Broken Summer, J.M. Lee
Broken Summer, J.M. Lee
List: $35.99 | Sale: $25.20
Club: $17.99

Broken Summer

Author: J.M. Lee, An Seon Jae

Narrator: Greg Chun

Unabridged: 8 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/01/2022

Synopsis

A death, a lie, a secret. For twenty-six summers he didn’t have the courage to face the past.Lee Hanjo is an artist at the peak of his fame, envied and celebrated. Then, on his forty-third birthday, he awakens to find that his devoted wife has disappeared, leaving behind a soon-to-be-published novel she’d secretly written about the sordid past and questionable morality of an artist with a trajectory similar to Hanjo’s. It’s clear to him that his life is about to shatter and the demons from his past will come out. But why did his wife do it? Why now?The book forces Hanjo to reflect on a summer from his youth when a deadly lie irreversibly and tragically determined the fates of two families.From master storyteller J. M. Lee, one of Korea’s most renowned authors, comes an unforgettable novel of hidden truths, denials, and their inevitable repercussions. Everyone still left standing from that terrible summer so long ago must finally reckon with the deceptions that started it all and, twist after shocking twist, reap both the suffering and the vindication that comes with revenge.

About J.M. Lee

J. M. Lee’s books have sold millions of copies in his native Korea. He is the author of Painter of the Wind, the historical mystery that launched his career and was adapted into a popular and award-winning television series in Korea; The Boy Who Escaped Paradise; The Investigation, nominated for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and among the final six books selected for the Italian literary prize Premio Bancarella; and Broken Summer, an instant bestseller in Korea and currently in production as a television series.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul

There was no need to fight memories while painting; there was no past in the pictures that occupied him—no killer father, no drunk mother, and no dead Jisoo. Through the magical power of color and form, he escaped from pain. He was still young; his life. Broken Summer is the translation by An Seon Jae......more

Goodreads review by Barbara

I loved Broken Summer ! It's a literary drama set in the world of high art. The protagonist is a famous painter, like Jackson Pollock, for instance and his wife, a beautiful and devoted woman who cares for his every need and supports his career in every way until one day she is missing. Instead of f......more

Goodreads review by Chandra

Need an easy, quick thriller to read while also marking off that translated read goal off your list? Welcome to BROKEN SUMMER. Poor Hanjo woke up after a wonderful birthday, wakes up to find his wife gone. The only thing she appeared to have left behind are some pages from a book she's written. As h......more

Goodreads review by Simon

Intriguing storyline? Yep. Literary prose stylings? Oh, yes. Characters you care about? Er, well... And there is the rub. Nobody in this book really makes me care for them. The book tells its tale from multiple perspectives yet none of them engaged me. I began it in October but had a couple of months......more

Quotes

“The audio is narrated by Greg Chun, who maintains tension throughout the story's multiple twists and revelations. Mystery and suspense fans will be enthralled by this complex and gorgeously written tale, but readers of family drama and general fiction will also find much to love.” —Library Journal“Skillfully rendered into English by translator An, the novel contemplates these issues in a murder mystery notable for its nuanced storytelling…A subtle psychological thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews“Lee excels at psychological realism, and Hanjo’s quest to learn the truth feels naturally driven by deep, painful emotions…This exquisite portrait of minds torn apart by mourning will appeal not just to mystery readers.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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