#채식주의자

[without-ado]

한 강 Han Kang – awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature – was born in 1970 in the South Korean city of Gwangju before, at the age of nine, moving with her family to Seoul. She comes from a literary background, her father being a reputed novelist. Alongside her writing, she has also devoted herself to art and music, which is reflected throughout her entire literary production. (x) more at wiki

[librophile]

[saikaberry]

Books [129] 한강 - 채식주의자

★★★★☆

[exile2nd]

앎에 대한 욕망은 필연적으로 음란할 수밖에 없다. 어떤 대상을 진심으로, 진실로 알 수 있는지, 그 가능성에 대한 의문은 잠시 접어두자. 우리가 말하는 앎은, 대상이 지닌 속성의 근사치에 가깝다. 양의 무한대 혹은 음의 무한대 혹은 어떤 특정상수를 향해서 끝없이 뻗어나가는 그래프의 곡선을 본 적이 있는가? 그것은 어떤 대상에 최대한 가까이 다가가려 하는 탐색자의 운동궤적을 닮아 있다. 이처럼 앎의 욕망은 개체와 개체 사이의 핵융합을 막기 위해서 필수적으로 요청되는 거리감의 벽을 무너뜨린다. 남은 것은 열정의 가속기 안에서 어느 한쪽이 파멸에 이를 때까지 뒤섞여 들어가는 일일 뿐이다. 개체들의 일시적인 합일로 말미암아 그들의 경계가 소멸하는 파국의 현장은 관능적이다. 그래서 사회적으로 존중해야 할 인력과 척력의 균형감을 삼켜버릴 듯 으르렁대는 앎의 욕망은, 보아서는 안될 현장을 훔쳐보는 자의 시점과 결부되어 있고, 그래서 · · · · · ·

[achillessulks]

We would all like to know the top 25 books you’ve read this century please pleaseeeee 🙏🏽

(Context.)

OK, so the limitations I’m setting for myself are that these books must:

have been published some time after 1st January 2000 (in the edition I read them);

be good.

That’s it. The books are in alphabetical order by author’s surname, because there’s enough variety here that I wouldn’t feel comfortable (or rational) trying to rank each book objectively.

Fiction:

Bloodchild and Other Stories (2005) by Octavia E. Butler - The eponymous story is one of my favourite short stories of all time, and it counts within the time constraints because this is the second edition, with additional stories added. Butler’s commentary on her own works is always insightful.

Gone Girl (2012) by Gillian Flynn - Iconic story of an apex predator who wasn’t getting enough enrichment in her enclosure.

The Vegetarian [채식주의자] (2007) by Han Kang - Specifically the original version in Korean, not the translation.

Slave Play (2020) by Jeremy O. Harris - Very unsettling! The double (triple?) entendre in the title is a good summation of the play entire, I think.

OUT (2004) by Kirino Natsuo tr. Stephen Snyder - Often described as ‘feminist noir,’ Kirino’s writing explores the grimy underbelly of the daily lives of women and girls in modern Japan. Predictably, I have enjoyed all of her novels I’ve read.

The Sympathizer (2015) by Viet Thanh Nguyen - This novel is to me what Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ is as a poem to me. That will make sense if you’ve read both.

Theory of Bastards (2018) by Audrey Schulman - I adore every novel by Schulman I have read so far, but this one is definitely my favourite.

Impératrice (2003) by Shan Sa - I read this book as a teenager and was absolutely obsessed with it. Wu Zetian is boss.

Terminal Boredom (2021) by Suzuki Izumi tr. Polly Barton, Sam Bett, David Boyd, Daniel Joseph, Aiko Masubuchi, and Helen O’Horan - I also recommend the sequel collection by the same team, Hit Parade of Tears (2023).

Nonfiction:

Voices from Chernobyl (2005) by Svetlana Alexievich tr. Keith Gessen - Originally published in 1997, but I read the English translation first. I recommend everything Alexievich has ever written, honestly.

