The essential account of the South Korean 1980 pro-democracy rebellion.
Sok-Yong Hwang Books
Hwang Sok-yong is a celebrated South Korean novelist whose works delve into the complex historical and social landscape of Korea. His narratives often grapple with periods of Japanese rule and the Vietnam War, reflecting a keen engagement with the nation's tumultuous past. Known for his epic scope and profound humanism, Hwang masterfully weaves individual stories into the broader tapestry of Korean history. His writing explores themes of identity, justice, and the enduring impact of historical events on ordinary lives, offering a powerful lens through which to understand national experience.
The Prisoner
- 624 pages
- 22 hours of reading
A sweeping account of modern Korean history told through one writer's imprisonment-in time, in language, and in a divided country-from Korea's most acclaimed novelist.
The Guest
- 234 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Based on actual events, The Guest is a profound portrait of a divided people haunted by a painful past, and a generation's search for reconciliation. During the Korean War, Hwanghae Province in North Korea was the setting of a gruesome fifty-two day massacre. In an act of collective amnesia the atrocities were attributed to American military, but in truth they resulted from malicious battling between Christian and Communist Koreans. Forty years later, Ryu Yosop, a minister living in America returns to his home village, where his older brother once played a notorious role in the bloodshed. Besieged by vivid memories and visited by the troubled spirits of the deceased, Yosop must face the survivors of the tragedy and lay his brother's soul to rest. Faulkner-like in its intense interweaving narratives, The Guest is a daring and ambitious novel from a major figure in world literature.
A vibrant and enchanting novel from one of Korea's most celebrated writers. When 14-year-old Bugeye and his mother arrive at Flower Island -- a vast landfill site on the outskirts of Seoul -- they soon become part of the eclectic community of impoverished outsiders who make their living weeding recyclables from the rubbish. Then, one night, Bugeye notices mysterious lights dancing around the landfill ... Could it be the island's ancient spirits? Is his luck about to change? Familiar Thingsdepicts a society on the edge of dizzying economic and social change. It is a haunting reminder to us all to be careful of what we throw away.
Princess Bari
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
A modern-day quest novel, by one of Korea's most renowned novelists.
At Dusk
- 144 pages
- 6 hours of reading
In the evening of his life, a wealthy man begins to wonder if he might have missed the point.Park Minwoo is, by every measure, a success story. Born into poverty in a miserable neighbourhood of Seoul, he has ridden the wave of development in a rapidly modernising society. Now the director of a large architectural firm, his hard work and ambition have brought him triumph and satisfaction. But when his company is investigated for corruption, he’s forced to reconsider his role in the transformation of his country.At the same time, he receives an unexpected message from an old friend, Cha Soona, a woman that he had once loved, and then betrayed. As memories return unbidden, Minwoo recalls a world he thought had been left behind — a world he now understands that he has helped to destroy.In At Dusk, one of Korea's most renowned and respected authors continues his gentle yet urgent project of evaluating Korea’s past, and examining the things, and the people, that have been given up in a never-ending quest to move forward.
