A devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history. Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly. 1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning … [Read More]
Archives: Books (page 25)
Transforming Gender and Emotion: The Butterfly Lovers Story in China and Korea
The Butterfly Lovers Story, sometimes called the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, has been enduringly popular in China and Korea. In Transforming Gender and Emotion, Sookja Cho demonstrates why the Butterfly Lovers Story is more than just a popular love story. By unveiling the complexity of themes and messages concealed beneath the tale’s modern classification as … [Read More]
Find Me as the Creature I Am
From one of the sharpest up-and-coming voices in contemporary poetry, a stunning collection that explores our most fundamental instincts, capacity for affection, and the ways in which we resemble the wild Find Me as the Creature I Am is a book full of tenderness and violence, longing and love. Ranging from inherited family tales to … [Read More]
Romancing on Jeju
This atmospheric novel about friendship and self-discovery from Korean author Hyun-joo Park buzzes with romance, mystery, and just a hint of danger. Romi is an illustrator and hopeless romantic. When she can’t stop obsessing over a brief encounter with a handsome stranger, there’s just one thing to do: hop on a plane and find him. … [Read More]
Koryŏsa: The History of Koryŏ, the Annals of the Kings, 918–1095
Among all the Korean dynasties, the Koryŏ dynasty (918-1392) was the first to have contact with the Western world. It was from these interactions that the current appellation of “Korea” was derived from the Koryŏ name. The Koryŏsa, or the History of Koryŏ, is one of the most significant historical texts on the Koryŏ Dynasty of the Korean … [Read More]
The Unending Korean War: A Social History
Dong-Choon Kim seeks to understand the true impact of the Korean War (1950-1953) on South Korea’s people and society. How did key figures such as President Syngman Rhee respond when North Korean troops crossed the thirty-eighth parallel and what does this tell us about the nature of the South Korean state at the time? How … [Read More]
The Stone Home
A hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center—a stunning work of great emotional power from the critically acclaimed author of If You Leave Me. In 2011, Eunju Oh opens her door to greet a stranger: … [Read More]
If You Leave Me
An emotionally riveting debut novel about war, family, and forbidden love—the unforgettable saga of two ill-fated lovers in Korea and the heartbreaking choices they’re forced to make in the years surrounding the civil war that still haunts us today. When the communist-backed army from the north invades her home, sixteen-year-old Haemi Lee, along with her … [Read More]
Contemporary Korean Art: New Directions since the 1960s
Presents new and thematic interpretations of contemporary Korean art. Presenting fresh and thematic interpretations, this book showcases a collection of the most visually captivating, socially intriguing and often overlooked examples of Korean art. Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous history, artists in Korea embarked on explorations of themselves, society and the profound forces shaping … [Read More]
Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking
In the first book on the subject in English, South Korea’s best chef shows readers how to cook with jangs—the sauces that are the essential building blocks of all Korean cuisine. In the 60 home-cook-friendly dishes, he demystifies jangs while showing how they can be used to make both Korean and Western dishes more delicious. * … [Read More]
BTS on the Road
In just a decade since their debut in 2013, BTS has achieved remarkable impact beyond the music and entertainment activities of a K-pop group. They have succeeded in gaining interest and popularity as an icon of the contemporary global youth generation, not as fictional characters but as real people with Asian faces who are facing … [Read More]
Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat
Situated in a rapidly gentrifying district of Seoul, Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat is a place where the extraordinary stories of ordinary residents unfold. Furnished with a coffee machine, a full bookshelf, and warm lighting, it is a haven from the world for many locals. And when a notebook is left behind there, it becomes a place … [Read More]
A Thousand Blues
It’s only when we slow down that we can truly experience joy … 2035: In the shadow of a race course, a young woman finds a robot named Coli on a scrap heap, contemplating the sky. Intrigued, she takes Coli into her care and learns how the robot is designed to be a humanoid jockey … [Read More]
Marigold Mind Laundry
The comforting magical tale of a mysterious laundry that blooms into existence one night, and how its enigmatic owner summons her powers to heal souls and make dreams come true. We’re a mind laundry. What we wash and iron are the stains on your heart, the creases within you. If there’s anything upsetting you, we … [Read More]
Beyond the Crisis: Korea’s Emergence from the Global Financial Storm of 2008
Stepping up to the task of economic reform is critical in both the local and global contexts. Hasty optimism in a market known for its notoriously short memory must not be allowed to dilute the importance of the role of reform in further strengthening the financial systems in many countries. Otherwise, the ominous threat that … [Read More]
I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki
The sequel to the Sunday Times and international-bestselling South Korean therapy memoir, translated by International Booker Prize–shortlisted Anton Hur When Baek Sehee started recording her sessions with her psychiatrist, her hope was to create a reference for herself. She never imagined she would reach so many people, especially young people, with her reflections. I Want to Die but I … [Read More]