha Kim's written recently can't be worse.
November 27, 2021
Letto con il gruppo Libri dal mondo.
5 racconti diversi per trama e struttura ma che ruotano tutti attorno a personaggi che vivono esistenze infelici.
Lettura interessante che lascia un retrogusto amaro.
Conclusa la lettura si vuole leggere The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories.
Read with the group Libri dal mondo.
5 short stories different for plot and structure about unhappy people.
Interesting but with an unpleasant aftertaste.
When the book is over you want to read The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories.
5 racconti diversi per trama e struttura ma che ruotano tutti attorno a personaggi che vivono esistenze infelici.
Lettura interessante che lascia un retrogusto amaro.
Conclusa la lettura si vuole leggere The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories.
Read with the group Libri dal mondo.
5 short stories different for plot and structure about unhappy people.
Interesting but with an unpleasant aftertaste.
When the book is over you want to read The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories.
February 12, 2020
I went into this book with high expectations as I've enjoyed most other books I've read by Kim Young-Ha.
Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations at all. I guess the translation was a big factor in this. There were quite a lot of typos, especially for a story that's won a prize in the 2002 Korea Times Korean Literature Translation Contest... In addition to that, I found the tone to be very different to the tone in other books I've read (usually in Korean or German), and not in a good way.
The stories lacked depth to the point of being nothing more than something to read to pass time without having to think about the contents too much.
All in all, an okay reading experience that left me frustrated rather than pleasantly surprised.
Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations at all. I guess the translation was a big factor in this. There were quite a lot of typos, especially for a story that's won a prize in the 2002 Korea Times Korean Literature Translation Contest... In addition to that, I found the tone to be very different to the tone in other books I've read (usually in Korean or German), and not in a good way.
The stories lacked depth to the point of being nothing more than something to read to pass time without having to think about the contents too much.
All in all, an okay reading experience that left me frustrated rather than pleasantly surprised.
October 3, 2015
Una breve raccolta di racconti che immerge il lettore nella moderna ultra consumistica e individualistica Korea del Sud. L'inizio è molto accattivante e promettente ma dopo il primo racconto sono rimasta perplessa. Lo stile è troppo da scenografo, più adatto al cinema e alla televisione che del resto sono pane quotidiano per Kim Young-Ha. Resta l'interesse per la vita quotidiana delle persone comuni in un paese che nel giro di 15 anni è cresciuto vertiginosamente e sembra stia perdendo il contatto con quei valori e sentimenti che lo salvavano dal dramma della crisi depressiva tipica dell'occidente.
March 10, 2022
Esu susipažinusi su korėjietiškais filmais, serialais, muzika. Laba diena -pirmam korėjietiškam literatūros kūriniui. Pirmiausia nugalėjo smalsumas, o kas bus kitaip, o ir dabar valdantis korėjietiškas trendas tapo viena iš dedamųjų kūrinio pasirinkimui.
Paprasta, vietom juokinga, vietom šyzova, vietom skanu, keista.Džiaugiuosi kad tai buvo atskiros istorijos, o ne ilgas romanas. Dažniausiai būtent korėjietiškuose serialuose (tai yra trumpesnės apimties kūriniuose, lyginant su filmais) jiems pavyksta geriau atskleisti besirutuliojančios istorijos grožį, teisingą kameros darbą ir nuostabią lydinčią muziką. Žinau, kad norėsis palyginti šio autoriaus kitus kūrinius, gal bus netikėtų atradimų.
Paprasta, vietom juokinga, vietom šyzova, vietom skanu, keista.Džiaugiuosi kad tai buvo atskiros istorijos, o ne ilgas romanas. Dažniausiai būtent korėjietiškuose serialuose (tai yra trumpesnės apimties kūriniuose, lyginant su filmais) jiems pavyksta geriau atskleisti besirutuliojančios istorijos grožį, teisingą kameros darbą ir nuostabią lydinčią muziką. Žinau, kad norėsis palyginti šio autoriaus kitus kūrinius, gal bus netikėtų atradimų.
November 3, 2015
la Corea come si vede al cinema
esilaranti e vagamente poetici, questi brevi racconti sono l'essenza pura della vita media in Corea, quella stessa che siamo abituati a vedere nel cinema coreano di ultima generazione, quello delle storie intricate e inverosimili, delle avventure tragicomiche e delle risse da strada
consigliato a chi è incuriosito dalla Corea e vuole cominciare con un sorriso
esilaranti e vagamente poetici, questi brevi racconti sono l'essenza pura della vita media in Corea, quella stessa che siamo abituati a vedere nel cinema coreano di ultima generazione, quello delle storie intricate e inverosimili, delle avventure tragicomiche e delle risse da strada
consigliato a chi è incuriosito dalla Corea e vuole cominciare con un sorriso
June 24, 2021
Surreal stories – a man who slowly becomes invisible because he has found true love, a vampire who does not drink blood whose endless life is reduced to unbearable tedium – that defy easy classification. The cumulative effect is a feeling of being adrift in an endless wilderness. Even the narrative voice is somehow dispassionate, uninvolved. The final story is easily the best, with strange details slowly accumulating in a pattern.
June 18, 2018
Titolo accattivante, una quarta di copertina davvero promettente, ma, purtroppo, questi racconti non mi hanno entusiasmata.
Certo, ci mostrano una Corea ipertecnologica e moderna, molto - forse troppo - occidentalizzata, ma non ho trovato guizzi narrativi particolari e lo stile dell'autore non ha saputo coinvolgermi particolarmente.
Certo, ci mostrano una Corea ipertecnologica e moderna, molto - forse troppo - occidentalizzata, ma non ho trovato guizzi narrativi particolari e lo stile dell'autore non ha saputo coinvolgermi particolarmente.
August 14, 2008
The title story was not bad, pretty subdued. But the next one was awful; reminiscent of a creative writing course submission. I've heard "I Have the Right to Destroy Myself" is not so good for similar reasons.
May 21, 2018
Read some stories. Some was better than the others. I enjoyed it
October 31, 2022
Bardzo specyficzne, być może nawet dziwaczne opowiadania, ale niektóre wciągające
October 7, 2022
뭐랄까, 독특하면서도 차분한 느낌, 현대적이면서도 고전적인 느낌. 4.5/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews