The Star and Other Korean Short Stories (Hardcover)

Eight affecting stories by contemporary Korean writers, mostly straightforward in conception (though they're anything but inartistic), that contrast the impoverished lives of struggling families with nostalgic visions of the culture's glorious past. The watershed experience of the Korean Civil War is recalled in such stark tales as Im Chol-woo's "My Father's Land" and also the harrowing title story (by Yoo Jai-yong). Other excellent pieces include Choi Hak's "The Guest" and Yang Guija's memorable portrait of an imaginative girl alienated from conventional folkways and expectations, "The Poet of Wonmi-Dong." All these stories were written between 1977 and 1990; their authors are accomplished storytellers well worth getting acquainted with. (Kirkus Reviews)

The short story is a genre that Korean writers have made their own, reflecting a long literary tradition in which the short story is the major form of fiction writing. Collected in this volume are eight stories by leading contemporary writers of Korea which provide deeply moving insights into the human condition. Sadness and triumph are unifying themes in the work. Sadness because all the characters have endured unhappy experiences of one kind or another, and triumph because they are all people who transform their sufferings into blessings through their own warm humanity. The source of this humanity, as we find in these stories, lies in two things which are characteristic of the Korean people - powerful family bonds that are intricately woven and enduring, and a deep nostalgia for the past.

General

Imprint:	Kegan Paul
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	1996
First published:	1996
Authors:	Agnita Tennant
Dimensions:	234 x 156 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	156
ISBN-13:	978-0-7103-0533-6
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Literature: texts > Collections & anthologies of various literary forms Books > Fiction > Special features > Short stories
LSN:	0-7103-0533-8
Barcode:	9780710305336

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