Cheon Myeong-kwan returns with 'Accordion,' embracing 'ruthless realism' over fantasy

Ten years after his last novel, "This is a Man's World," author Cheon Myeong-kwan has returned with "Accordion," a work that starkly contrasts with the magical realism of his acclaimed "Whale." This new novel plunges into the grim realities of post-Korean War Seoul, focusing on a group of orphaned children who survive by begging.

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This feels like an era of envy. Empathy has disappeared, and people are hostile towards each other. There's no place in literature or video that deals with subordinate subjects. The chaebols gather and do live broadcasts in real-time. I don't know what this feeling is.

"Accordion" portrays a world dominated by greed and intrigue, even among the young protagonists. The story follows characters like Dong-i, who inherits his mother's musical talent; Geo-buk, a disabled boy who can read and strategize; Yeon-i, a blind girl with a beautiful singing voice; Kkam-sang, a nimble-fingered orphan; Chan-i, whose crying brings in the most money; and Hong-i, who overcomes his fear and disability. Despite their hardships, a chilling indifference underlies their existence.

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The Korean War, a rare and immense tragedy in human history, is the most fundamental event that shaped the landscape of Korean society.

The novel's noir-like elements intensify as secrets are revealed: the survival of the disabled Geo-buk when others died in a fire, the true intentions of a Western man seeking to adopt Chan-i, the fact that Chan-i was kidnapped, Yeon-i's blindness and questionable family ties, and the revelation that Ami, the ringleader of the child beggars, was responsible for the deaths of the Western man and Yeon-i's grandfather. Survival transcends mere poverty, demanding children navigate a world where good and evil are intertwined, and even good can be disguised as evil.

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This work was the most arduous process, the most difficult task I've undertaken so far.

Cheon emphasizes the complexity of human nature, stating, "Within a single character, they are not purely good or evil, and can do anything depending on their inner changes and circumstances. I wanted to capture the multi-dimensional complexity of a human being." The novel finds a thread of hope in the accordion, passed from Yeon-i to Dong-i and then to Hong-i, and in the music that emanates from them. The author describes the novel as "a tribute to the songs of that era," with its subtitles taken from popular songs of the time like "Lucky Seoul" and "Tears of Mokpo."

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Within a single character, they are not purely good or evil, and can do anything depending on their inner changes and circumstances. I wanted to capture the multi-dimensional complexity of a human being.