[_list: Books from Korea] Vol.15 Spring 2012 by LTI Korea Library

Good-bye, Mazinger Lee Seung-hyeon, Silcheonmunhak Publishing Company 2011, 288p, ISBN 9788939206625

This cheerful, vivacious novel is about the growing pains of youth. It recounts the coming of age of a high school student from a provincial town as he takes his first steps into the real world. In raw but warm language, the author depicts the labor conditions of a small town and the sorrows and tribulations of those entering the job market. Copyright Agent: Lee Hoseok silcheon@hanmail.net 82-2-322-2161-5 www.silcheon.com

Into the World of Passi Hwang Jeong-eun, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2012, 232p, ISBN 9788936437220

Nine intriguing stories comprise this anthology. “Night Travel” is about a conflict between relatives that takes place at night, and “Danny DeVito” tells the story of a vengeful spirit who has left his beloved behind. “The Bone Thief ” is about a character shunned by society, and the title story, “Into the World of Passi,” probes into the origins of all problems. Copyright Agent: Lee Soonhwa copyright@changbi.com 82-31-955-3369 www.changbi.com

The Kidnapping of the Empress

A Thousand-Year Forbidden Book

Kim Jin-myung Saeum Publishing Company 2011, 476p, ISBN 9788993964143

Kim Jin-myung Saeum Publishing Company 2009, 326p, ISBN 9788988537015

The Empress of Japan is kidnapped. The Japanese are appalled: who dares to perpetrate this indignity upon the imperial family? The kidnapper has just one demand: a document. Although the empress’s life is at stake, the Japanese government vehemently denies the existence of the document in question.

The physicist protagonist must solve the mystery of one friend’s suicide and another’s disappearance. His only clues are the five cosmological signs left behind by his dead friend and a single e-mail from his missing friend.

Tokko Joon Koh Jong-sok, Saeum Publishing Company 2010, 412p, ISBN 9788993964226

In this novel, the former President Roh Moo Hyun, and the well-known novelist Tokko Joon commit suicide on the same day. Tokko’s daughter reads her father’s journal, which records 47 years of Korean history encompassing Korean historical events as well as society, culture, art, and literature. The novel is also about the daughter’s life as a lesbian, among other family travails. Copyright Agent: Hana Choi mars-princess@hanmail.net 82-2-394-1037 www.saeumbook.co.kr

A Night of Dumbbell Exercises

The Almighty Has No Grandchildren

My Journey to a Perfect TOEIC Score

Kang Youngsuk, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 244p, ISBN 9788936437206

Kim Kyung-wook, Changbi Publishers, Inc. 2011, 300p, ISBN 9788936437190

This is a collection of nine stories, including “At Mullae,” on the theme of the city. The city painted by the author is one full of catastrophes, boiling with desire. Having employed the grotesqueness of the urban landscape as a primary literary device in her previous work, the author shows an even more refined ability to establish space in her latest collection.

This is a new collection of short stories by an author known for his astonishingly steady output of work as well as his remarkable sense of self-renewal. His adroit depiction of the depths of human experience is succinct, without any superfluities. Through provocative themes, he also poses serious questions about people and society.

Shim Jae-cheon Woongjin Think Big Co., Ltd. 2012, 304p, ISBN 9788901139609

In this comical adventure, the author parodies the sad reality of today’s youth who stake almost everything on their TOEIC scores. After scoring low, the protagonist fears that he is doomed, so he takes off for Australia. For the sole purpose of improving his English, he agrees to a dangerous and outlandish proposal. Copyright Agent: Park Jiyoung rights@wjbooks.co.kr 82-2-3670-1016 www.wjthinkbig.com

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