tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10520894254801794832012-01-15T19:26:44.687-05:00Korean American Books, Korean American Readings, Korean American authorsReviews and summaries of books by and about Korean Americans/Koreans (in translation), and related writings. Book reviews.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.comBlogger1951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-21482083749182938672012-01-15T19:20:00.002-05:002012-01-15T19:24:14.200-05:00The Orphan Master's Son, Adam JohnsonRiding a crest of enormous praise, this debut novel by an American man about a North Korean citizen is a worthy achievement, and one I couldn't put down for two days straight. Despite twists of plot that in fiction often seem too coincidental, the reader's sympathy and alignment to the protagonist is so rich and deeply felt that these happenstances feel believable, and are forgivable. The book Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-16962499283205512502011-11-07T18:49:00.001-05:002011-11-07T19:33:56.919-05:00Miles from Nowhere, by Nami MunWith stunning prose and a sensitive eye for detail, Mun unfolds five years from age 14 in the gritty and difficult life of a young Korean American runaway on the urban streets. Not only does Joon quickly lose her innocence and succumb to the seemingly soothing beguile of drugs, leading to heroin addiction, she must fight for a lost identity as she attempts to reconcile being the daughter of an Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-71443389986742079092011-11-02T12:53:00.000-04:002011-11-02T12:53:13.628-04:00My Innocent Uncle, by Ch'ae Man-sikCh'ae Man-shik (or Man-sik), who wrote stories and novels during the colonial period, is considered one of the greats of Korean modern literature. Like his other work, these three stories hone in on individuals who face the dilemmas of their times, those dilemmas of culture and historical circumstance which offer a tragi-comedy of errors. His renown rises from targeting the common man, not the Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-74664073431120852852011-10-30T14:52:00.000-04:002011-10-30T14:52:04.177-04:00An Appointment with My Brother, by Yi Mun-YolThe famed South Korean writer imagines meeting his North Korean brother after the death of his father--a defector to the North in the narrator's youth (a fact that parallels the author's life). The narrator, a professor of history who has suffered as a result of his father's defection, joins a tour group to Yenji, a chinese border town from which groups are allowed to see the famed Mt. Baektu andBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-74261871314616866912011-10-18T11:58:00.000-04:002011-10-18T11:58:22.901-04:00Twofold Song, by Yi Mun-YolIn a beautifully illustrated and bound bilingual edition, famed writer Yi Mun-yol's story of the last encounter of an affair presents as allegory of ancients and modern mixed together, with a coda that changes all that primordial prehistoric metaphor into something altogether different. The title of the story and its writing parallel each other with a constant shifting of sides and views, past Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-20237061372875089602011-09-13T12:30:00.001-04:002011-09-13T12:32:24.658-04:00The Martyred by Richard E. KimRichard E. Kim’s book THE MARTYRED, a 1965 National Book Award Finalist, became a Penguin Classic book in May 2011 (pictured left). The introduction is by Heinz Insu Fenkl, with a Foreword by Susan Choi. This Korean War story follows Captain Lee who investigates the murders and kidnappings by North Korean Communists of Christian ministers and priests. As Lee investigates the depths of this Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-58981705183272046002011-08-21T16:09:00.003-04:002011-08-21T16:55:37.651-04:00KYOPO by Cindy Hwang (CYJO)The Kyopo project by artist Cindy Hwang is a five-year photography and textual endeavor that explores and exposes the breadth and individual depth of people “of Korean ethnic descent and living outside of Korea,” from which the acronym derives. Several of CYJO’s KYOPO photographs are on exhibition as part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s “Asian American Portraits of Encounter,” Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-82897230325420094432011-08-08T23:57:00.003-04:002011-09-06T22:01:42.217-04:00Night Sessions, by David ChoThis wonderful book of poems (CavanKerry Press, 2011) evoked tears, laughter, admiration and wonder. Cho captures with stunning delicacy a son’s love and longing for his father, the everyday, seemingly mundane yet forceful travails of being Korean American, and the complex relationships to a separate country of origin, while also expressing through this collection a coming-of-age story within a Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-47870372593647867102011-08-08T23:52:00.003-04:002011-08-09T00:01:20.501-04:00This Burns My Heart, by Samuel ParkThis Burns My Heart captures you with a heroine who is both irresistible and flawed, and will engross with increasing twists in a triangle of love and sacrifice. The story explores how a fateful choice colors a decade of marriage, and challenges a young woman’s ambition already constrained by traditional Korean culture. Sam Park paints all the flavors of post-war Korea in this vivid debut, and Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-8551003202725248262011-06-05T00:35:00.000-04:002011-06-05T00:35:17.535-04:00Everything Asian, by Sung J. WooThe name of the book is taken from the name of the store owned by the parents of the main character, Dae Joon (David). Father has been in America five years without his family setting up a business, and the book begins a month after the arrival of Mother, Dae Joon and his noona (older sister, In Sook--Sue). Struggling with language and assimilation, the reunion of the family, and the teenaged Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-24854042685214401022011-06-01T11:32:00.000-04:002011-06-01T11:32:24.633-04:00Through Our Eyes: Peace Corps in Korea 1966-1981, by William HarwoodThis photograph book, while not a comprehensive collection of the early Peace Corps years in South Korea, includes numerous contributors, most notably Ambassador Kathleen Stephens’ (under President Obama) photographs from the late 1960s. Because it includes color images from the years of rebuilding when Peace Corps volunteers were both welcomed and regarded with superstition in the rural Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-85850942426149067892011-06-01T11:10:00.002-04:002011-06-15T01:29:03.829-04:00My