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From Wonso Pond

Author:
Translated by:
Publisher: , 2009
Original title: 인간문제, 1934
Link to online store *

A classic revolutionary novel of the 1930s and the first complete work written by a woman before the Korean War to be published in English, From Wonso Pond transforms the love triangle between three protagonists into a revealing portrait of the living conditions that led to modern Korea, both North and South. In a plot rich with Dickensian overtones, it paints a vivid picture of life in what is now North Korea through the eyes of three characters, as they journey separately from a small, impoverished village ruled by the lecherous landlord to the port city of Incheon.

LKL says:

A book of two halves, the second more interesting than the first. In the first half we have a simple story of country folk trying to survive in difficult times, while in the second we move to the city of Incheon and the world of communist activism among the factory workers. Although the storyline relies heavily on coincidence, it’s an interesting read.

LKL rating: score-2score-2score-2score-1score-0. Read our review of this book here.

External links:

* Where the book is available from a number of sources, they are prioritised as follows: (1) Amazon UK site, or Bookshop.org for the more recent uploads (2) Amazon US site (3) Other sites in US or Europe, including second-hand outlets (4) LTI Korea, where the title is advertised as available from there (5) Onlines stores in Korea. Links to Bookshop.org and Amazon UK site contain an affiliate code which, should you make a purchase, gives a small commission to LKL at no additional cost to you.