The Captive Woman’s Lament in Greek Tragedy (2006) by Casey Dué - You know when you read a book and it makes you feel like your entire body has been transferred to a different plane of existence? I love Dr. Dué’s writing about Euripides and Greek tragedy so freaking much.

Delusions of Gender (2010) by Cordelia Fine - If you’ve ever been trying to explain to a bigot that ‘basic biology’ is not as straightforward as ‘male brain’ vs. ‘female brain,’ this is the book for you. Dr. Fine is super knowledgeble, and the book is excellent at explaining the relevant neuroscience while debunking misogynistic and transphobic misconceptions about how the human brain functions.

How To Survive a Plague (2016) by David France - Really comprehensive book on the history of the AIDS epidemic and how it was solved.

The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories (2007) tr. Andrea Purvis ed. Robert Strassler - The entire Landmark series is excellent, and I highly recommend it. I chose the Herodotus because the maps really are invaluable, but the Thucydides and Arrian were close seconds.

People Love Dead Jews (2021) by Dara Horn - My favourite joke from this book is when Horn describes Anne Frank as ‘everyone’s second-favourite dead Jew... after, of course, Jesus.’

Arguments with Silence: Writing the History of Roman Women (2014) by Amy Richlin - Really I recommend everything Richlin has ever written, but I would like to specifically acknowledge her essay ‘Hijacking the Palladion’ (1992), which remains one of the best articles I’ve ever read on feminism and classics.

Appropriate: A Provocation (2021) by Paisley Rekdal - Really really interesting thinky book about cultural appropriation, appreciation, and interaction.

19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei (with More Ways) (2016) by Eliot Weinberger - OK, this book is from 1987, but the expanded edition is eligible. This is a delightful and informative, albeit short, explanation of (some of) the difficulties inherent in translation.

Poetry:

The Collected Poems (2010) by Ai - This is also kind of cheating… Ai’s best poetry can be found in her Killing Floor (1973), which is included in this anthology.

The Iliad (2015) tr. Caroline Alexander - I enjoyed Emily Wilson’s translations of Homer as well, but Alexander’s translation of the Iliad is the first complete translation into English by a woman, ever. That’s really cool. Also, it’s a very good translation; I definitely prefer it to Wilson’s translation of the same. (I could go on for hours about the differences in translations of Homer.)

Phone Bells Keep Ringing for Me (2020) by Choe Seungja tr. Won-Chung Kim and Cathy Park Hong - My absolute favourite poetry by Choe Seungja can be found in her book ‘내 무덤, 푸르고’ (1993), some of which can be found in this collection of translated poetry.

Unfortunately, It Was Paradise (2003) by Mahmoud Darwish tr. Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché (with Sinan Antoon and Amira El-Zein) - This is cheating, somewhat, since I originally read most of Darwish’s poems in Arabic, and those versions were published mostly before the relevant time period. However, I do consider this translated collection of his works to be one of my favourite books, especially now that I have ‘edited’ it by hand-writing the Arabic versions of the poems in the margins. It counts.

Li Shang-yin (2018) tr. Chloe Garcia Roberts - Li Shangyin is one of my favourite Tang-dynasty poets, and this bilingual(!) edition of his poems is an excellent read.

Ilias und Odyssee (2008) tr. Johnn Heinrich Voß - Yes, another translation of Homer. Voß’s translation is from the late 18th century, but this particular edition has a bunch of specific appendices and stuff...! Anyway, this translation rocks.

Yi Sang: Selected Works (2020) tr. Jack Jung, Sawako Nakayasu, Don Mee Choi, and Joyelle McSweeney - Once again this is on the line, because I definitely prefer Yi Sang’s writing in the original Korean/Japanese... no translation adequately captures his style, in my opinion, but this one comes the closest.

Closing thoughts:

I do not usually read a lot of newer books (backlog, you know how it is), so I am extremely out of touch with the current literary zeitgeist. This is mostly by design. All of my favourite books in French, for example, were published before 1990, and my single favourite book (Les Misérables) was published in the mid-19th century.

Several of the books on this list I originally read in a different language (mostly French), but I’ve included the English version here if it’s the original OR if it’s the relevant edition for the timeframe.

