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甜橙與麵包刀
二十七歲的幼兒園老師吳英雅，時時面帶笑容、體恤他人，總是配合著男友及好友的喜好而勉強自己，卻對這樣的生活感到疲憊不堪。在職場上，她忍受具有暴力傾向的孩子，逐漸失去了笑容。最後，為了恢復原來開朗的模樣，她尋求心理諮商，接受了可以「調節情緒」的大腦治療。
英雅的性格因此逐漸改變，她勇於說出自己的真心話，獲得了強烈的解放感，卻同時也感覺到逐漸萌生的負面影響。她痛快地抒發壓抑的情感，試圖遠離名為「關係」的牢籠。解放帶來的自由令她上癮，最後她終於決定摧毀自己的世界……故事到最後出現反轉，原來一切似乎是事先的預謀盤算，彷彿是對人性的測試，卻更像是一種提問。在震撼之餘，也讓人忍不住手心冒汗。
●世界是一個奇怪的地方
吳英雅是一名幼稚園老師。在教導孩子們時，會承受孩子們的踢打，並主動低頭以免在家長中留下壞名聲。吳英雅試圖將憤怒視為一種「壞情緒」。過度克制之下，甚至認為犧牲自己是理所當然。事實上，吳英雅的許多面向都與我們非常相似。對於朋友的胡言亂語，你充耳不聞，拍手贊同；對於愛人為你準備的食物，你即便不喜歡也吃下去了；對於工作中不愉快的事情，你忍耐心中不悅說：「對不起。」
世界是一個奇怪的地方，隱藏自己的真實感受，甚至說謊——在我們的日常生活中很常見。人真的能依循本性而活？這本書，就是青藝的答案。
●「我做好了被罵的準備，於是鼓起勇氣，寫下了自己想寫的故事。」
榮獲多項文學獎項的年輕作家青藝，從療癒到科幻，創作範圍十分廣泛。這本融合科幻及懸疑的作品被歸類為「軟科幻」，也是她首度將重心放在人性複雜的負面情感。「我做好了被罵的準備，於是鼓起勇氣，寫下了自己想寫的故事。」《甜橙與麵包刀》由此誕生。
本書以「我已經很久沒有笑過了」這樣的描述作為開端，將讀者帶入了人人都曾經歷過的情境。寫實的場景和人物，雖然有些誇張，卻又讓人感覺熟悉，彷彿曾經見過。於是，作者創造出了一種用科學想像建構的裝置，「情緒調節療法」。全書採第一人稱，讓人有更強烈的代入感：追隨著主角的內心，在慾望與衝動、虛偽與罪惡感之間搖擺不定。閤上最後一頁時，有些人會忍不住重新再讀一遍，有些人則會回頭省思自己和周圍的環境。
這是一部輕鬆開始、沉重結束的小說。這個既詭異又清新的故事，一定能滿足夢想逃離現實的讀者。
英雅的性格因此逐漸改變，她勇於說出自己的真心話，獲得了強烈的解放感，卻同時也感覺到逐漸萌生的負面影響。她痛快地抒發壓抑的情感，試圖遠離名為「關係」的牢籠。解放帶來的自由令她上癮，最後她終於決定摧毀自己的世界……故事到最後出現反轉，原來一切似乎是事先的預謀盤算，彷彿是對人性的測試，卻更像是一種提問。在震撼之餘，也讓人忍不住手心冒汗。
●世界是一個奇怪的地方
吳英雅是一名幼稚園老師。在教導孩子們時，會承受孩子們的踢打，並主動低頭以免在家長中留下壞名聲。吳英雅試圖將憤怒視為一種「壞情緒」。過度克制之下，甚至認為犧牲自己是理所當然。事實上，吳英雅的許多面向都與我們非常相似。對於朋友的胡言亂語，你充耳不聞，拍手贊同；對於愛人為你準備的食物，你即便不喜歡也吃下去了；對於工作中不愉快的事情，你忍耐心中不悅說：「對不起。」
世界是一個奇怪的地方，隱藏自己的真實感受，甚至說謊——在我們的日常生活中很常見。人真的能依循本性而活？這本書，就是青藝的答案。
●「我做好了被罵的準備，於是鼓起勇氣，寫下了自己想寫的故事。」
榮獲多項文學獎項的年輕作家青藝，從療癒到科幻，創作範圍十分廣泛。這本融合科幻及懸疑的作品被歸類為「軟科幻」，也是她首度將重心放在人性複雜的負面情感。「我做好了被罵的準備，於是鼓起勇氣，寫下了自己想寫的故事。」《甜橙與麵包刀》由此誕生。
本書以「我已經很久沒有笑過了」這樣的描述作為開端，將讀者帶入了人人都曾經歷過的情境。寫實的場景和人物，雖然有些誇張，卻又讓人感覺熟悉，彷彿曾經見過。於是，作者創造出了一種用科學想像建構的裝置，「情緒調節療法」。全書採第一人稱，讓人有更強烈的代入感：追隨著主角的內心，在慾望與衝動、虛偽與罪惡感之間搖擺不定。閤上最後一頁時，有些人會忍不住重新再讀一遍，有些人則會回頭省思自己和周圍的環境。
這是一部輕鬆開始、沉重結束的小說。這個既詭異又清新的故事，一定能滿足夢想逃離現實的讀者。
- GenresFiction
Unknown Binding
First published July 17, 2024
159 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 24, 2025
short/simple still strong.
