Strong premise of a rental wife, pity the unfocused storytelling
The Straits Times|November 17, 2024
The Trunk satirises marriage, yet lacks the bite to offer any illuminating insights about the institution
Jan Lee
Strong premise of a rental wife, pity the unfocused storytelling

THE TRUNK By Kim Ryeo-ryeong Fiction/Penguin Randomhouse/ Paperback/304 pages/$21.81 ★★★★☆

Has society been thinking about marriage all wrong?

The Trunk by South Korean author Kim Ryeo-ryeong posits a world where marriage can simply be a service to be traded and sold. Billed as a feminist satire, the book is told through the first-person perspective of Noh In-ji, an almost 30-year-old woman who looks to be a normal employee of a matchmaking company called Wedding & Life.

In reality, she is a "field wife", who works for New Marriage, a secret company subsidiary that runs a hidden service which allows its wealthy members to rent spouses for a limited period.

For the duration of the contract, the hired spouses aim to provide their clients with the most authentic and appealing version of marriage they want - with sex, household chores and dates while setting themselves apart from high-end escorts.

Detailed rescue protocols are in place too, in case any clients turn abusive towards their spouse.

この記事は The Straits Times の November 17, 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Straits Times の November 17, 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

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