This was incredibly difficult. Mostly because I had to flip through each book to see if it fit the requirements. I would be much better at curating a list of my favourite 100 books of the 20th century, I think. Or of the 19th century. Or even further back.

Everything about this list is subject to change 😅

[at-1point]

다독가는 정말 아니다. 그렇지만 읽겠다는 노력을 하는 편. (하루에 3페이지는 읽어보겠다! 정도?) 이런 나에게 <채식주의자>는 단번에 읽은 책이다. 그리고 ”뭐야 왜 이렇게 재밌어?” 하고는 앉은 자리에서 또 읽은 책이다.

지난해 경기도 교육청은 <채식주의자>를 청소년 유해 도서로 분류했다고 한다. 예나 지금이나 바보들이 관직을 하고 있는 건 여전하구나. 한강 작가님 축하.

[koreanaswego]

Korean Word of the Day

채식주의자

Vegetarian

[koreanbibliophilegirl]

What is your opinion about Han Kang winning the 2024 nobel prize in literature? Is she the best representative of Korean literature nowadays?

This took a while to answer, sorry nonnie. I wanted to try making this as informative and helpful as possible- plus I was(and still am) kinda busy with preparing for college entrance stuff😅.

So!!! To answer your question:

The Korean author 한강(Han Kang) mainly writes fiction about human life and resisting violence, or historical fiction dealing with Korean modern history; I'm gonna focus more on the historical fiction side here though.

Her historical novels focus on the mental & physical scars left on Korea during the tumultuous period right after the Japanese Colonial Period & the Korean War, through the eyes of ordinary people whose lives were destroyed by each event. So Han Kang winning the Nobel Prize is super meaningful to us, because it means the world is taking an interest in Korean history, and the pain we went through.

There's a well-known quote in Korea; it was said by the Japanese Colonial Period Independence Activist & leader of the Provisional Korean Government, 김구(Kim Gu).

"오직 한없이 가지고 싶은 것은 높은 문화의 힘이다. 문화의 힘은 우리 자신을 행복하게 하고, 나아가서 남에게 행복을 주기 때문이다."

("The only thing I wish we had limitlessly is high power of culture. For the power of culture brings joy to ourselves, and furthermore gives joy to others.")

This quote means cultural power is crucial in drawing in the world to our side. If other countries enjoy our culture, they'll also take an interest in understanding us, which will in turn lead to them taking an interest in our wellbeing & listening to our voice. In fact, it's happening right now! People are learning Korean for K-Pop and K-Dramas! People are getting interested in Korean culture!! Han Kang won the Nobel Prize for books about our history!!!

So, yeah. I think Han Kang's Nobel Prize is very important to Korea, because we're now one step closer to the world acknowledging the sufferings of our country that previously went unrecognized.

And yes, I think Han Kang's novels are a good representation not just of Korean literature, but of the spirit of Korea as well! A number of her works describe some horrific incidents in our history, and others present a calm sort of criticism on the violence of society. <채식주의자(The Vegetarian)>, one of her better-known works of fiction, is a neat slightly grotesque(?) example of this recurring theme of advocating for peace and resisting violence. (This one isn't about history BTW! It's about a woman resisting the lifestyle of her secular family.)

Both history and peace are especially important themes to Koreans. History, because we're always striving not to let it repeat & not to let unsolved disputes be forgotten. Peace, because we're in constant danger, from being the world's one and only divided country, among other things.

BUT, as many Koreans are pointing out, Han Kang is- though undisputedly very talented- one of many amazing writers in Korea. In fact, I've even heard people say up to 60~70% of Korean authors are likely capable of winning the Nobel Prize, if only their work would be translated properly. I- and a lot of others- think Han Kang's success on the international level is not only thanks to her own stellar talent, but also to her translator, Deborah Smith. Deborah Smith has been translating Han Kang's works for a while now, and her thoughtful translations have been much appreciated. NGL, I've seen so many Korean-to-English translations that suck so bad, so seeing Korean literature get translated by someone who very obviously cares a lot about the text? It was like a breath of fresh air after being stuck in the school auditorium for two hours. (And yes, I have just walked out of the school auditorium after being stuck there for two hours.)

This is a lil besides the point, but this is part of why I'm planning to start a Korean literature YouTube channel after I graduate. So many great works of Korean literature either have low-quality translations or don't have any at all, and I want to introduce those works to the wider world properly.

I still have a few months to go till graduation though, so in the meantime, I hope Han Kang's works, at least, get all the well-earned love and respect it deserves.

Thanks for the ask nonnie, and sorry again for the late answer! Feel free to ask if you have any additional questions- though I'm gonna be honest, I'll probably be late in answering those as well.😅 College entrance preparation is hard haha.

-Lilly xx

[seras-elessar]

Where to start with Han Kang

Han Kang (한강) received the 2024 Nobel Prize for literature and people have asked me, a librarian, where to start.

Start with Human Acts (2014, 소년이 온다) it's a deeply moving portrayal of a massacre and its aftermath during the Gwangju (광주광역시) uprising in 1980, following both the living and the dead. It's poetic and gripping, very intimate in its portrayal.

Then see what else is translated to your language or available at your library. Examples under the cut.

(Also if your library doesn't have any of these titles, please put in a request with a librarian. We like those!)

I've heard great things about We do not part (2021, 작별하지 않는다) but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. Greek Lessons (2011, 희랍어 시간) and The White Book (2016, 흰) have also reviewed well.

Her most popular work, The Vegetarian (2007, 채식주의자) is not one I recommend in general because it can be a very difficult read. It's one I've held in my hands and thought "no, not now" many times. According to friends who read it it's visceral, violent, angry and disgusting, all in as positive of a meaning as possible. They loved it but maintains that it was a difficult book to read.

The English translation of her work has been criticised for Europeanisation of the text, in that the tone and style is so different that it could be a different work entirely. While I think the translation transforms the work in all cases they can be to a less or more extent. This criticism is nothing to brush away though, as it's not just grammatically it seems to have failed. According to critics a lot of US American prejudices about Korean people snuck their way in. As for now I and many others have to read Han Kang in the English translation, or a translation from English to our language. I look forward to the Swedish translation from the original Korean.

[gregor-samsung]

" Quando In-hye aveva poggiato sul tavolo le pietanze che aveva portato, Yeong-hye aveva detto: «Sorella, non devi più preoccuparti di portare tutte queste cose, adesso». Le aveva sorriso. «Non ho più bisogno di mangiare». «Ma cosa dici?». In-hye aveva fissato sua sorella come se fosse invasata. Era da tanto tempo che non la vedeva così felice; no, a dire il vero, era la prima volta. «Che cosa diamine stavi facendo, prima?» le aveva chiesto. Yeong-hye aveva risposto con un’altra domanda: «Sorella, tu lo sapevi?». «Sapevo cosa?». «Io non lo sapevo. Pensavo che gli alberi stessero a testa in su… L’ho scoperto solo adesso. In realtà stanno con entrambe le braccia nella terra, tutti quanti. Guarda, guarda là, non sei sorpresa?». Yeong-hye era balzata in piedi e aveva indicato la finestra. «Tutti quanti, stanno tutti a testa in giù». Era scoppiata in una risata incontenibile, e a In-hye erano tornati in mente alcuni momenti della loro infanzia in cui la faccia della sorella aveva esattamente la stessa espressione.

Momenti in cui i suoi occhi dalla palpebra singola si restringevano e diventavano completamente neri, e dalla sua bocca prorompeva quella risata innocente. «Sai come l’ho scoperto? Be’, ho fatto un sogno, e stavo sulla testa… Sul mio corpo crescevano le foglie, e dalle mani mi spuntavano le radici… E così affondavo nella terra. Sempre di più… Volevo che tra le gambe mi sbocciassero dei fiori, così le allargavo; le divaricavo completamente…». Sgomenta, In-hye aveva guardato gli occhi esaltati della sorella. «Devo dare acqua al mio corpo. Non ho bisogno di questo genere di cibo, sorella. Ho bisogno di acqua». "

Han Kang, La vegetariana, traduzione dal coreano di Milena Zemira Ciccimarra, Milano, Adelphi, 2024¹¹, pp. 145-146.