Korean Deli, by Ben Ryder HoweBen, a self-proclaimed WASP, and Gab, his Korean American wife, live in the basement of her family’s house, Korean-style, as the young couple saves money to move into their own home. But for the mother's sake (a motivation and decision that felt somewhat glossed over)—ostensibly to give her work, the family pools their savings and buys a deli in Brooklyn. Ben is a senior editor at The Paris Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-73685806407085725552011-06-01T11:05:00.002-04:002011-06-01T11:05:46.018-04:00Light in the Far East: Archbishop Harold Henry's Forty-Two Years in Korea, by Edward FischerCatholic Archbishop Harold Henry founded the Columban Mission Socieety in Korea during the Japanese occupation until WWII, when he (like many Westerners) were deported from Korea. He served as a chaplain in Europe, and was decorated for bravery. He returned to Korea during the Korean War, and his legacy includes 46 churches, a seminary, 21 schools, four hospitals, six leper colonies and 400 smallBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-24066596149367650702011-06-01T10:57:00.000-04:002011-06-01T10:57:52.697-04:00There a Petal Silently Falls: Three Stories by Ch’oe Yun, translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton[From the book jacket.] Elegantly crafted and quietly moving, Ch’oe Yun’s stories are among the most incisive portrayals of the psychological and spiritual reality of post-WWII Korea. Her fiction, which began to appear in the 1980s, represents a turn toward a more experimental, deconstructionist and postmodern Korean style of writing, and offers a new focus on the role of gender in the making of Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-79259625157210485072011-06-01T10:48:00.000-04:002011-06-01T10:48:33.343-04:00Skirt Full of Black, Poems by Sun Yung ShinLike the title of the debut collection of poems intimates, the book evokes a woman's perspective on the rich textures of language, tradition, culture, the manners of the diaspora, sensuality, myth, religion, birth, siblings and family, relational manners, identity, longing and belonging. It is a varied collection, stunning in the paradox of its economy of language against the meanings portrayed.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-3056805797137440542011-06-01T10:40:00.000-04:002011-06-01T10:40:51.052-04:00Yankee Hobo in the Orient, by John PatricThe egomaniacal libertarian John Patric self-published (and signed) a large number of additional printings of this book, originally pub'd by Doubleday in 1945. An adventurer and recluse, Patric traveled on pennies throughout Japan, China, and Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1930s. This loquacious text reports statistics of the area and times, and tells anecdotal incidents during his travels, both Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-82169607037605530792011-06-01T10:29:00.001-04:002011-08-21T16:14:02.105-04:00Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, by Barbara DemickOne of the few books on North Korea to break into the mainstream reading public, Demick followed 6 people for 15 years of daily living in the oppressive totalitarian culture, who eventually make the difficult choice to defect, despite knowing the repercussions those left behind will suffer. Part of what makes Demick’s book stand apart from many others that attempt to expose life behind the Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-44033399525291917492011-06-01T10:18:00.001-04:002011-08-08T23:45:33.069-04:00Ignatz, by Monica YounA collection inspired by the 1930s cartoon characters created by George Herriman, Krazy Kat and the mouse Ignatz, forever locked in a tortured and madcap love duel. Youn's second book of poems, a National Book Award finalist, investigate the meanderings and trickery of love and relationships, of belief and understanding/misunderstanding, of legend and how belief sustains and fools us, and with Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-37815482805162688342011-06-01T10:12:00.000-04:002011-06-01T10:12:06.903-04:00Barter, by Monica YounA debut collection of poems that are both lyrical and at the same  time disturbing, the sounds rhythmic and sensory, the images brief, fleeting, evocative and immediate. Her voice is almost staccato at times, the words sometimes sounding too careful, but what lies beneath seems to touch an urgency and grasp at emotions too difficult to name.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-50989830970992758122011-06-01T06:29:00.003-04:002011-06-01T06:47:39.945-04:00The Queens of Ktown by Angela Mi Young Hur Told from the vantage point of the main character Cora, at age 16 and in her late 20s, the themes of this story are familiar. Both a coming-of-age and search-for-identity story not unusual for children of immigrants, the story begins with Cora witnessing a suicide, and then the time shifts chapter to chapter, somewhat confusingly, to months leading up to that suicide, many years after, and Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-10908528503972882292011-05-26T15:05:00.004-04:002011-06-15T01:41:55.601-04:00Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook ShinThe story begins, “It’s been one week since Mom went missing.” What follows are narratives of or by each of the family members: two daughters, eldest son (there's a younger son who isn't given a voice), husband, and one other voice, beginning with the daughter who is a writer. Each narration covers the search efforts for Mom, and also reveals history between that narrator and Mom, showing more Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-13342918514697115322011-05-09T13:42:00.003-04:002011-06-01T06:48:03.004-04:00Edinburgh, by Alexander CheeI can’t believe I haven’t previously listed this prize-winning book, since I read it years ago shortly after its release in 2001, and have never forgotten it, especially that its prose was gorgeous. Edinburgh is a coming-of-age story about a Korean American twelve-year-old in Maine who is immersed in the culture of a boys’ choral group that has a pedophile teacher. Homosexuality, music, art and Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-30284046192250602932011-04-19T17:09:00.002-04:002011-06-01T08:11:19.037-04:00Talk Story web siteJust discovered the Talk Story blog, covering children’s and youth literature for Asian Pacific Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives, and which has a good list of Korean and Korean American picture books, chapter books, folk tales and nonfiction targeted to