tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post4940628308687243173..comments2024-03-18T07:07:53.346-04:00Comments on Ask a Korean!: Novels on Korean History?T.K. (Ask a Korean!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-66088597954639761122016-07-25T19:55:46.977-04:002016-07-25T19:55:46.977-04:00Following the thread of Prince Sado, I suggest Eve...Following the thread of Prince Sado, I suggest Everlasting Empire by Yi In-Hwa (Professor You Chul-gun), which examines the aftermath of that event on the next generation and the next king, King Chongjo, who established the Royal Library. The primary narrator of Everlasting Empire is a librarian who investigates a suspicious death. As a book lover myself, I was hooked on the idea of a librarian sleuth narrator. There was a thorough discussion of the many warring factions and alliances (Divergent has nothing on brutal factions compared to this period of Korean history) as well as the introduction of scholarly writings and poetry.<br /><br />Everlasting Empire is a sort of novelized history text--more successful in the portrayal of this period of history than as a novel. Too many narrators and too much authorial intrusion slowed the book. At least for me.<br />www.PenInHerHand.com Deb Atwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17952385670651888660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-88060147342082642382011-10-02T15:53:03.384-04:002011-10-02T15:53:03.384-04:00The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble!The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble!eugeniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02171540659210968880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-62999883479690019772011-10-01T17:20:59.295-04:002011-10-01T17:20:59.295-04:00This is not a novel, but I can't recommend &qu...This is not a novel, but I can't recommend "The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong" strongly enough. I almost literally stumbled on it at Commonwealth Books in Boston - it was at the top of a stack of books on the floor waiting to be shelved. <br /><br />It covers the events around the death of Prince Sado, who was locked in a rice chest by his father. It took him eight days to die - horrible! The memoirs are written by his wife and read almost like a novel in four parts. She wrote them in hangeul which was unusual at the time when most literature was written in Chinese, so they have a very natural and modern feel. Prince Sado, his death, and the events around it are one of more fascinating moments in Korean history and he often pops up in Korean historical dramas and movies, so this is a great book if you want to learn what really happened told by someone who was there. <br /><br />The book I have was translated by JaHyun Kim Haboush and she has a lot of great historical commentary in it as well.will work for sojuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07028188250032588242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-83829585607556208492011-10-01T14:06:14.572-04:002011-10-01T14:06:14.572-04:00Aquariums of Pyeongyang by Chol-hwan Kang.
It do...Aquariums of Pyeongyang by Chol-hwan Kang. <br /><br />It does not really cover an extensive period of history but interesting and engaging. This book is about the life of the author as a child who grew up in North Korea, thrown into 're-education' camps before escaping to the South (via China). <br /><br />btw, I am thankful for this entry. I have been looking for Korean novels to read but not sure what is available. Local bookstores here (Singapore) are sadly limited in this particular section.wonderrrgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04651393039520584883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-491388349617313572011-10-01T06:32:58.697-04:002011-10-01T06:32:58.697-04:00"Encounter" by Hahn Moo-Sook. A novel se..."Encounter" by Hahn Moo-Sook. A novel set in 19th century Korea that is somewhat of a fictionalization of the lives of real Confucian and Christian scholars. It can be a bit dry at times but is beautifully written and gives insight into the lives of early Catholics in Korea.LuccaQhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00042523312185195137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-37513393393007144182011-09-29T20:38:57.537-04:002011-09-29T20:38:57.537-04:00@peachyb: I really liked Great Queen Seondeok. I...@peachyb: I really liked Great Queen Seondeok. It was on Hulu for a while.hawksfansarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11630265701286464406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-24452041675051751102011-09-29T18:32:10.483-04:002011-09-29T18:32:10.483-04:00And I find Kim Jin Myung to be... a tinsy bit too ...<i><b>And I find Kim Jin Myung to be... a tinsy bit too nationalist.</b></i><br /><br />Are you saying that it's too nationalistic to write a story about how North and South Koreas come together to nuke Japan? ;)T.K. (Ask a Korean!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-32189510853926321572011-09-29T15:58:16.530-04:002011-09-29T15:58:16.530-04:00Yes, but for those of us who are admittedly lazy a...Yes, but for those of us who are admittedly lazy and busy and deplorable, maybe a post in the future on the best of historical dramas? <br />signed,<br />Shallow but Interestedpeachybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519621521874932668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-24642102410211365522011-09-29T01:12:06.171-04:002011-09-29T01:12:06.171-04:00When I was a naive Freshman, I wanted to translate...When I was a naive Freshman, I wanted to translate "Taebaek Mountains" for my thesis/creative project. :D<br /><br />But yeah, I think Jo Jung Rae's works (Arirang - Taebaek Mountains - Han River) does a great job covering most of Korea's 20th century history. I doubt that there are English translations (and that there ever will be), but still.<br /><br />And I find Kim Jin Myung to be... a tinsy bit too nationalist. And by tinsy bit, I mean "Patrick Henry called; he wants you to tone it down a little."bumfromkoreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06153488376014405461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-25728004198439257292011-09-28T23:35:10.292-04:002011-09-28T23:35:10.292-04:00This one doesn't cover more than the first hal...This one doesn't cover more than the first half of the 20th century, but "The Calligrapher's Daughter" by Eugena Kim is an excellent read. I think it was written in English to begin with, but it's still a very interesting account of what life was like for Koreans during Japanese rule.Ali and Jessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18274076111151542030noreply@blogger.com