The Plotters

A Novel

By: Un-su Kim

Narrated by: Arthur Lee

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

"[A] powerhouse of a novel.... It reads as if Haruki Murakami rewrote The Day of the Jackal." (Locus Magazine)

"Editor's Choice" New York Times Book Review

"The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2019" CrimeReads

"Most Anticipated Books of 2019" Lit Hub

"This Winter's Best Thrillers" Chicago Review of Books

"Best Books of the Year" Apple

A fantastical crime novel set in an alternate Seoul where assassination guilds compete for market dominance.

Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind - a plotter - working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want?

Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library", Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women - a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian - Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.

Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, The Plotters is a deeply entertaining thriller that soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft.

©2019 Un-su Kim (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Editor's Choice" New York Times Book Review
"9 New Books We Recommend This Week" New York Times
"The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2019" CrimeReads
“Most Anticipated Books of 2019” Lit Hub
"This Winter's Best Thrillers" Chicago Review of Books
"Picks of the Week" Publishers Weekly
"The Best Books of the Week" New York Post
"The Best Reviewed Books of the Week" Book Marks
“15 Newly Translated Novels You Need to Read in 2019” Barnes and Noble

"It would be hard to accuse The Plotters, a raucous extravaganza of assassins and lunatics by the lauded Korean writer Un-Su Kim, of conforming to any template." New York Times Book Review

“[A] gripping portrait of a killer for hire …The Plotters is no primer for a visit to Korea. What it does offer is a vivid portrait of a mesmerizing central character—the stoic Reseng. It will also keep readers delightfully off-balance. In The Plotters Kim has mixed bookishness, crackpots and commissioned murder into a rich and unsettling blend." The Washington Post

“Korean author Kim makes his U.S. debut with a powerful, surreal political thriller…The complex plot, in which Reseng becomes involved with a more polished, CEO-like hit man named Hanja, builds to a highly cinematic and violent denouement. Most memorable, though, is the novel’s message about the insidiousness of unaccountable institutions, from those under the military junta to those that thrive in today’s economy. The consequence of the pervasive corruption is an air of existential despair. This strange, ambitious book will appeal equally to literary fiction readers.” Publishers Weekly (Starred review)

Intriguing, well done

Very Intriguing, makes you think on different levels. Well narrated, sparse clean elegant prose. Haunts you and makes you think about it long after it ends. One of my favorite surprising reads.

Not your typical thrillers

Once you get used to the beginning part of narratives, you will find an interesting choice of narration to reflect the undertones of the character. A slow burn.

Methodical story of empathy and loss

This story wound through a methodical plot, at times jumping into the past to provide insight into the mind and life of the protagonist, Reseng. While the narrative focuses on Reseng's time as an assassin and his growing discontent with his life and the people around him, this is really a story about making life choices and living with - or fighting against - the consequences. The reader finds themselves rooting for Reseng to find some semblance of understanding about his own life, even if he is not a heroic character. This story asks readers to empathize with its characters despite, or perhaps, because of the horrible things they do. Really fascinating read.

Very thoughtful book

Although an exceptionally dark topic, the author gave it a grace rarely seen in this genre.

Great character study, uneven narration and pacing

A meat market and an old library called The Doghouse are an interesting setting for an underground society of assassins in Seoul. They give off similar vibes to the Hotel in John Wick, though the book doesn't explore them as much as I would have liked.

The dialogue and characters are all very interesting, though I wish some relationships were explored more deeply in the book. It felt like I didn't have enough time to get attached to some characters or relationships before it was over.

The narration was good at times, but very uneven for most of the book. The delivery for Ressing didn't seem to match the writing.

Overall I enjoyed this book! It just could have used a little more character development, and better pacing.

Good

Like characters, plot twists, dialogue and descriptive passages. Good political commentary. Good for mystery lovers

Solid

Lots of intriguing plot twists and and an excellent translation into English. I highly recommend

Cinematic and philosophical

The Plotters is a gem I found in the sale “bin.” It reads like a film, owing to the fortuitous combination of writing, translation, and narration. The narrator uses a British accent and reflects, presumably, Korean class differences with Western dialects. I think the book hints at important elements of S. Korean history and culture, not least of which are colonialism, religion, capitalism, and gender. Yes, it’s violent and about assassins, but that’s what makes it good—the protagonist is introspective and really something of a hero—if that were even possible in his world.

A unique take on a thriller adventure

I really enjoyed the unique style of the characters and plot. While the course of the plot was engaging, I was hoping for more of the "plotters" backstory but the focus was kept within the scope of the main actors. Fun characters that were enjoyable to get to know. I would say that the ending was different from "typical" American story. I'm not sure if I would say that I entirely liked it, but liked being forced to think about endings in a different way.

Not for multi-tasking

I listen to over 150 books a year so it stands to reason that I do so while doing other things - but with The Plotters I could not move, not get out of the car, not cook, not concentrate on anything but sitting and just listening. I had to know what would happen next. I loved it, and I think it is a book that will stay in my head for a long time because the author paints such a picture with his words that I am left feeling like I saw a movie.