children, and YA. The list isn’t comprehensive (I think Patti Kim’s book, A Cab Called Reliable, should be included), but it’s a Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-72852290690224648612011-04-04T16:18:00.002-04:002011-06-01T06:48:17.184-04:00The Wings by Yi SangThis slender volume of stories is by a famed Korean author from the colonial period, who died at age 27 with TB in Japan. He came to fame because his writing incorporated influences from French existentialism and Dadaism. As such, the stories are redolent of Cocteau and even Kafka, with an unreliable, not necessarily likable narrator, who merely reacts to the moment and lacks the traditions of Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-70299952001345100172010-12-14T11:15:00.001-05:002011-06-01T08:11:25.035-04:00Mouth on fire for new PBS series: The Kimchi ChroniclesRarely have I been so excited about a new PBS series (though I do get excited about them often enough). This preview (courtesy NYT Video) entices with shots of lots of red food, and extensive culinary travels in South Korea by series host, Korean American Marja Vongerichten, wife accompanying host, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Finally, a quality show about Korean cuisine.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-91012134022119339722010-07-09T18:53:00.003-04:002011-06-01T06:48:27.908-04:00Long for This World by Sonya ChungThis debut about a young woman grieving from multiple loss and tragedies delves into the lives of all the members of her extended family, and spans two continents (Korea, America) and multiple periods of time. The novel is structured in the manner of associative thinking patterns--from one point of view to another, from one time period to the past or the future, not strung together Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-42722204339790486652010-05-28T11:31:00.003-04:002011-06-01T08:11:31.870-04:00An Ethnography of the Hermit Kingdom: The J.B. Bernadou Korean Collection 1884-1885, by Chang-su Cho HouchinsJohn Bernadou (1858-1908) was dispatched by the Smithsonian as a cultural attaché or special envoy to the American mission in Korea, and assembled this collection from March 1884 to April 1885. An amateur ethnologist, Bernadou systematically acquired a wide range of Korean cultural artifiacts during a birth of a period of unprecedented open exchange in the Joseon Dynasty. Included in the Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-76836502690244346822010-04-10T12:05:00.008-04:002011-06-01T06:48:53.013-04:00The Surrendered by Chang-rae LeeWhat happens to life after you survive the atrocities and randomness of war? Chang-rae Lee examines the deep intricacies of this question and its ramifications in THE SURRENDURED, portraying three survivors (Korean War, China-Japan War) whose lives mesh at an orphanage somewhere in South Korea after liberation. From that common crossroad, the lives of Sylvie, a missionary wife, Hector, a G.I., Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-26056246258744837982010-02-05T14:24:00.003-05:002011-06-01T08:11:39.792-04:00The Art of Korea: Highlights from the Collection of San Francisco's Art Museum, by Kumja Paik KimThe San Francisco Asian Art Museum has an exceptional collection of Korean art, extraordinary in breadth of periods, styles, mediums and scholarship. This gorgeous, large-format book halves each spread to display works of art prominently, surrounded by lots of restful white space, with concise paragraphs of description and lists of pertinent data, all annotated and referenced should one wish to Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-84819319515328906272010-02-04T10:10:00.003-05:002011-06-01T06:49:19.628-04:00Korean Shamanist Ritual: Symbols and Dramas of Transformation, by Daniel A. KisterA well-organized study in approachable narrative that investigates Korean shamanism, from the perspective of an author with a background in dramatic arts--a key component of shamanist ritual. A thorough review of this scholarly work by Kang-Nam Oh, University of Regina, appears on the Korean Studies Internet Discussion List. Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-79576189318647720182010-02-04T08:06:00.004-05:002011-06-01T06:49:31.362-04:00Korean Shamanistic Rituals, by Jung Young LeeThis book (published 1980) is derived from Japanese scholar Takashi Akiba’s research and  analysis published in 1950, Field Research on Korean Shamanism. The elaborate and dramatic kut rituals are described relative to shamanism’s focus on nature, birth, death and life. Lee’s research was criticized in a 1982 review by Ch’oe Kil-song for the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, as being a Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-35450426788903650792010-02-04T08:03:00.004-05:002011-06-01T11:49:00.615-04:00Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars, by Sheri Holman(Young Adult) The coming-of-age fiction, told in diary form, explores the life of Korean Princess Sondok (595 AD) during the Three Kingdom period of ancient Korea before she became the first reigning queen of Silla in 632 AD. During a period of rife factionalism between Buddhism, Confucianism and Shamanism/Animism, young princess Sondok finds peace in the studying the stars. Barred as a female Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-14695816621008374372010-02-04T07:48:00.005-05:002011-06-01T11:49:10.991-04:00To Swim Across the World, by Ginger ParkA fictionalized biography of the lives of the parents of authors Frances and Ginger Park. Told in the alternating viewpoints of the boy and girl, the story also traces historical information about relevant Korean history as the narrators come of age, survive the Korean War, fall in love, immigrate to America, assimilate and explore Christian faith. Frances Park’s debut novel is When My Sister WasBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-60315630798711448182010-02-04T07:41:00.003-05:002011-06-01T06:50:25.651-04:00Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America, by Mary Paik LeeBorn in 1900, Lee’s aristocratic Christian family fled Korea in 1905, fearful of the plight of their famiy with Japan’s growing political influence and imminent colonial takeover. Her family were among the earliest emigres to California and her father was reduced to an agricultural laborer. They faced harsh living conditions and always mistaken for Japanese or Chinese because of U.S. ignorance Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-83235424682721019212010-02-04T07:09:00.004-05:002011-06-01T06:51:03.630-04:00Under the Black Umbrella: Voices from Colonial Korea, 1910-1945, by Hildi KangA memorable collection of essays, letters and narratives by citizens who lived through the Japanese occupation of Korea. The personal voices of the people give a unique perspective to a difficult period of Korean modern history for which, at the time of the publication of this book, 1980, few writings in English existed.