Korean Literature discussion

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message 1: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (asamonek) | 106 comments This is a thread for group introductions :)


message 2: by mariareads (new)

mariareads | 5 comments Hi everyone! Just found this group and excited to take part in 2021. :)


message 3: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (asamonek) | 106 comments Nice to meet you, Maria! I see that you’ve read "Nothing to Envy" lately. I enjoyed this book a lot, also others by Barbara Demick.


message 4: by Alwynne (new)

Alwynne | 48 comments Pleased to find a group centred on Korean literature, I'm interested in all aspects of Korean history and culture. I'm also, very slowly, learning Korean. I also enjoy aspects of Korean cinema, and some K-drama via Netflix/Viki although tends to be more recent dramas like "Stranger." and some K-pop.


message 5: by JimZ (new)

JimZ | 1 comments Hi, I joined this group last week. I would like to read more Korean Literature (fiction mostly). I read "The Disaster Tourist" several days ago, and liked it a lot...I had gotten it from my local library. I liked it so much that I ordered a copy online because I want it in my own personal library. :) It's a keeper! I look forward to reading more Korean literature in 2021!


message 6: by mariareads (new)

mariareads | 5 comments Hi Aleksandra! Yes, I loved nothing to envy. It was on my to read pile for so long and I’m so glad I finally read it.

I just finished without you there is no us, which was also really interesting but written in q completely different style.

Jim- I also just read the disaster tourist last month. I really loved that as well ! Excited for more Korean literature to be translated in the coming years


message 7: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (asamonek) | 106 comments Maria wrote: "Hi Aleksandra! Yes, I loved nothing to envy. It was on my to read pile for so long and I’m so glad I finally read it.

I just finished without you there is no us, which was also really interesting..."


I'm adding "Without You, There Is No Us" to my wishlist.

Jim, Maria, have you seen "The Wicker Man" (any of the versions would do) or "The Endless" by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson? I felt like "The Disaster Tourist" has a mood which is very similar to these films. I wonder if you also see it...


message 8: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (asamonek) | 106 comments Alwynne wrote: "Pleased to find a group centred on Korean literature, I'm interested in all aspects of Korean history and culture. I'm also, very slowly, learning Korean. I also enjoy aspects of Korean cinema, and..."

How lovely! I would like to learn Korean at some point, but for now I would appreciate just being able to read and write hangul so that I can decrypt the labels on instant ramyun packages...

Are there any learning resources you could recommend to a total beginner? And how do you like learning Korean so far?


message 9: by Books on Asia (new)

Books on Asia (booksonasia) Hello everyone. I read mostly books on Japan but am interested in all Asian Literature. I realized recently that I've hardly read any Korean authors, so thanks for helping me change that.


message 10: by Anna (new)

Anna (anna0017) | 8 comments hello!
i’ve been apart of this group for a hot minute, but better late than never. i’ve been interested in korea for a little over three years, slowly learning the language as well as getting acquianted with other aspects of culture, including literature ^^; i’ve read pretty much everything available in my local library, so i’ll probably order books in the future to join in on the reading challenges!


message 11: by Alwynne (new)

Alwynne | 48 comments Aleksandra (8) wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "Pleased to find a group centred on Korean literature, I'm interested in all aspects of Korean history and culture. I'm also, very slowly, learning Korean. I also enjoy aspects of Ko..."

Not really, there are a lot of online courses such as Duolingo or https://www.90daykorean.com/ as well as videos on YouTube and introductory texts and story books Korean Short Stories for Beginners. So I'd probably suggest drawing on a range of resources and as everyone learns at different rates and has different learning styles just trying out various approaches and seeing what works best for you. I also think watching a lot of Korean shows helps me to remember words and phrases I've learnt elsewhere.


message 12: by Alwynne (new)

Alwynne | 48 comments Hi Anna!


message 13: by mariareads (last edited Dec 31, 2020 07:20AM) (new)

mariareads | 5 comments Aleksandra wrote you seen "The Wicker Man" (any of the versions would do) or "The Endless" by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson? I felt like "The Disaster Tourist" has a mood which is very similar to these films. I wonder if you also see it......"

I haven't! But I will put them on my list now that you mentioned it. :)


message 14: by Alwynne (new)

Alwynne | 48 comments Aleksandra wrote: "Maria wrote: "Hi Aleksandra! Yes, I loved nothing to envy. It was on my to read pile for so long and I’m so glad I finally read it.