[Edizione originale: 채식주의자, Changbi editori, Corea del Sud, 2007]

[dentiinfomation]

풀영상은? 👉🏻 유튜브 '덴티피디아' @dentipedia_ 팔로우하고 치아 지키는 꿀팁 받아 가세요🦷 ——— [Disclaimer] 본 영상은 개개인의 진단이나 치료 목적이 아니라 전반적인 건강증진을 위한 정보제공을 목적으로 한 김정훈 박사의 개인적인 의견이며 시청하시는 분들의 체질, 가족력, 기왕력 등에 따라 다른 결과가 나올 수 있음을 알려드립니다. #채식 #치아건강 #채식의효과 #구강건강 #채식주의 #치아관리 #건강한생활 #채식의장단점 #치아건강팁 #채식주의자 What about the full video? 👉🏻 YouTube 'Dentipedia' @dentipedia_ Follow and get tips for protecting your teeth🦷 ——— [Disclaimer] This video is not for the purpose of individual diagnosis or treatment For the purpose of providing information for overall health promotion It's Dr. Kim Jung Hoon's personal opinion Depending on the personality, family history, and history of the viewers I would like to inform you that other results may come out. #Vegetarian #DentalHealth #VegetarianEffects #Vegetarian #Vegetarian #Care #HealthyLiving #Vegetarian #VegetableHealthTips #Vegetarian

[lairdete]

한강 채식주의자

[reve-dream]

Books actor Hong Kyug has read

1. 村上春樹 「職業としての小説家」/Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami (2015)

[Nylon Korea March 2018 | Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

2. Livro do Desassossego/The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa (1982)

[2018.10.12 bluecages instagram post | 2021.10.26 naver fancafe post | Dazed Korea January 2022 | Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

3. Wenn die Haut zu dünn ist: Hochsensibilität – vom Manko zum Plus by Rolf Sellin (2011)

[2018.10.12 bluecages instagram post]

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

[2018.10.12 bluecages instagram post]

5. Henry V by William Shakespeare

[2018.10.12 bluecages instagram post]

6. 제11회 젊은작가상 수상작품집 : 강화길 <음복> "The 11th Young Writer Award Collection: Eumbok (Partaking of Sacrificial Food and Drink)" by Kang Hwa-gil (2020)

[매경Economy interview ② 2020 | Cine21 June 2020 1259th edition]

7. Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas (2018)

[Cine21 June 2020 1259th edition | bluecages Q&A instagram story | Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

8. Bieguni/Flights by Olga Tokarczuk (2007)

[매경Economy 2020 interview ②]

9. 村上春樹 「色彩を持たない多崎つくると、彼の巡礼の年」/Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami (2013)

[bluecages Q&A instagram story | Minumsa naver blog/Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람 | Dazed Korea January 2022]

10. The Shallows by Nicholas G. Carr (2010)

[bluecages Q&A instagram story]

11. 강화길, 서이제, 임솔아 <소설 보다 : 여름 2020> "See the Novel: Summer 2020" by Kang Hwa-gil, Seo I-je, Im Sol-ah

[bluecages Q&A instagram story | 2020.07.14 bluecages instagram post]

12. Agnès Varda: Interviews, Ed. T. Jefferson Kline (2014)

[bluecages Q&A instagram story]

13. 박은지 <여름 상설 공연>/"Summer Permanent Performance" by Park Eun-ji (2021)

[2021.11.03 bluecages instagram story]

14. 전하영, 김멜라, 김혜진, 박서련, 서이제, 한정현, 김지연 <2021 제12회 젊은작가상 수상작품집> "The 12th Young Writer Award Collection" by Jun Ha-young, Kim Mel-la, Kim Hye-jin, Park Seo-ryun, Seo I-je, Han Jung-hyun, Kim Ji-yeon (2021)

[bluecages instagram story]

15. 村上春樹 「女のいない男たち」/Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami (2014)

[2022.02.08, 2022.02.14 bluecages instagram story | Allure Korea March 2022 | Marie Claire Korea June 2022 | Minumsa naver blog/Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

16. 한강 <작별하지 않는다>/I Do Not Bid Farewell by Han Kang (2021)

[Marie Claire Korea June 2022 | 2022.09.19, 2022.10.01, 2022.10.03 bluecages instagram story, GQ Korea February 2024]

17. 김진영 <아침의 피아노> "The Morning Piano" by Kim Jin-young (2018)

[2022.05.30 bluecages instagram story | Marie Claire Korea June 2022]

18. 정보라 <저주토끼>/Cursed Bunny by Chung Bo-ra (2017)

[Marie Claire Korea June 2022 | Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

19. 최은영 <애쓰지 않아도> "Don’t Push Yourself" by Choi Eun-young (2022)

[bluecages instagram story]

20. 太宰治 「人間失格」/No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (1948)

[Minumsa naver blog/Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

21. 장강명 <한국이 싫어서> "Because I Don't Like Korea" by Chang Kang-myoung (2015)

[Minumsa naver blog/Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

22. 松家仁之 「火山のふもとで」 "At the Foot of a Volcano" by Masashi Matsuie (2012)

[Minumsa naver blog/Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

23. 박준 <운다고 달라지는 일은 아무것도 없겠지만>/"Although Crying Would Not Change Anything" by Park Joon (2017)

[Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

24. 한강 <소년이 온다>/Human Acts by Han Kang (2014)

[Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

25. 한강 <채식주의자>/The Vegetarian by Han Kang (2007)

[Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

26. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)

[Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

27. 松家仁之 「光の犬」 "Dog of Light" by Masashi Matsuie (2017)

[Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

28. 유현준 <공간이 만든 공간> "Space Created Space" by Yoo Hyun-joon (2020)

[Littor 36th edition/읽는 사람]

29. 한강 <여수의 사랑>/Yeosu by Han Kang (1995)

[Cine21 LIST 2022/GQ Korea February 2024]

30. Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (2020)

[2023.01.17 bluecages instagram post]

31. 읽는 사람-허윤선 인터뷰집/Reader: Interview Collection by Heo Yoon-sun (2023)

[2023.04.15 bluecages instagram story]

32. 한강 <내 여자의 열매>/Fruits of My Woman by Han Kang (2000)

[Elle Korea September 2023]

33. 한강 <검은 사슴>/Black Deer (1998)

[GQ Korea February 2024]

34. 한강 <흰>/ The White Book (2016)

[GQ Korea February 2024]

35. Haruki Murakami 「一人称単数」 / First Person Singular (2020)

[bluecages instastory]

36. Yoshifumi Nakamura 「住宅巡禮」 "Housing Tour"

[bluecages instastory]

Goodreads Listopia:

[coffeeworldsasaki]

I posted 13,722 times in 2022

That's 7,012 more posts than 2021!

873 posts created (6%)

12,849 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@notgreengardens

@cozy-fish-crow

@cuteasamuntin

oddly-okay

tissueboxesforseals

I tagged 4,512 of my posts in 2022

#interview with the vampire - 439 posts

#cosmere - 167 posts

#eurovision - 142 posts

#dragon age - 130 posts

#our flag means death - 114 posts

#dracula - 96 posts

#the stormlight archive - 86 posts

#art - 83 posts

#the umbrella academy - 80 posts

#fave - 74 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#from what i remember 채식주의자 had different styles for each pov so when i've read it i started understanding stuff only the last lages of each

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

People complaining about Desire being nonbinary and people complaining about Lestat and Louis being queer in the shows win the trophy of the dumbest people on earth congratulations

92 notes - Posted October 19, 2022

#4

Bridge 4

170 notes - Posted February 1, 2022

#3

170 notes - Posted March 2, 2022

#2

275 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

And the Solas related anagrams return

449 notes - Posted June 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[babybrier]

한강의 채식주의자 읽는중.

나쁜 쪽으로 한국문학인 동시에 여성문학이다..