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-53014205111545704702010-02-04T00:59:00.004-05:002011-06-01T06:52:08.893-04:00The Bridge at No Gun Ri: A Hidden Nightmare from the Korean War, by Charles J. Hanley, et al An examination of the U.S. massacre of Korean civilians on this bridge during the Korean War, an incident uncovered in 2001 by investigative reporters Hanley, Choe and Mendoza, who won the Pulitzer Prize for this work. Thoroughly researched and told through personal experiences.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-32426002089911100492010-02-04T00:53:00.003-05:002011-06-01T06:51:52.321-04:00Aunt Jean, by Jeannette WalterA 1969 family biography of a Korean missionary. Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-74522233546083343302010-02-04T00:49:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:52:28.503-04:00A Gift of the Emperor, by Therese S. ParkA 17-year old girl is kidnapped to become a comfort women. Sensationalized hardships and overtly harsh depictions of brutality of Pacific war and brothel life slants toward propagandizing Japanese inhumanity toward the end of the war.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-14170997382059563242010-02-04T00:45:00.002-05:002011-06-01T06:52:52.938-04:00The Comfort Women: Japan's Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War, by George L. HicksAn important history book, organized with clarity, without judgment, but with attempts to understand Japanese ethos and motivations that bred this atrocity. Includes narratives by victims.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-24934822794324937402010-02-04T00:42:00.003-05:002011-08-21T14:31:04.040-04:00A Cab Called Reliable, by Patti KimSensitive coming-of-age novel of a Korean American girl in a divorced immigrant family setting with alcoholic father, submerged mother. Beautifully written, powerful imagery. Stirring evocation of the helpless yearning of youth. Published 1997.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-66005467862031487692010-02-04T00:40:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:53:51.212-04:00East Goes West: The Making of an Oriental Yankee, by Younghill KangThis literary autobiographical novel chronicles an immigrant’s experience of America in the 20s through the war years, in New York City. Connection is made through the young man's education, his camaraderie with other émigrés, the kindness of friends, and the exchange of Chinese classic poetry. First published in 1937 and edited by powerhouse star editor Max Perkins. A seminal work in Korean Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-69780210271204089032010-02-04T00:36:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:54:02.873-04:00Comfort Woman, by Nora Okja KellerA mother’s mental illness rooted in a tortured past as a comfort woman is discovered by her daughter through interesting use of alternating chapters of voices past/present, real and ghost. Published in 1997, Keller’s book was among the first in the U.S. to tackle the brutality of this practice during the Pacific War, when Japan conscripted young girls as “comfort nurses” for their troops Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-63070475296293273202010-02-04T00:30:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:55:12.235-04:00Yi Kwang-su and Modern Korean Literature: Mujong, by Ann Sung-hi LeeYi Kwang-su is considered among the first major modern Korean novelists, with his book Mujong, published in 1917 during the Japanese occupation. He is attributed with introducing irony and the drama of domestic intrigue into Korean literature. This translation of Mujong is also an analysis of literary precedents, use of language and diction, exploration of themes, and Yi’s biography and youth. Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-13326455773917078532010-02-04T00:22:00.002-05:002011-06-01T11:49:20.675-04:00The Fold, by An NaNa’s second novel (YA) addresses the notions about Asian beauty and the prevalent eye surgery that make Asian eyes “more Western.” Joyce has to decide if she wants to have the eye surgery offered to her by her plastic-surgery-addicted aunt. Often compared as lesser than her beautiful older sister, Joyce didn’t even think about her appearance until she met the most handsome boy in her school.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-66445039025087485532010-02-04T00:15:00.006-05:002011-06-01T11:50:08.805-04:00YELL-Oh Girls! Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and Growing Up Asian American, by Vickie Nam An anthology of stories, poems, essays and letters by young (ages 15-22) Asian-American women who write about coming of age, identity, sexuality, stereotypes, school, culture, isolation and interracial dating.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-81343440574187108792010-02-04T00:11:00.002-05:002011-06-01T08:11:43.936-04:00Missionary Photography in Korea: Encountering the West through Christianity, by Donald N. Clark A 2009 exhibition by the Korea Society in New York of missionary photography from the late 19th century reveals a period of change in the previously isolated nation. Along with a solid historical narrative, rare photographic images of the early days of Western Christian influence show a unique slice of Korean life in that era, and of missionary life in Korea.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-14021861447800592632010-02-04T00:07:00.002-05:002011-06-01T06:56:25.230-04:00Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea, by IlyonThis 13th century historical classic, written by a monk, merges myths and folktales into the ancient history of Korea. Detailed annotation by translators and scholars helps bridge the gaps between both culture and centuries, bringing richness to this a rare authentic voice of Korea’s past.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-8273645530472635242010-02-03T23:49:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:59:43.061-04:00Echoing Song: Contemporary Korean Women Poets, by Peter H. LeeScholar and translator Peter Lee anthologizes contemporary Korean women poets whose work received acclaim in the latter part of the 20th century. A good representation of each poet’s work is included, showing the range and development of their voices.