Korean Literature Now, het tijdschrift van het Koreaanse agentschap ter promotie van literaire vertalingen, vroeg me een recensie te schrijven van To the Moon van Jang Ryujin (Jang is de familienaam). Om precies te zijn van de Nederlandse vertaling ervan. Dat was weer eens wat anders. Het leverde ook leuke inzichten over het verschil tussen Engelse en Nederlandse vertalingen.

Hieronder mijn recensie, het complete tijdschrift valt gratis te downloaden bij KLN.

A slice of crypto life: The universal charm of the office escape plan

By the time they reach the bottom of the first page of To the Moon, the bestselling novel by Jang Ryujin, readers of the Dutch, English and German translations have already slightly different impression of the story’s setting. The English translator, Sean Lin Halbert, has omitted how long the protagonist Jeong Dahae has been working for the confectionary company Maron. The Dutch translator, Mattho Mandersloot, has explicitly placed her in the back seat of a taxi with her boss, while the other two versions simply note them taking a cab. These are not huge discrepancies, but they do serve as a reminder that Korean reality is presented differently to European readers, depending on their language. This matters especially in this type of story.

To the Moon is a so-called slice of life novel, a genre that has become popular across the globe lately. They offer relatable stories about normal people with little drama or plot. Kang Eunsang, Kim Jisong and Jeong Dahae are office workers at Maron, with few exciting tasks to fulfil. Then Eunsang, the more entrepreneurial of the three, decides to invest in cryptocurrency, reckoning that the rate will keep rising. After some hesitance Dahae followers her, while Jisong holds out for a long time, thinking it too risky.

With this effective setup Jang Ryujin accomplishes two things at once. First she characterizes the three women and their mutual relationships. All three dislike their jobs, but Eunsang leads the way in trying to get ahead in life. Dahae is the most thoughtful, hedging her bets, while Jisong’s timidity keeps her down, both in the relation with her friends and with regard to her finances. Secondly, the cryptobusiness inserts some mild tension in the narrative: will the three women succeed in multiplying their lives’ savings or will they lose everything?

The story does not dwell much on the cryptocurrency other than the joy it instils in the women as the rate skyrockets. Rather it describes some moderate office excitements and chores in a light-hearted tone that is at times funny on the verge of slapstick, such as when Jisong spills the contents of her suitcase all over the floor of Jeju airport. The appeal of slice of life novels lies in the familiarity, to readers, of setting and events. Office life, dreams of being rich, the hunt for a more spacious apartment, a nice holiday.

Authors of such novels must have a keen sense of what to appeal to, as Jang Ryujin clearly does. Much of what goes on in To the moon has universal charm, like the obsession with what’s going on online, and conversations in trendy coffee shops that seem almost obligatory in slice of life novels. Inevitably, though, there are also very Korean elements.

For instance, to Korean readers the simple mention of Jeju is likely enough to conjure images and perhaps memories of the subtropical island south of the mainland. Jang Ryujin has little need to describe Jeju for her original audience. The English translator thought it wise to explicitly add that Jeju is an island. Dutch readers could be forgiven for thinking Jeju is a mainland beach resort. The Dutch edition is more faithful to the original text, while the English translator apparently decided to adapt the text to make it more familiar to non-Korean readers. As a result of these choices, the reading experiences of both translations differ in the way they convey Korea.

Though the backdrop of Jeju may be experienced different by readers of distinct nationalities, the outing of the three women to Jeju has recognizable components for those aspiring to be rich: a posh hotel with an infinity pool, luxury services and voguish parties. The circumstances magnify the differences between the three. Eunsang relishes the holiday, but also displays her mean streak. Jisong is happy to go along, but insecure about almost everything. Dahae struggles while holding the balance between her two friends. Of course everything ends well, in a fitting but not overtly remarkable way. So, To the moon merrily accomplishes what it aims to do, offering a pleasant read to enjoy during lunch break, in a coffee shop or, perhaps if you’re lucky, at your infinity pool.