KOREAN LITERATURE CORNER - DEC. 2024

By Joshua Kim

Hi readers,

For my final post of 2024, I’d like to recommend a book, if anyone is looking to pick up something new for the holidays.

The novel is called Free Food for Millionaires. It’s the first novel by Min Jin Lee, who is most famous for her second novel, Pachinko. Ms. Lee is a  Korean American author known for her poignant and richly detailed storytelling. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in New York City, Lee studied history at Yale University and later attended Georgetown Law School, before pursuing her passion for writing.

I really enjoy reading the debut novels of authors whose work I admire. It’s interesting to get glimpses into the original themes they wrestle with as well as how their later work has transformed from their beginning pieces. 

Free Food for Millionaires is a lovely debut work, full of rich characters. Lee displays an impressive ability to switch between multiple character POVs within a single chapter, and her thoughtful writing about each character left me interested in them no matter how small their role in the novel. While Free Food mainly follows a young woman named Casey Han, who is seeking to become an investment banker, there are multiple storylines amongst multiple characters that made this longer novel (500+ pages) feel much shorter. 

Below is a quick teaser of Free Food. I highly recommend it. 

“Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee is a richly layered novel that delves into the complex intersections of ambition, identity, and cultural expectations. The story follows Casey Han, a Princeton graduate navigating the gap between her Korean immigrant upbringing and the high-society Manhattan world she longs to join. Armed with intellect, charm, and a hunger for independence, Casey finds herself grappling with career setbacks, complicated relationships, and her parents’ traditional values.

As she struggles to balance her dreams and obligations, Casey's journey explores themes of self-discovery, class, and belonging in a rapidly shifting world. The novel paints an intimate portrait of a young woman caught between two cultures and the universal quest to carve out a meaningful life. With its vivid characters and keen insights into human nature, Free Food for Millionaires is both a compelling drama and a thoughtful exploration of the choices that define us.”