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-17077715472531188932010-02-03T23:46:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:57:02.194-04:00Everlasting Flower: A History of Korea, by Keith PrattPublished in 2006, this history of Korea provides a broad perspective on the traditions, culture, ancient foundations and recent divide of the peninsula. Written with an engaging narrative, it also examines some of the more controversial historical events from the Japanese occupation, including the comfort women and the abuse of power.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-14721500699577312982010-02-03T23:41:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:57:33.143-04:00A Ricepaper Airplane, by Gary Pak[Publisher’s description] From a hospital bed a dying man unfolds the tale of an arduous life on the fringes of a Hawai'i sugar plantation in the 1920s. There Kim Sung Wha -- laborer, patriot, revolutionary, aviator -- envisioned building an airplane from ricepaper, bamboo, and the scrap parts of a broken-down bicycle, an airplane that would carry him back to his Korean homeland and to his wife Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-60850907072512654732010-02-03T23:39:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:58:04.993-04:00Unspoken Voices: Selected Short Stories by Korean Women Writers, by Jin-Young ChoiAn important anthology of stories (in translation) by twelve women writers, divided by those who lived through the Japanese Occupation and those who experienced the Korean War. Includes writers who are award-winners in Korean literature.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-67442919091381641232010-02-03T23:33:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:58:22.092-04:00The Innocent, by Richard E. Kim The author of The Martyred and Lost Names explores the politics of postwar Korea in this semi-autobiographical novel.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-48857686344178379152010-02-03T23:28:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:58:36.934-04:00Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World's Most Repressive Country, by Mike KimFrom Mike Kim’s web site: The first of its kind, this book provides a rare and unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. Mike Kim, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recounts their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture, as well as the inspirational stories of those who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-26163699166775737162010-02-03T23:21:00.002-05:002011-06-01T06:58:49.989-04:00A Yankee in the Land of the Morning Calm, by Donald G. SouthertonA young adult historical novel follows the “Connecticut Yankee,” Josh Gillet, to late 19th century Korea, a period when Americans begin to receive trade concessions and as a result begin to influence the deeply traditional agrarian culture of the cloistered nation. Josh falls in love and begins to come to terms with his identity.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-76972714633332889172010-02-03T23:16:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:59:10.468-04:00Women of Uneasy Virtue, by Paul Luchessa[Publisher’s description] East meets West on intimate terms in this striking series of sketches and stories about modern Korean women, most of them involved with western men. Frankly sexual in nature, the stories reflect the oriental approach to the war between the sexes.The women are drawn from all levels of Korean society, beginning with the lowest--prostitutes. The first section deals mainly Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-43858743143023868642010-02-03T23:12:00.002-05:002011-06-01T06:59:28.264-04:00The Tragedy of Korea, by F. A. McKenzieWritten in 1907, McKenzie’s socio-political memoir covers the period in Korea during the Russo-Japanese War, when the seeds of Japan’s interest and ultimate occupation of the peninsula were planted, with the assistance of the international community.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-5188337905289582852010-02-03T23:05:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:59:48.972-04:00I Have the Right to Destroy Myself, by Young-ha Kim[Publisher's synopsis] In the fast-paced, high-urban landscape of Seoul, C and K are brothers who have fallen in love with the same woman—Se-yeon—who tears at both of them as they all try desperately to find real connection in an atomized world. A spectral, nameless narrator haunts the edges of their lives as he tells of his work helping the lost and hurting find escape through suicide. DreamlikeBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-41916382799789539622010-02-03T23:02:00.001-05:002011-06-01T06:59:59.746-04:00War Trash, by Ha JinA novel by National Book Award winner Ha Jin (Waiting) follows a Chinese American soldier POW imprisoned in Korea during the Korean War. In Jin's typical cyclic plot structure, where the action escalates to increasing circles of violence and despair, and with vivid historical detail, Yu Yuan's prison ordeal includes the culture of power struggle between two ruthless factions of pro-Communists. Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-67533480071846953802010-02-03T22:56:00.002-05:002011-06-01T11:50:43.927-04:00Magic Amber, by James M. ReasonerIn this Korean folk legend (for youth ages 7-10), a generous and kind elderly farming couple triumph over their cruel and greedy landlord with an enchanted stone that makes rice.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-59341378722660929442010-02-03T22:52:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:00:43.365-04:00Korea: The Search for Sovereignty, by Geoff Simons[Publisher's description] This book gives a broad history of Korea, with a particular focus on key 20th century events. Particular attention is given to the dispute over North Korea's controversial nuclear development program. This issue is profiled in the context of the post-Soviet world and against such crucial modern events as the Japanese colonization of the Korean peninsula, the US partitionBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-41171395733043353042010-02-03T22:49:00.002-05:002011-06-01T08:11:48.143-04:00Korean Landscape Painting: Continuity and Innovation through the Ages, by Song-mi YiA dense narrative gives a solid overview of Korean painting. [Publisher's blurb] Korean Culture Series #4. Part of the Korea Foundation's Korean Culture Series, a series aimed at disseminating ideas and knowledge of Korean art