통제가 내 세계의 종교였다면 자유는 내 세계의 구세주였다.
통제와 해방은 짝꿍이라 함께 있을 때 더 빛나거든요. 뭐든지 균형이 존재해야만 극단으로 치달아 볼 수도 있지요.
통제가 내 세계의 종교였다면 자유는 내 세계의 구세주였다.
통제와 해방은 짝꿍이라 함께 있을 때 더 빛나거든요. 뭐든지 균형이 존재해야만 극단으로 치달아 볼 수도 있지요.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I stormed through Orange and the Bread Knife in one sitting, and 24 hours later, I’m still struggling to categorise it.
Orange and the Bread Knife starts off solidly over well-trodden but not yet tiresome ground. Oh Young-a, a kind and thoughtful schoolteacher, is considerate of others above all else. Yet, despite having accomplished all she was “supposed” to, she slowly descends into depression.
At the urging of others, she begins an experimental treatment for her condition—and for better or worse, finds a new lease on life.
This novella is a rollercoaster. It would have been easy for Cheong Ye to lean into a Jekyll-and-Hyde style pivot, instead guardrails were firmly in place, and the results are at once mortifying, cathartic, freeing and painful to behold.
It truly is a delightful car crash to witness.
I couldn’t help but be impressed at the unique approach the novella takes tackling conformity over self-preservation and living against society’s expectations.
Recommended.
With thanks to Headline for the ARC.
Orange and the Bread Knife starts off solidly over well-trodden but not yet tiresome ground. Oh Young-a, a kind and thoughtful schoolteacher, is considerate of others above all else. Yet, despite having accomplished all she was “supposed” to, she slowly descends into depression.
At the urging of others, she begins an experimental treatment for her condition—and for better or worse, finds a new lease on life.
This novella is a rollercoaster. It would have been easy for Cheong Ye to lean into a Jekyll-and-Hyde style pivot, instead guardrails were firmly in place, and the results are at once mortifying, cathartic, freeing and painful to behold.
It truly is a delightful car crash to witness.
I couldn’t help but be impressed at the unique approach the novella takes tackling conformity over self-preservation and living against society’s expectations.
Recommended.
With thanks to Headline for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a very strange book and I'm still not 100% how I feel about it. I do understand the notion behind it - a woman having to conform to society's standards, especially in Korea. But I just couldn't quite connect with it.
Oh Young-a is a likeable woman. She's a kindergarten teacher, a friend, and a girlfriend. All of which she does with a smile and with one goal in mind - to make people believe she's happy and 'normal'. But what is normal and why does she have to behave this way?
After a run-in with one of her student's mother, she ends up visiting the Seohyang Medical Research Centre, looking for some help with depression. After a strange treatment, which promises to make her 'better', Young-a ends up in a spin of disastrous events. From lashing out to shouting, becoming brutally honest and giving people a few 'home-truths', Young-a becomes an even more honest version of the person she's been hiding below the surface. I kind of liked her. She really was sick of putting up with everyone else's nonsense!
This book really is about the weight of conforming to society's beliefs and expectations, and the damage it can have on ourselves. It was weird, interesting and somewhat shocking, but unfortunately I just couldn't connect with it fully.
Oh Young-a is a likeable woman. She's a kindergarten teacher, a friend, and a girlfriend. All of which she does with a smile and with one goal in mind - to make people believe she's happy and 'normal'. But what is normal and why does she have to behave this way?
After a run-in with one of her student's mother, she ends up visiting the Seohyang Medical Research Centre, looking for some help with depression. After a strange treatment, which promises to make her 'better', Young-a ends up in a spin of disastrous events. From lashing out to shouting, becoming brutally honest and giving people a few 'home-truths', Young-a becomes an even more honest version of the person she's been hiding below the surface. I kind of liked her. She really was sick of putting up with everyone else's nonsense!
This book really is about the weight of conforming to society's beliefs and expectations, and the damage it can have on ourselves. It was weird, interesting and somewhat shocking, but unfortunately I just couldn't connect with it fully.
