Author: Yi Mun-yol
Translated by: Brother Anthony of Taizé, Chung Chong-wha
Publisher: Harvill, 1995
Original title: 시인, 1990
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A young man’s determination to maintain his integrity in an unjust society forces him to endure a lonely and dangerous odyssey.
When a governor to the King falls into rebel hands, he switches sides to save his skin. When later he is captured by royal troops, it is not only he that is condemned to death as a traitor but his sons and grandsons too. They survive by subterfuge, but though they keep their lives, they have lost their place in society.
The Poet tells the story of Kim, the younger grandson, who is consigned to a life of wandering and vagrancy even as he struggles for recognition as a poet, who is constantly tempted to make compromises – to the point of betraying his own family – to survive as an artist and a free spirit.
LKL says:
A novel based on the life of a 19th century poet, Kim Sakkat, exploring his development as an artist against the backdrop of the insurrection by Hong Kyong-nae in the north-west.
LKL rating: 
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Read a review by Charles Montgomery here. Read a review by Tony Malone here. Entry on Goodreads.com here.
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