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Narrow Rooms
A romantic thriller exploring the dark corners of human desire and isolation with quiet eeriness
Is a fresh start truly possible? Or will society’s strictures and your own impulses keep re-creating the same messed-up relationships in every narrow room you enter?
Choi Seongmin’s Narrow Rooms follows a young woman who leaves her rural hometown to study in Seoul and seek self-improvement. But once there, she quickly becomes the target of unwanted attention from her teacher, and the whispers of other students only deepen her alienation. Living in a cramped, poorly soundproofed room, the suffocating atmosphere begins to further distort her boundaries and perceptions. Longing for escape, she fixates on a handsome new neighbor, her fascination spiraling into obsession: She secretly rummages through his mailbox, collects his discarded cigarette butts and teabags, and hoards his trash. But when she discovers something unsavory about the object of her desire, will she be forced to confront the morals of her own behavior?
With clean, uniform lines and milky colors reminiscent of glass paintings, Choi’s cartooning heightens the story’s sense of claustrophobia and unreality. Expertly translated from the Korean by Janet Hong and originally serialized as a Webtoon, Narrow Rooms has been praised for its raw, unsparing depiction of how human desires leak out when confined behind thin walls, emerging in unsettling, antisocial ways that no amount of self-control can fully contain.
Is a fresh start truly possible? Or will society’s strictures and your own impulses keep re-creating the same messed-up relationships in every narrow room you enter?
Choi Seongmin’s Narrow Rooms follows a young woman who leaves her rural hometown to study in Seoul and seek self-improvement. But once there, she quickly becomes the target of unwanted attention from her teacher, and the whispers of other students only deepen her alienation. Living in a cramped, poorly soundproofed room, the suffocating atmosphere begins to further distort her boundaries and perceptions. Longing for escape, she fixates on a handsome new neighbor, her fascination spiraling into obsession: She secretly rummages through his mailbox, collects his discarded cigarette butts and teabags, and hoards his trash. But when she discovers something unsavory about the object of her desire, will she be forced to confront the morals of her own behavior?
With clean, uniform lines and milky colors reminiscent of glass paintings, Choi’s cartooning heightens the story’s sense of claustrophobia and unreality. Expertly translated from the Korean by Janet Hong and originally serialized as a Webtoon, Narrow Rooms has been praised for its raw, unsparing depiction of how human desires leak out when confined behind thin walls, emerging in unsettling, antisocial ways that no amount of self-control can fully contain.
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
516 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
The title truly fits the storyline as we get tiny glimpses into the characters minds and we get to see slices of their lives. There were so many stories intertwined that it flowed seamlessly. Although I was shocked that there was a prep school before applying for university.
Our MCs facial expressions cracked me up throughout the story and seeing her reaction truly showed what she was feeling and a lot of the awkwardness in convos and situations.
Without spoiling anything, I found this to be an engaging read that highlighted the not so perfect sides of people. I'll for sure keep an eye out for any more translated works from this author.
Thanks a lot to Edelweiss and Drawn & Quarterly Comics for the DRC..
Our MCs facial expressions cracked me up throughout the story and seeing her reaction truly showed what she was feeling and a lot of the awkwardness in convos and situations.
Without spoiling anything, I found this to be an engaging read that highlighted the not so perfect sides of people. I'll for sure keep an eye out for any more translated works from this author.
Thanks a lot to Edelweiss and Drawn & Quarterly Comics for the DRC..
May 23, 2026
Thrilling, anxiety inducing, and reflective of the younger, modern Korean culture.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews