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A review by puglord
The Consultant by Im Seong-sun
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The plot follows a man with is an aspiring writer. He posts his true crime stories online planning out intricate murders. He wounds up recruited to write stories to be published, but it turns out it’s a consulting firm for ‘restructuring.’ The language was funny and entertaining, and the translator did a good job. I liked the beginning but the story went downhill in the second half. I didn’t like the way women were treated in the story, with each one reduced down to sex. The Manager is his ‘wet dream.’ As for his first girlfriend, she and him had good sex, but just not good enough for him to save her life and she winds up dead. Yerin is his wish fulfillment fantasy. While arguably that this is due to the Company, they aren’t treated with the fairness the male characters are. The Chairman is treated sympathetically, trying to recruit the protagonist to his side, before he winds up killed by his heir. The old high school classmate is more fleshed out, being trapped in the corporate monotony and forced to fire two interns since he needs to pay off his bills.