and culture throughout the world, Korean Landscape Painting discusses the art form beginning at its earliest roots two millennia ago, in the Three Kingdoms period, right upBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-85917252397496552062010-02-03T22:46:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:01:25.801-04:00The Poet, by Yi MunyolTranslation of a 1992 novel about a 19th century Korean poet. [Publishers Weekly review] The first novel by leading South Korean writer Yi Mun-yol to be published in the West in English, this moving, luminous story is based on the life of Kim Pyong-yon (1807-1863), a bamboo-hatted vagabond poet. Though born to an upper-class Seoul family, Kim was forced to live as an outcast as punishment for a Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-16536749270825572612010-02-03T22:42:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:01:53.132-04:00Early Korean Literature, by David McCannThis anthology, published by Columbia University Press, is reviewed by Robert Fouser on the Korean Studies Internet Discussion List.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-16968120711959018392010-02-03T22:38:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:02:12.910-04:00September Monkey, by Induk PahkMemoir of early immigrant experiences in America and influence of Christian faith in a remarkable woman who rose through difficult cultural mores to become founder/president of Korea’s first vocational school. Inspirational, energetic, persistence are the hallmarks of this amazingly strong woman.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-90372962240573772352010-02-03T19:16:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:02:29.490-04:00The Wisdom of the Dragon, by Induk PahkA lovely illustrated collection of Korean proverbs, including such gems as “There is a flaw even in jade...”. Illustrated by Gloria Kim. Pahk, the founder and president of a major technical university in South Korea, is the author of two memoirs about her early years in Japan-occupied Korea, her struggle for education, her faith and her immigrant experience.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-10450903696984389402010-02-03T19:13:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:02:46.878-04:00Jungsoon, by Myosik ParkA fictional account of two women who fight through years of personal and national devastation, from the Japanese occupation through the Korean War, surviving with tenacity. Their strength influences the next generation.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-526616978866218672010-02-03T19:11:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:03:08.210-04:00Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction, by Marshall R. PihlAn anthology of 12 post-1945 Korean fiction, in translation, includes brief biographies of each author.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-77371841352033301032010-02-03T19:04:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:03:24.040-04:00The Korean Way, by W. Ransom Rice Jr.This slim volume about the history of Korean Christianity and culture provides a surprisingly thorough cultural and historical overview of Korea, including charming signs of the times, such as "modern technologic advances" of te 1970s. Includes essays by Horace G. and Horace H. Underwood, Samuel Moffett, and other notable missionaries to Korea.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-42197770822547661852010-02-03T19:01:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:04:04.089-04:00Surfacing Sadness: A Centennial of Korean-American Literature 1903-2003, by Yearn Hong Choi PhDPoems, essays and stories of Korean American immigrants in the period noted. In translation.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-11331128553165100082010-02-03T18:56:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:04:31.956-04:00Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, by Bradley K. MartinReviewed by John Derbyshire in the NR. “Despotism's Furthest Shore.”Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-60730247832071654332010-02-03T18:54:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:11:45.249-04:00The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia KImAuthor Anne Sibley O’Brien (The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea) says: “I’ve just spent much of the weekend and all of today immersed in The Calligrapher’s Daughter, and it completely captivated me! What a lovely, heartfelt, engrossing book. I feel as if Najin is someone I know and love, along with her loved ones--oh, her mother! They will linger in my mind and heart... “What a Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-54144525293516338622010-02-03T17:07:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:05:02.103-04:00North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in Korea, by Andrei Lankov [Publisher's description] The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea for over 60 years. Most of that period has found the country suffering under mature Stalinism characterized by manipulation, brutality and tight social control. Nevertheless, some citizens of Kim Jong Il's regime manage to transcend his tyranny in their daily existence. This book describes that difficult but determined existence Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-87301731120439613182010-02-03T17:05:00.003-05:002011-06-01T07:05:14.456-04:00The History of Korea, by Djun Kil Kim [From Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations--publisher's description:] The Koreas are two of the few countries in the East Asian world to successfully maintain political and cultural independence from China. Originated by the Han-Ye-Maek people who had migrated from North China to Manchuria and the Korean peninsula since 2000 BCE, three Korean dynasties—Great Silla, Koryo, and Choson—kept Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-18937465184816841382010-02-03T17:01:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:05:26.260-04:00The Cock Still Crows, by Induk PahkIn her second memoir after September Monkey, Mrs. Pahk continues her passion for her faith and for education, and includes inspirational stories about how people helped to "grow" her vocational school in Korea. Christian.