August 24, 2025
驚艷。如果遮起封面並改變角色名字，我其實會認為這是日本芥川賞的候選作品。
《甜橙與麵包刀》同樣帶有日本Z世代作家的直言不諱，擅於表達對於日常瑣事及人際關係中的「細膩情緒」，但平時卻因得戴上面具，保持著道德和善意，甚至習慣把「對不起」當成口頭禪。結果，不論是講者還是聽者，其實都知道這只是為了維持社會表面的假象罷了。然而正因為這是社會，只好一起演下去，永遠。
故事便藉由一個小小的科幻設定，破壞表象，解鎖自制，而當一切情緒都能不經掩飾地傾瀉而出，會被定義為自由、真實、奇怪、改變、混亂、還是惡？
《甜橙與麵包刀》前半與後半具有鮮明的對峙，同時也有著流動的共通性。或許就寫法而言它有太強烈的情緒表達在字裡行間，更甚是把小事大談而稍微影響了故事本身。然而拉出書外，作者青藝引用了泰勒絲的〈Anti-Hero〉的歌詞「你有發現我偽裝利他主義的隱性自戀，就像某些國會議員嗎？」來說明這本書的「真實」之可貴，同時也帶來了個人寫作生涯的轉變，我只想給她大大的鼓勵。
／
「愛人啊，萬一我甚至連你這個人都討厭的話，你會怎麼想？
無論如何都選擇不當惡人，這就像把彈簧緊緊壓在心底不放手。為了不讓它彈到無法預測的方向，我必須自我克制，結果卻導致現在的我與秀元面對面躺著。
這太不公平、太不合理了。太矛盾了。當堅守善良的種種選擇並列的時候，留在未來的卻是不想要的人生。」
《甜橙與麵包刀》同樣帶有日本Z世代作家的直言不諱，擅於表達對於日常瑣事及人際關係中的「細膩情緒」，但平時卻因得戴上面具，保持著道德和善意，甚至習慣把「對不起」當成口頭禪。結果，不論是講者還是聽者，其實都知道這只是為了維持社會表面的假象罷了。然而正因為這是社會，只好一起演下去，永遠。
故事便藉由一個小小的科幻設定，破壞表象，解鎖自制，而當一切情緒都能不經掩飾地傾瀉而出，會被定義為自由、真實、奇怪、改變、混亂、還是惡？
《甜橙與麵包刀》前半與後半具有鮮明的對峙，同時也有著流動的共通性。或許就寫法而言它有太強烈的情緒表達在字裡行間，更甚是把小事大談而稍微影響了故事本身。然而拉出書外，作者青藝引用了泰勒絲的〈Anti-Hero〉的歌詞「你有發現我偽裝利他主義的隱性自戀，就像某些國會議員嗎？」來說明這本書的「真實」之可貴，同時也帶來了個人寫作生涯的轉變，我只想給她大大的鼓勵。
／
「愛人啊，萬一我甚至連你這個人都討厭的話，你會怎麼想？
無論如何都選擇不當惡人，這就像把彈簧緊緊壓在心底不放手。為了不讓它彈到無法預測的方向，我必須自我克制，結果卻導致現在的我與秀元面對面躺著。
這太不公平、太不合理了。太矛盾了。當堅守善良的種種選擇並列的時候，留在未來的卻是不想要的人生。」
January 5, 2025
4.8점.
올해 독서를 많이 하진 않았지만 그중에서는 2024 베스트.
도파민 그 자체.
그리고 색다른 느낌의 치유.
어쩌면 당연하면서도 혐오스럽고 강압적인 인간의 본질을 적나라하게 드러내는 책이다.
읽으면서 내가 과연 어떤 사람이고 무엇을 원하는지 나에게 자유란 무엇인지 고민할 수 있다.
한번 읽은 사람으로서는 좋은데 두번 읽었을 때도 같은 느낌일지는 잘 모르겠다.
책을 덮었을 때는 다시 읽고 싶지만 되돌아보면 소장을 고민하게 되는 책.
한번 읽어보고 시간을 두고 앞서 말한 책에서 다루는 주제가 고민이고 계속 이 책이 생각난다면 그후 소장을 결정 하는 것을 추천.
올해 독서를 많이 하진 않았지만 그중에서는 2024 베스트.
도파민 그 자체.
그리고 색다른 느낌의 치유.
어쩌면 당연하면서도 혐오스럽고 강압적인 인간의 본질을 적나라하게 드러내는 책이다.
읽으면서 내가 과연 어떤 사람이고 무엇을 원하는지 나에게 자유란 무엇인지 고민할 수 있다.
한번 읽은 사람으로서는 좋은데 두번 읽었을 때도 같은 느낌일지는 잘 모르겠다.
책을 덮었을 때는 다시 읽고 싶지만 되돌아보면 소장을 고민하게 되는 책.
한번 읽어보고 시간을 두고 앞서 말한 책에서 다루는 주제가 고민이고 계속 이 책이 생각난다면 그후 소장을 결정 하는 것을 추천.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews