A Distant and Beautiful Place

By Yang Gui-ja and Yang Kwija

Book Overview

Somewhere on the periphery of Seoul, between the modern metropolis and the traditional farming communities, lies a "distant and beautiful place," the neighborhood of Wonmi-dong. Here, a young couple from the city struggles to make a home for themselves; a hapless "salary man" is forced into door-to-door sales after losing his job; a precocious seven-year-old questions the meaning of friendship and community. Everyone seems to be chasing the intangible dream of a better life. Set against the backdrop of South Korea's breakneck drive for industrialization and economic development in the 1980s, these compassionate and often humorous stories capture the essence of modern South Korean life-including the ubiquitous atmosphere of violence and fear that clouded the country prior to democratization in 1987. They also depict the Korean people's unfailing optimism and love of life. A Distant and Beautiful Place first appeared as a series of linked stories in literary journals between 1985 and 1987. It was published as the collection Wonmi-dong saramdul in 1987 and quickly became a best seller. Yang Kwija, one of South Korea's most respected and popular authors, has since published dozens of novels and shorter pieces.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824826396
• ISBN13: 9780824826390
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

excellent story collection

This is a first rate collection of stories of life in a dismal modern exurb of Seoul. The stories share location and characters, and as a whole they form a sort of novel; yet each one stands on its own, focusing on different characters in the town, with their very different perspectives on their generally disappointing and drab lives. In the context of this unity of people and place, the diversity of the stories is remarkable, a pleasure to experience. Among my favorites: "The Wonmi-dong Poet," a description of one of the town's eccentric characters, told from the viewpoint of a 6-year-old girl; "A Vagabond Mouse," the story of a young husband gradually succumbing to the lure of spending all his time on the nearby mountain, told from his standpoint and that of a group of town men; and "The Tearoom Woman," a brief tale of adultery. The translation are smooth and readable. Highly recommended.