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-17375833617900388332010-02-03T16:58:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:05:45.099-04:00Over the Shoulder: A Novel of Intrigue, by Leonard Chang [Publisher's description] A hybrid of crime and literary novel that explores issues of honor and family history, Over The Shoulder offers a unique view of the American protagonist and reluctant investigator, shaken from the doldrums of his insulated life. Choice and his partner, Paul Baumgartner, are security specialists for Silicon Valley executives.When Paul gets killed on the job, Choice and Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-75997850150332291632010-02-03T16:55:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:06:12.959-04:00Han Yong-un & Yi Kwang-Su: Two Pioneers of Modern Korean Literature, by Beongcheon Yu[Publisher’s description] In this first book-length study of Han Yong-un and Yi Kwang-su in English, Beongcheon Yu seeks to demythify them and reassess their achievements as writers. He surveys their careers, reviewing significant events and patterns in their lives, and then confronts their literary works, weighing whatever permanence they may claim. Yu's introduction provides a historical Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-50631531579460247482010-02-03T16:52:00.003-05:002011-06-01T08:11:54.262-04:00Earth, Spirit, Fire: Korean Masterpieces of the Choson Dynasty, by Powerhouse MuseumA comprehensive exhibition of Korean pottery and ceramics from the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty. Beautifully photographed with substantive historical information and detailed descriptions.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-60684028061562712982010-02-03T16:47:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:10:00.058-04:00Syncretism: The Religious Context of Christian Beginnings in Korea, by David ChungA review by Young-Chang Ro, George Mason University, included in the Korean Studies Internet Discussion List is here.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-18598941693840243112010-02-03T16:43:00.003-05:002011-06-01T08:11:58.157-04:00Traditional Korean Designs, Madeleine Orban-SzontaghA Dover pictorial series book of copyright-free black-and-white line art.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-20315359586235583202010-02-03T16:41:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:12:17.590-04:00Man Sei! The Making of a Korean American, Peter HyunMemoir of a twelve-year old boy who witnessed the Korean Independence gathering on March 1, 1919, the first of numerous national demonstrations to protest Japan's occupation of Korea, that ended in violence and failure, though it ignited nationalistic passions that persist to this day.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-42980774655256546722010-02-03T16:37:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:12:30.060-04:00Korean Folk and Fairy Tales, Suzanne Crowder Han[Publisher’s blurb.] A representative sampling of Korean stories which have been passed down from generation to generation through spoken and written traditions. Dragons, ghosts, ogres, tigers, demonic foxes, supernatural spouses and, of course, people with all their human frailties are among the characters that populate Korean folk tales. Through them are revealed perceptions of life and notionsBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-52526545858544376562010-02-03T16:33:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:12:57.827-04:00Culture and the State in Late Choson Korea, JaHyun Kim Haboush[Publisher’s blurb] Investigating the late sixteenth through the nineteenth century, this work looks at the shifting boundaries between the Choson state and the adherents of Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and popular religions. Seeking to define the meaning and constitutive elements of the hegemonic group and a particular marginalized community in this Confucian state, the contributors Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-31458691877588562532010-02-03T16:12:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:13:42.338-04:00Wrack & Ruin by Don Lee Link to the published review from The New York Times.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-51129366693446720942010-02-02T01:33:00.002-05:002011-06-01T07:14:10.841-04:00Korea Today by George McCuneProfessor George McCune (1908-1948) was the son of the missionary George Shannon McCune, and was born in Pyongyang. He cofounded the McCune-Reischauer system of romanization of Korean, which was accepted as the academic standard until the South Korean government offered their new, more web-friendly method of standardization in 2000. A Korea scholar, this book was born out of U.S. involvement in Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-44736030995501432282010-02-02T01:16:00.001-05:002011-06-01T07:14:27.369-04:00Burton Holmes Travel Stories: Japan, Korea and Formosa, by Eunice TietjensThe 16 pages about Korea in this book is of interest to me. This 1920s series of travel books were targeted to upper elementary grades to "furnish interesting silent-reading material of informational value...devoted to the most interesting and important countries of the world. Korea was an acknowledge colony of Japan by this time, and the chapter on Korea, titled "Korea—The Land of Hats" reflectsBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-22987813065108599722010-02-02T01:00:00.003-05:002011-06-01T07:14:45.360-04:00Corea: The Hermit Nation by Wm. Elliot GriffisOriginally published in 1882 (my copy, fifth printing, 1907), this early history of Korea in English by Japanese historian William Elliot Griffis became the dominant text on Korea during a critical period of history when Western interests began to converge on the peninsula. While Griffis has a distinctively pro-Japan pont of view, and much of his research is based on Japanese texts, his Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-78860480284410578332010-02-02T00:21:00.003-05:002011-06-01T07:14:59.773-04:00Jia: A Novel of North Korea by Hyejin KimThis novel is based on the life of a young woman whom the author met during a one-year stay in China while doing humanitarian work near the North Korean border. Having just read two harrowing memoirs about coming of age in North Korea, it seemed awkward to be reading a novel about similar circumstances, but I think it was because the fictionalized voice of the narrator felt startling in Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-49266421575214727092009-10-25T22:20:00.010-04:002011-06-01T08:06:55.928-04:00The Guest, by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Kyung ja Chun and Maya West This review contains spoilers. This novel, by a famous Korean author who suffered prison as a result of visiting North Korea, was created with the intent of healing fifty-plus years of deep and bloody wounds between