The Hole (2016)

This short novel (under 5 hours on audio) is narrated by a man, Oghi, after he wakes from a coma. He has been in a serious car accident and his wife has died. He is paralyzed and cannot speak, but is otherwise stable. His own parents are deceased, and it is his mother-in-law who takes over his care. She arranges for a caregiver, doctors appointments, and all the equipment he needs.
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This little novel is quite interesting. Pyun does a good job of putting Oghi's shock at his new life into his narration. His grief seems most intense when thinking about regular things he can no longer do, the book he will never get to write. But with hours and hours to lay and think, he spends a lot of time thinking about his wife and their relationship--and maybe he is a little more unreliable than he seemed at first. And maybe this explains some of his mother-in-law's increasingly strange behavior. ( )

A slow first half with some exceedingly boring flashbacks really dragged it down. The last half had some truly terrifying moments. If it wasn't so short it would've been really difficult to get through. ( )

Went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars but settled on 3 because I like the premise and atmosphere of this book and it is done well in places. Some of the chapters, though, when Oghi is looking back seemed to get wordy, which is kind of odd for such a short book. Also, what is up with the absolutely clueless physical therapist? ( )

I picked this up at random on my library's new book shelf, and I'm glad I did. This is a seriously creepy short novel that plays with themes of abandonment both physical and emotional. The atmosphere is foreboding from the start and grows darker as the story builds. This is a quick read, but it has stayed with me since I finished it. ( )

I think this is one of those horror novels that does its work on you after you finish reading it. I can't say I entirely "got" it, but I think it is subversive. The writing felt quite claustrophobic, and the suspense was a slow burn. By the end of it, I had no sympathy for Oghi. I believe this was the author's intent. ( )