Author: Jang Jung-il
Translated by: Horace Jeffery Hodges, Hwang Sun-ae
Publisher: Dalkey Archive, 2013
Original title: 아담이 눈뜰 때, 1990
Link to online store *
First published in 1990, this is a sensational and highly controversial novel by one of Korea’s most electrifying contemporary authors. A preposterous coming-of-age story, melding sex, death, and high school in a manner reminiscent of some perverse collision between Georges Bataille and Beverly Cleary, the narrator of this book plows through contemporaneous Korean mores with aplomb, bound for destruction, or maturity–whichever comes first.
Also contains the short story The Seventh Day.
LKL says:
While perhaps as a coming-of-age story this novel is not unique, its historical backdrop – not only in its sense of political betrayal but also for the vestiges of the 1980s collective approach of the student body (one character is pressured to work collaboratively with other students in publishing her poems) – together with the added frisson of all the casual sex make it a lively and interesting read.
LKL rating: 
. Read our review of this book here.
Read a review by Tony Malone here. Entry on Goodreads.com here.
* 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.