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Recent Books

Annals of the Goryeo Kingdom Baek Ji-won; Jinmyong Books: 424 pp., 528 pp.,., 13,900 won and 14,900 won respectively Following ``Behead the King,'' a two-volume history of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), the U.S.-based historian has released "Annals of the Goryeo Kingdom." The writer has a poignant insight on Korean history which has been often distorted and whitewashed by later winners and powers in society. The book points out that the perceptions toward Goryeo history have been particularly twisted and narrow. The Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) was a Buddhist nation but was a dynamic society open to diverse thoughts. The author appreciates the Goryeo Kingdom as the crucial state in which the origin of the Korean way of thinking, language and culture was incubated and the most diverse political system was established throughout Korean history. The book sheds a new light on the historical incidents that transformed history and heroic figures who tried to save the nation from the invasion of the Mongol Empire. The book also overturns the previous appreciation toward two

Apr 23, 2010

Book Probes How to Retrieve Royal Protocols

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Currently, some nations are teaming up to retrieve lost relics mostly looted by imperial powers in the past, and Korea is among those seeking the return of stolen property. Among others, Korea is eager to retrieve the 340 volumes of the ``Uigwe'' ― the royal protocols from Oegyujanggak (the Royal Library) which were pillaged by French troops on Ganghwa Island in 1866. The decades-long dispute between Korea and France over the return of the royal documents resurfaced after a French court ruled for their ownership by the National Library of France earlier this year. ``The Kingdom's Legacy: Looking for Royal Protocols'' written by Yi Tae-jin, professor emeritus of Seoul National University, who has participated in the return move along with other scholars, elaborates the movement and the logic around the return of looted relics. The book was first penned 16 years ago when the royal protocols in Paris emerged as a hot issue when the historical return of one of the books was made during the late French President Francois Mitterand's visi

Apr 23, 2010

Recent Books

Business Stripped Bare Richard Branson; Translated by Park Seul-la; Readers Book; 399 pp., 16,500 won Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group, knows the power of branding. He created and nurtured the Virgin brand over the last four decades. He says what wakes him up every morning is the idea that he will make changes. That’s why he doesn’t want to operate a big company. Virgin is a group of many small companies. For Branson, in business, fun should come ahead of everything else. He finds joy in creating small, innovative businesses. Pleasure is also closely associated with adventure. Branson’s definition of success is to create something that he can take pride in. Profit is nothing more than something needed to invest in the next project and to repay shareholders. It’s not the ultimate end. He says nobody is remembered only for the amount of money he or she earned. What’s more important is what you have created and whether you have helped change other people’s lives. Complete with a sense of humor, he seeks to do things differently and creatively. He know

Apr 16, 2010

Maninbo Tells Narrative of Korean History

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Poet Ko Un has finally completed ``Maninbo'' (Ten Thousand Lives), a 30-volume epic poem series, 25 years after he first began publishing the monumental work in 1986. The 77-year-old initiated the landmark epic poem series when he was imprisoned in 1980 on false accusations of treason during a military coup. He decided to describe every person he had ever met in his life in the project. After being freed from the prison in 1982, he began writing the poems and published the first volume in 1986. Representing one of the major classics of

Apr 16, 2010

Recent Books

Have a Little Faith Mitch Albom; Translated from English to Korean by Lee Su-gyung; Sallim: 352 pp., 12,000 won After ``Tuesday With Morrie'' was first published in Korea in 2002, it became a must-read book. The book sold more than two million copies over eight years here. Now its sequel ``Have a Little Faith'' has been released 13 years after ``Morrie'' came out. His new book shot to the top spot in the bestselling list of the major bookstores in the United States. Like ``Morrie,'' this book is a true story containing conversations with his mentors Albert Lewis, a rabbi to deliver his eulogy and Rev. Henry Covington who takes care of the homeless and the poor. For Mitch, who didn't resort to religion before he met the two different men, the two big worlds ― Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do ― opened the different new world of the truth and meanings from their holy faiths. The stories of the two men are inspiring for those who want to change their lives and the world with hopeful messages. -Chung Ah-young Chocola

