Waxen Wings: The Acta Koreana Anthology of Short Fiction from Korea

by Bruce Fulton, Yi Hyosŏk, Kim Chunghyŏk

The short story has been the genre of choice for writers of literary fiction in modern Korea and it continues to thrive in the new millennium. Waxen The Acta Koreana Anthology of Short Fiction from Korea offers a diverse sampling from a century of modern Korean short fiction, beginning with stories from two early masters (Yi Hyosok and Ch'ae Manshik) and ending with works by four of the most imaginative contemporary writers (Kim Yongha, Ha Songnan, P'yon Hyeyong, and Kim Chunghyok). In between are the two writers who are primarily responsible for the visibility enjoyed by Korean women fiction writers today (O Chongh i and Pak Wanso), and a writer, Kim Wonil, who has made it his lifework to address the territorial and spiritual division of the Korean peninsula. The title of the anthology, from Ha Songnan's 1999 story, suggests the transcendental qualities of the finest Korean short fiction. In The Mountains by Yi Hyoseok
Constable Maeng by Ch'ae Manshik
Weaver Woman by Oh Cheong-hui
We Sell Shame by Park Wan-so
Prison of the Heart by Kim Won-il
The Pager by Kim Young-ha
Waxen Wings by Ha Seong-nan
Corpses by Pyeon Hye-yeong
The Glass Shield by Kim Chung-yeok

Genres: Short Stories, Anthologies

250 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2011

About the author

Bruce Fulton is an Associate Professor and Young-Bin Min Chair in Korean Literature and Literary Translation at the University of British Columbia. He has translated many major works of Korean literature over the past forty years.

Reviews

[Anton Relin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly accessible collection of South Korean short stories for the western reader. The wonderful prefacing done by Bruce Fulton prior to each work helps the reader contextualize what they are about to read. The works themselves are fantastic as well, with Kim Won-Il's Prisoner of Heart being a standout in my opinion. It has been a while since I've had difficulty tearing myself away from a work like this: truly a great collection.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waxen Wings [1999] by Ha Seong-nan - ★★★★

"Teacher, I want to fly, but the ground keeps pulling me down". This a moving short story about a ten-year-old girl, nicknamed Birdie, in love with flying and being airborne. At first, she is a member of her school gymnastics team, but then she grows too tall, and has to abandon her sporting ambitions. Destiny keeps dealing her a bad hand. Later in life, Birdie's relationship with a mysterious man who claimed to be a child actor also comes to nothing, and her pursuit of thrills of hang gliding results in a catastrophic accident. The second-person present tense narration works surprisingly well in this story of lost dreams, loneliness, and desire to connect. "People are meant to have both feet planted on solid ground", Birdie is told, but the last thing to die in a person is always hope. I read this story in Waxen Wings: The Acta Korean Anthology of Short Fiction from Korea [edited by Bruce Fulton, Koryo Press, 2011].

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hiukan epätasainen ja siis vaikeasti arvioitava novellikokoelma, jossa itseäni kiinnosti eniten taustoja valaiseva esipuhe sekä pienet kirjailijaesittelyt jokaisen novellin alussa. Teos on läpileikkaus korealaiseen moderniin lyhytproosaan ja siihen on koottu tekstejä kahdeksalta eri kirjailijalta. Läpileikkaus on myös ajallinen, koska kaksi kirjoittajista eli ja kuoli jo ennen maan jakamista, kaksi heistä on syntynyt 40-luvulla, kaksi vuonna 1967 ja kaksi 70-luvun alkupuoliskolla. Jokaisella tekstillä on eri kääntäjä. Välillä jäi epämääräinen tunne siitä, että on käännetty hyvin mekaanisesti sanasta sanaan, vaikken voikaan olla varma onko näin. Epätasaisuudessaankin kumminkin ihan ok kokonaisuus.