I just finished without you there is no us, which was also real..."


Thanks Aleksandra, love 'The Wicker Man' although I'm a bit of a purist and I'd go for the original version with Christopher Lee. I don't think I've seen 'The Endless' so will check that one out!


message 15: by Kerril (new)

Kerril (koffeeandotherstories) | 2 comments Hello everyone. Kerril here. Glad to be part of the group. Looking forward to all the recommendations as well as discussions around select titles.


message 16: by Edgar (new)

Edgar Hello world!

I just joined the group. I have been interested in Japanese and Indian literature for a while - my main focus is on my native German and German language literature, though - so I want to know more about Korean literature. I have no relation to the country or the people, no experience and no insights, it is merely out of curiosity.

I am joining here just for inspiration. My first few books of K-lit have been by Hye-Young Pyun ("The Hole") and Han Kang ("White"). Currently I am reading "Human Acts". I am reading in German or English translation, rarely in Italian. I am planning to read about 5 Korean books each year and most of them for this year during the next few days.

I am not very clubbish in my behaviour but enjoy the exchange of ideas on a one-to-one basis. Who said "Loneliness is the best Viagra" (a Korean writer)? I disagree with her. But still, currently reading every day for five to six hours is my Viagra and I am doing that alone, sitting at my desk in my study, looking out to a field, the forest along the river Aare in the Swiss lowlands, and the hills of Jura climbing up behind the river. Everything in soft white right now.


message 17: by Paul (new)

Paul Fulcher (fulcherkim) | 26 comments Hi - delighted to find this group.

My love of Korean literature comes from having a Korean wife, and spending several weeks their most years. Shamefully my Korean itself is only really up to reading young children's books, but I do read a lot in translation.

My shelf of books read (109 so far), most with reviews, is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...


message 18: by Diana (new)

Diana (woshidiyana_) | 1 comments Hello everyone! I'm new here. I've been reading Chinese literature for years now, but my interest for Korea and its culture is quite recent, so I haven't got the chance to learn much about Korean lituerature. I can't wait to discover new authors and titles!


message 19: by Alwynne (new)

Alwynne | 48 comments Hi Diana look forward to finding out about your reading.


message 20: by Matylda (new)

Matylda (matyldakr) | 3 comments Hi! I only got into korean literature after i started learning korean and I’ve been exploring it ever since! Now i listen to a lot of korean audiobooks and I’ve read a few novels too. My favourites so far are Almond (아몬드), and these books that haven’t been translated into English yet (as far as I know) 우리가 빛의 속도로 갈 수 없다면 by 김초엽, 초급 한국어 by 문지혁, 역사의 쓸모 by 최태성, 실패를 사랑하는 직업 by 요조, 자존감 수업 by 윤홍균
I’m currently reading the book School nurse Ahn Eunyoung (보건교사 안은영) which I’m really enjoying and
I’m looking forward to read Seven Years of Darkness next!


message 21: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (asamonek) | 106 comments Matylda wrote: "Hi! I only got into korean literature after i started learning korean and I’ve been exploring it ever since! Now i listen to a lot of korean audiobooks and I’ve read a few novels too. My favourites..."

Hi, Matylda! Almond is our book of the month in August! The discussion thread is here. I think more people will join in soon. I am reading Almond now-ish.

It's really nice to finally have a few readers who speak Korean in our group. Welcome everyone <3!


message 22: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (asamonek) | 106 comments Paul wrote: "Hi - delighted to find this group.

My love of Korean literature comes from having a Korean wife, and spending several weeks their most years. Shamefully my Korean itself is only really up to readi..."


Paul, yours is one impressive bookshelf! ^~^


message 23: by Mariana (new)

Mariana Fontenele Hi everyone :) Hope y’all doing well.

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic I started to watch kdramas and I fell in love with the culture, history and language. I’m currently learning Korean and I joined this group hoping to get good recommendations on Korean literature. I’m living in Brazil, so it’s a lot easier for me if the books could be found on Amazon. :) tks!


message 24: by Alwynne (new)

Alwynne | 48 comments Hi Mariana nice to see you here, also a K drama fan!


message 25: by Matylda (new)

Matylda (matyldakr) | 3 comments Mariana wrote: "Hi everyone :) Hope y’all doing well.

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic I started to watch kdramas and I fell in love with the culture, history and language. I’m currently learning Kore..."