North and South Korea that continue to mar an open dialogue between the two nations and even between family members. Interestingly the book is organized in twelve chapters that areBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-73443931273654605472009-09-11T09:01:00.004-04:002011-06-01T07:15:41.002-04:00This Is Paradise! My North Korean Childhood, by Hyok Kang Because so little is written from eyewitnesses who have survived the famines of North Korea, this book has its place in informing and revealing the closely held secrets of the DPRK regime. Kang describes his youth and schooling, and the gradual descent of the country into hunger and deprivation, where the social structure, based on suspicion on idolatry, begin to show its weaknesses as neighborsBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-58966287834849500892009-09-08T22:03:00.011-04:002011-06-01T07:15:54.412-04:00The Aquariums of PyongYang by Kang Chol-Hwan and Pierre Rigoulot For ten years in his youth, Kang was a prisoner in Yodok, a North Korean concentration camp geared toward "reeducating" ideological traitors and their families. Kang's grandfather had been arrested and "disappeared" for treasonous acts against the Fatherhood, Kim Il-sung. What's likely is that the wealthy Korean-Japanese Kang clan had overstepped their boundaries; were fish out of water by beingBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-90600332124452732532009-08-24T23:25:00.023-04:002011-06-01T08:12:09.074-04:00Asian American Book Covers, Clichéd Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-65342600385470642142009-06-17T00:37:00.006-04:002011-06-01T08:12:02.690-04:00Art of the Korean Renaissance: 1400-1600, by the Metropolitan Museum of Art The lauded exhibition is concise with quality pieces that truly reflect the era. The pieces are integrated in this catalog with concise and brief, yet comprehensive histories of the kingships and mores of this period in approachable and at times compelling narratives by historians and art historians. An exceptional collection that is enhanced by this exceptional book.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-70648254308663188172009-05-25T00:13:00.013-04:002011-06-01T07:16:38.956-04:00Everlasting Empire, by Yi In-Hwa Translated by Yu Young-nan (2002 Daesan Prize for Outstanding Literary Translation), with an Introduction by Don Baker. An historical fiction that examines the last years of King Chongjo (r. 1777-1800), the grandson of King Yongjo, and more notably, the son of Crown Prince Sado, who was killed by his father, King Yongjo, who asked him to step into a rice chest and sealed it, whereupon he died Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-53791890398820019512009-05-04T12:35:00.007-04:002011-06-01T11:51:02.469-04:00The Chinese Mirror, by Mirra Ginsburg A father in ancient Korea travels to China and brings home something he's never seen before—a mirror. Not understanding that the image they see in the mirror is theirs, each family member reads more into the image they see, and havoc ensues. Lovely watercolors enhance this story. Children's picture book.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-47589294954571407822009-05-04T12:32:00.006-04:002011-06-01T07:17:04.662-04:00The Piano Teacher, by Janice Y. K. Lee Among the highlights of Lee’s debut novel are the two periods the story is told within—early 1950s and the onset of Japan’s occupation in the 1940s—and the wonderful setting of Hong Kong. It is as much a love story as a mystery, a tale of race and class issues, culture divides, loss, betrayal, regret and finding oneself amid the languishing shadows of world war. It brought to mind two other Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-46800403744190257512009-05-04T12:29:00.009-04:002011-06-01T11:51:12.969-04:00Seesaw Girl, by Linda Sue Park Jade Blossom, being an aristocrat's child, cannot leave her family compound, until one day she does—to see her sister who recently married. Her adventure is unprecedented for a girl of her class, and brings uproar to the family. Very young adult.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-13625646633209241532009-05-04T12:25:00.007-04:002011-06-01T07:17:37.240-04:00Korean Adventure: Inside Story of an Army Wife, by Dorothy House Vieman The diary of the wife of an KMAG (Korean Military Advisory Govt.) Army Colonel who arrived in Seoul on April 29, 1949 and lived there for 14 months until she was evacuated because of the looming Korean War. Unlike the similar memoir, Irma and the Hermit, this narrator is worldly and although much is new to her, she is compassionate and curious about what she sees in Korea.Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-21198438448858325392009-05-04T10:50:00.007-04:002011-06-01T07:18:16.941-04:00Wayfarer: New Fiction by Korean Women, edited and translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton A collection of postwar short stories ranging from the 50s to now. All deal with the isolation and stultified domestic place within which South Korean women still struggle for identity, enrichment and meaning. The introduction puts much of this writing in context, and informs about certain classifications of Korean modern literature, including pundan munhak, a body of work that deals with the Book Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-38331235181380332862009-04-29T00:32:00.009-04:002011-06-01T11:51:29.416-04:00The Color of Earth, by Kim Dong Wha This beautifully rendered graphic novel is fairly explicit in telling the coming-of-age story of the protagonist, Ehwa, whose mother runs a tavern. Ehwa discovers her body, blossoms into her adolescence, and becomes enamored of a young monk and a farmer's son home from school with a hurt arm. She gives up the monk at the end, in favor (in her thoughts) for the farmer's son. Much flower analogiesBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1052089425480179483.post-8470179291423372322009-04-29T00:27:00.007-04:002011-06-01T07:52:17.370-04:00Century of the Tiger: One Hundred Years of Korean Culture in America 1903-2003, by Jenny Ryun Foster et al This issue of the Manoa Journal is a centennial celebration of literature of Korean Americans. Included are excerpts of books by early immigrants including Younghill Kang, Mary Paik Lee, Kim Ronyoung; and pieces by later generations such as Richard E. Kim, Connie Kang, and Heinz Insu Fenkl; and more recent immigrants like Chris McKinney and Don Lee. A poignant memoir piece by Chang Rae Lee is aBook Oblatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361337180068361350noreply@blogger.com0