The Good Son (Korean: 종의 기원 Jong-ui Giwon 'The Origin of Species') is a novel by You-Jeong Jeong, first published in South Korea in 2016 by Eunhaengnamu (도서출판 은행나무) . It was translated into English by Chi-Young Kim, with the translation published in 2018 by Little Brown Book Group. This is the first Novel by Jeong to have an official English translation; the author created three novels prior to this one.[1] Hachette India published the book in English in that country.[2]
The book is about a murder; G. Sampath of The Hindu stated that the book centers on the "interiority" of the person who murders.[3] Anuradha Varma of Indian Express wrote that the book "also touches upon complicated family dynamics and how death changes relationships."[2]
The main character is Han Yu-jin, 25 years old in the story, who has an adopted brother, Kim Hae-jin. Yu-jin finds his mother dead in his Incheon apartment and realizes that he is a murderer. He resented his mother for forbidding him from doing swimming and for giving preferential treatment to his adopted brother. Yu-jin decides what to do, and later has a confrontation with Hae-jin.
Walter Sim of the Straits Times stated that since the book reveals the identity of the murderer relatively early, The Good Son "evolves into a chilling psychological look down the rabbit hole into a seriously unhinged mind."[1] Much of the novel includes Yu-jin having self-dialogs.[4] Varma stated that the apartment, where the story takes place, "is in keeping with the sparse theme."[2]
Sim stated that the book is "dark and claustrophobic" and had a positive reception.[1]
Sampath concluded that overall the book "is the stuff of classic page-turners."[3] He states that the "oversimplified prose" is the sole "irritant".[3]
J. David Osborne of El Paso, Texas, in World Literature Today concluded that it "is a perfect read for an airplane ride: it sucks you in with precision and holds your attention".[4] Osborne argued that the book "felt like reading a film" and that the self-dialogs "can at times become tedious, but it’s worth noting that the line between tedium and tension can be extremely thin."[4] Osborne believed the ending was "satisfying".[4]
Varma wrote that "The Good Son is a perfect weekend read or if you have a few hours to kill on the metro to and from work."[2] Varma praised the translation, stating that it "doesn’t get in the way of the storytelling."[2]
Nandita Bose of The Deccan Herald wrote that the book has "a fascinating and terrifying story".[5] Bose stated that the conclusion "is shocking to the point of being funny except for the last chilling note."[5]
Kirkus Reviews concludes that it is "A creepy, insidious, blood-drenched tale in which nothing is quite what it seems. "[6] The publication described the development as "taut, high-tension wire, slowly letting it play out".[6]
Publishers Weekly gave the book a star as a way of recommending it, and stated that "Readers who enjoy grappling with the issue of a narrator’s reliability will relish Yu-jin".[7]