You can find a lot of the books on bookdepository.com plus they have free shipping! Not the best as it's owned by amazon but a good option if they don't have them elsewhere :)


message 26: by Liza (new)

Liza | 6 comments Hello everyone :)
I'm Liza. I majored in Korean studies, that's why I am interested in Korean literature and '80-10s films!
I usually order books from g-mart, but shipping fees are just killing me this days... haha....
Very pleased to join this group :^)


message 27: by Grace (new)

Grace | 1 comments Hello, I am writing on behalf of the U.S. office of operations of Korean Literature Review Contest.
The Korean Literature Review Contest, which marks 17th edition this year, is a time-honored global literature contest hosted by the LTI Korea. It encourages overseas readers to share their reviews and thoughts on literary works by Korean authors in various ways such as text, video, audio, drawing, or art forms of any kind. This year, 12 countries are hosting the “2021 Korean literature review contest” including the US, the UK, France, Spain, China, Taiwan, Azerbaijan, Japan, Russia, Colombia, Brazil and Bangladesh.

The U.S. office of operations of Korean Literature Review Contest is looking for local participants to the Korean Literature Review Contest. Anyone currently living in the U.S. who is interested in Korean literature can participate in this contest and share their reviews by e-mail after reading Korean literary works selected by the LTI Korea. Participants are free to express their review in text, video and others. Winners will receive non-cash rewards or prize cash.

You can find more details about the contest application guide in the followings;

Contest application guide in the U.S:
https://www.ltikorea.or.kr/en/board/n...

Official Instagram of the Korean Literature Review Contest: https://www.instagram.com/klrc_official/

We hope to develop a wider audience to Korean literature in the U.S. through this contest and also hope that this contest would establish itself as a new window to American reading audiences with interesting reviews. We would like to ask for your active participation and support so that many readers in the U.S. who are interested in literature can have opportunity to join a good contest.


message 28: by Fran (new)

Fran (lysinmilano) | 2 comments Hello everyone, I'm Fran! I studied Korean Studies back in 2015 - sadly due to a very demanding job I never finished and my Korean language skills are still very limited. But, I finally started to rekindle my love for the language this year and am reading more Korean literature in translation. Looking forward to participate in group reads :)


message 29: by Jimena (new)

Jimena | 1 comments Hi everyone! It's a pleasure to be in this group ✨ Recently, I have been really interested in Korean literature, but I only have read a few books by Korean authors. I'm currently interested in sci-fi and horror books. I hope I can find in this group people who are excited to learn and read more about Korean literature✨


message 30: by Sofi (new)

Sofi  (logladylog) | 2 comments Hello everyone! Sofi from Sweden here. As a big K-drama fan, and a book lover I have started to explore Korean literature. I am looking forward to great book recommendations and interesting discussions from all you guys!


message 31: by Monica (new)

Monica | 1 comments Hi everyone! I'm excited that I came across this group :) through some online programs I found during the lockdown era, I started reading translated books of Korean authors and while my Korean knowledge is slowly growing, I'm also incorporating Korean books.


message 32: by Abby (new)

Abby | 1 comments Hello everyone! My name is Abby, and I am very interested in Korean literature! I hope that I can find new Korean books to read through this thread


message 33: by Akshi (new)

Akshi | 1 comments hi everyone !!! i am akshita and i love literature and i want to read many books and as language is no longer a barrier that can stop me from reading so here i am with hope that i will read korean literature and fall in love with new writers and reading is always fun so hiiiiiii


message 34: by aoi (new)

aoi (aoippai) | 1 comments Hey, I'm new to Goodreads. I'm excited to find more Korean Literature as a K-drama fan.


message 35: by Yuliia (new)

Yuliia Vasylenko | 1 comments Hello everyone! I’m Yuliia and I moved to South Korea in 2016, since last year I got really interested in Korean contemporary literature, so I’m very excited to join this club :)


message 36: by Gyöngyi (new)

Gyöngyi (jacobsonsorgan) | 1 comments Hi, I've started being interested in South Eastern Asian culture and literature lately and read a couple of books. I don't really have that much time to read anymore, but I want to get back into the habit of it. I really liked "The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly" and "Miracle on Cherry Hill" by Hwang Sun-Mi.


message 37: by Aki (new)

Aki (red_aki) | 39 comments Gyöngyi wrote: "Hi, I've started being interested in South Eastern Asian culture and literature lately and read a couple of books. I don't really have that much time to read anymore, but I want to get back into th..."