Apr 9, 2010

Herta Muller’s Books Translated in Korean

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter When Herta Muller won the 2009 Nobel Prize for literature by the Swedish Academy, she was described her as a writer, ``Who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed.’’ Now her two powerful books ― “Niederungen’’ (Nadirs) and “Atemschaukel’’ (Everything I Possess I Carry With Me) ― have finally been translated into Korean by the Munhakdongne for the first time. ``Niederungen’’ was her debut work published in 1982 in Romania, while ``Atemschaukel’’ is her newest novel released last year. The publication of the two novels gives Korean readers an opportunity to compare her literature world from her early stages to the present day. The Romania-born German author will also come to Korea to participate in the 19th Congress of the International Comparative Literature Association, which will be held from Aug. 15 to 21 at Chung-Ang University in Seoul. Before her visit, three more of her novels will be translated into Korean. “Niederungen’’ is a collection of 19 short stories based in a

Apr 9, 2010

Recent Books

The Four Things That Matter Most Ira Byock; Translated by Kwak Myung-dan from English to Korean; Mulpure; 282 pp., 12,000 won When Ven. Beop Jeong, one of the most revered monks in the nation, passed away last month, he left an important message ― life can end beautifully empty of possessions but full of spiritual highness. A book written by Ira Byock, a palliative care physician and long-time public advocate for improving care while approaching death, advises people on the four things people should do before dying. The four tasks involve ``Forgiving,’’ ``Thank You,’’``I Love You,’’ and ``Good-Bye.’’ The author has spent the last couple of decades taking care of terminally-ill patients and contributed to relieving their pain before dying. A ``beautiful death’’ depends not on social status and wealth but on relationships between people and inner peace, which are critical aspects for both a beautiful death and a meaningful life. The book details his personal experiences with patients who faced premature deaths but were able to pass away with peaceful minds. The write

Apr 2, 2010

Odyssey of Korean-American Poet

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter American poet Walt Whitman recounted the diversity and multiplicity of the ordinary people and searched for the development of the American identity from various perspectives in the 19th century in ``Song of Myself.’’ In a similar manner, Korean-American poet Choi Yearn-hong hopes to weave poetry, philosophy and political science, history and socio-cultural commentary mixed with his personal experiences in the United States in his memoir ``Song of Myself: A Korean-American Life.’’ His story is full of fragments of everyday life revolving around characters and celebrities he has met, and deals with the identity theme in the middle of struggle and transformation.

Apr 2, 2010

Recent Books

Sohyeon Kim In-sook; Jaeum & Moeum: 332 pp., 12,000 won Crown Prince Sohyeon of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) might be best remembered as one of the disgraced royal heirs who was detained as a captive of China’s Qing Dynasty during a war between the two countries. After spending eight years in detention in China, he finally returned home in 1645 and prepared to succeed King Injo to the throne. But Sohyeon collided with his father Injo over his open-minded view influenced by European culture and the Qing Dynasty. He was found dead in the court and quickly buried after a short funeral ― his wife was executed after finding out the reason for his death. The novel ``Sohyeon’’ portrays the last two years of his life when the kingdom was being driven into a chaotic period. The book sheds light on diverse historical characters through their own perspectives, mixing fictional elements. The characters reflect the fears, frustrations, desires and conflicts behind the power struggles in internal affairs, and at the same time the foreign landscape around the Joseon Kingdom

Mar 26, 2010

Duck City Satirizes Obsessive Eating Behavior

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter While obesity seems to be almost ``sinful'' at least in a modern society that puts more emphasis on how people look, people are ironically resorting to more fatty foods such as donuts and hamburgers. They cannot resist savory temptation of such convenience foods while at the same time obsessing on their health and body shape. What's behind this complexity? Swedish author Lena Andersson molds the issue into her fictional novel ``Duck City,'' satirizing the duality of modern society in which people are fixated with their looks and at the same time with fast food. The novel is set in the city of ducks that suffers from obesity due to the wide spread of junk food. However, as they develop health problems such as diabetes and heart strokes, the government declares a war against obesity. The citizens are forced to lose weight ― amid the influx of junk food ― and obesity is regarded as a sin. While the government outwardly fights against unhealthy eating, it has a collusive relation with the fast food business moguls to push customers to eat t

Mar 26, 2010
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