Promotional Information

From the claustrophobic space of Japanese-occupied Korea, to the powerful effects of guilt, shame, and nostalgia accompanying the economic miracle, these stories speak of a history which, while deeply inscribed in local detail, suggest the parameters of a global modernity. In terms of its range and consistent quality, there is simply no other comparable collection. A combination of fresh, new translations of old classics and a judicious selection of more recent writing makes this long-awaited anthology a most welcome publication for anyone interested in twentieth-century Korea. -- Janet Poole

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction 1 Hyon Chingon, A Lucky Day 2 Kim Tongin, Potatoes 3 Yi T'aejun, Crows 4 Kim Tongni, The Shaman Painting 5 Kim Yujong, The White Rabbit 6 Yi Sang, Wings 7 Yi Hyosok, When the Buckwheat Blooms 8 Ch'ae Manshik, My Innocent Uncle 9 Ch'oe Chonghui, The Ritual at the Well 10 Hwang Sunwon, Coarse Sand 11 Yi Hoch'ol, Far from Home 12 Kim Sungok, Seoul: 1964, Winter 13 Ch'oe Inho, Another Man's Room 14 Kim Pukhyang, The Son 15 Cho Sehui, Knifeblade 16 Ch'oe Illam, Ballad 17 Yi Ch'ongjun, Footprints in the Snow 18 Yi Munyol, The Old Hatter 19 Pak Wanso, Mother's Hitching Post 20 O Chonghui, Wayfarer 21 Ch'oe Yun, The Gray Snowman 22 Kim Yongha, Lizard Suggestions for Further Reading Bibliography

About the Author

Bruce Fulton occupies the Young-Bin Min Chair in Korean Literature and Literary Translation at the University of British Columbia. He is coeditor of Words of Farewell: Stories by Korean Women Writers, Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction, and A Ready-Made Life: Early Masters of Modern Korean Fiction.Youngmin Kwon is professor of Korean literature at Seoul National University.

Reviews

A remarkable, diverse collection of short stories. -- Terry Hong Asian Week At the heart of this collection reverberates the anguished question of what is Korean... A rich variety of imaginative writing. -- Wingate Packard Seattle Times This is a striking and highly readable collection of writings. -- Bill Drucker Korean Quarterly The short stories in Modern Korean Fiction are full of hunger. Nation An outstanding contribution to our understanding and appreciation of twentieth-century Korean literature... That should become a standard university text. -- Michael Finch Acta Koreana