Welcome! I love Hwang Sun-Mi, and we're reading The Dog Who Dared to Dream in December so perfect timing!


message 38: by Roser (new)

Roser Gomez Hello!! I'm Roser and I just found this group, which I think is my heaven on earth!! ^_^


message 39: by Christine (new)

Christine    | 4 comments Welcome, Roser!


message 40: by Rob (new)

Rob (nhlorgsix) | 1 comments Hi I'm Rob. I lived in South Korea in 1985,86 always interested in the culture and Korean Fiction. I've read The Orphan Master's Son, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, Welcome To The Hyunam - Dong Bookshop. I'm about to start reading Beasts Of A Little Land.
I'm glad to be part of the group.


message 41: by Aki (new)

Aki (red_aki) | 39 comments Rob wrote: "Hi I'm Rob. I lived in South Korea in 1985,86 always interested in the culture and Korean Fiction. I've read The Orphan Master's Son, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, Welcome To The Hyunam - Dong Bookshop. ..."

Welcome, Rob!


message 42: by Vicky (last edited May 18, 2024 08:38AM) (new)

Vicky BookLover (vickybooklover) Hi, everyone, I'm Vicky! Been lurking around for some time in this group, but only after deciding to create a new Goodreads account and starting fresh just now, I figured I should re-join and write a proper introduction. I've long been a fan of Japanese literature and only just recently I decided to turn my attention towards other Asian countries and explore what they have. I'm a huge fan of mystery and horror novels, so I'm hoping I get to discover more books related to my favorite genres but also get to read some more Asian voices.

So far I've read:
"The Good Sun" by Chi-Young Kim
"Almond" by Won-pyung Sohn
"Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982" by Cho Nam-Joo
"Flowers of Mold" by Ha Seong-Nan

...and I'm hoping to expand my Korean TBR with more goodies, by joining this group. 😊


message 43: by Aki (new)

Aki (red_aki) | 39 comments Vicky wrote: "Hi, everyone, I'm Vicky! Been lurking around for some time in this group, but only after deciding to create a new Goodreads account and starting fresh just now, I figured I should re-join and write..."

Welcome Vicky! Almond and Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 have been on my TBR for a while. Flowers of Mold sounds fascinating!~


message 44: by Jung (new)

Jung | 1 comments Hi everyone. I'm Jung. I have been interested in Korean literature for 10 years. This is my first time joining a literature club. I've been started with "Anh Dohyeon - The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher" Mostly reading essay. Also I like to read modern korean novels too.

I hope we recommend good books each other


message 45: by Raz (last edited Oct 02, 2024 11:57AM) (new)

Raz Mihal (razmihal) | 1 comments Hi everyone! My name is Raz Mihal, and I'm thrilled to be part of this community. I'm an author with a deep passion for exploring love, spirituality, and self-discovery themes in my writing. My latest book, Just Love Her, delves into these themes, offering readers a heartfelt journey through divine love and personal transformation.

When I'm not writing, I'm an avid reader with a diverse taste, ranging from spiritual literature to contemporary fiction. I'm always excited to discover new authors and genres, and I can't wait to engage with all of you here. Let's connect and share our love for books!

I am looking forward to getting to know you all better.


message 46: by Jitse (new)

Jitse | 2 comments Hi everyone! I'm Jitse. Dutch guy living in Seoul. Married to a Korean, hence the move. Have always been interested in reading cross-border, will keep on doing so, but now also very keen to focus on Korean literature specifically.

Good experiences with different genres. And with Hwang Sok-yong's books. Han Kang too. That said, two absolute favorites so far are:

Untold Night and Day
Please Look After Mom

Happy to stumble on this group here and looking forward to exploring more Korean lit along with you all!


message 47: by Henk (new)

Henk | 61 comments Welkom Jitse!


message 48: by Cameron (new)

Cameron (cameronbradley) | 1 comments Hey everyone. I'm Cameron. I'm an American living in Daegu. Been in the city for the past two years, and I've spent another six or so years in Tongyeong. I've been reader all my life but I've gotten into world literature--especially Asian lit---pretty heavily over the past decade or so.

My favorite Korean novels so far are Pachinko and Ahbe’s Family

I also write a newsletter called Lit Smithery on Substack (link is in my profile).


message 49: by Aki (new)

Aki (red_aki) | 39 comments Welcome Cameron and Sun Hee!


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