Whimsical and Tender Encounters Filled with Coincidences in the Strange and Affectionate Lee Yuri Universe

Lee Yuri's debut novel, which received praise for its "eccentric yet familiar imagination and lively style." Lee Yuri introduces a world where supernatural events and extraordinary beings unexpectedly intrude into everyday life. Through characters who casually embrace these occurrences, fantasy and reality become intertwined, inseparable. Stories of seemingly gruff but ultimately tender individuals who unravel and untangle the knots of each other's hearts. Like a father who, when his ashes are planted in a flowerpot, comes back to life as a tree ("Red Fruit"). Or a boyfriend's right hand turning into broccoli ("Broccoli Punch"). Or a devoted fan's selfless love, called 'dedication,' becoming the subject of extraterrestrial research ("Floating"). Or a boyfriend who died in an accident, manifesting in the newlywed couple's living room after five years, possessing the fingernails he used to scratch the floor ("Nail Shadow"). In the everyday lives of Lee Yuri's characters, peculiar events occur suddenly, yet they remain unfazed. Following along with straightforward characters and elastic sentences, readers find themselves immersed in Lee Yuri's world where fantasy and reality blend seamlessly. It is convincing that somewhere in the 'Lee Yuri Universe,' there might exist people who can communicate with stones and horses ("Cheese Moon and Biscotti"), or a swimming instructor teaching a speaking iguana how to swim ("Me and the Iguana"). In this manner, the author easily acclimates readers to her rhythm and continues to tell her stories with conviction. As readers savor Lee Yuri's tantalizing novels, they will experience unexpected, intricate flavors.

Lee Yuri started her career by winning the 2020 Kyunghyang Daily News New Writer’s Contest for "Red Fruit."