A review by jayisreading
The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

This was a fun and interesting read from what I normally pick up. What I particularly liked about The Old Woman with the Knife was the particular focus on ageism and sexism, specifically the treatment of aging women, in South Korean society. It was a refreshing change of pace to have an older woman (sixty-five years old) as the protagonist… who also happens to be an assassin. It’s not what you would expect in a book that’s marketed as a thriller, but it was one I welcomed and I thought a lot about the themes.

I will say there were a few things left to be desired in this book. Interestingly, this book could have either benefited from being shorter or longer, depending on how the author wanted to take it. There were a few different plot points that were presented that caught my attention (particularly Hornclaw’s past and her relationship with Ryu), but they were never explored in-depth. As a result, I felt some of this could have been removed altogether to avoid derailing the plot, or Gu could have developed them a bit more. I don’t think it would have made the story unwieldy either and, in fact, would have made Hornclaw’s character all the more interesting and complex.

To end on a positive note, though, I thought the translation was well done. Kim really captured the essence of Hornclaw’s tone and personality in this book, which gets you more invested in the protagonist.

This is worth picking up, just for the uncommon premise. It also isn’t as gimmicky as it sounds.

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