K-Book Trends - Records of Literature and Life

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One-Liner Quotes Records of Literature and Life Book club specialist’s pick 2025.10.02 Kim Min-Young is a freelance writer whose profession revolves around “book-reading clubs.” After working as a TV writer and publishing journalist, she became a freelance writer at the learning community “Soongrye Munhakdang (숭례문학당).” She studied at Korea University’s College of Media & Communication. Her books include I Go to the Book Club Again Today (Book by Book) and Overcome the Fear of Writing the First Sentence (Chungrim). She has also co-authored Is It Only Me That Finds Writing a Review Difficult? (xbooks), The Power of Reading By Asking Questions (Book by Book), and There Are Picture Books That Give Strength (Seomdre Publishing). The book, Happy Reading, is a kind of book journal worth opening if you want to revisit the “memory” of Korean literature. It is an interesting record that satisfies the curiosity of those who wonder about the crossroads that today’s Korean literature has passed through. Covering the years from 1986 to 1989, the book acts like a magnifying glass, exposing the inner layers of Korean literature during that period. Its author, Kim Hyun (1942?1990), was a passionate literary critic who never hesitated to show both affection for and sharp criticism of Korean literature. The book vividly conveys Kim Hyun’s voice, reflecting his wide engagement with both Korean and international literature. This book ranges in form from brief two-line notes to full-length critical essays, making it a free and varied reading experience. The author’s attitude, endorsing works he loves with enthusiasm and questioning shortcomings without hesitation, comes across almost as a unique “method of reading.” If you read as Kim Hyun did - asking questions, marveling, and keeping records - you may find your own book journal taking shape. I recommend this book to readers who wish to chronicle their reading without being confined to the formats of book reports, reviews, or critiques. Writer Kim Ae-Ran’s short story, Knife Marks, is a slim, pocket-sized book with illustrations. This work, which earned the author the Lee Hyo-Seok Literary Award, is known to draw on autobiographical elements, giving readers a glimpse into how her parents met, married, and raised children, making it feel like a kind of “Kim Ae-Ran manual.” Still, it should not be mistaken for an autobiography. The award’s judges noted that she “viewed a familiar and long-used subject through the distinct perspective of a young writer.” And, for that reason, it is a piece worth savoring for Kim Ae-Ran’s unique literary imagination and intuition. The story follows the narrator’s mother, who opens a kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) shop, one of the easiest small businesses to start in the countryside. She hangs the old signboard “Matnadang (맛나당),” salvaged from a failed bakery, and begins selling kalguksu. According to the story, making kalguksu is a simple process. The mother prepares and sells them with her own straightforward recipe, and the narrator observes her as she supports the family with a detached perspective. That same matter-of-fact perspective extends to the father ? he fails to earn money but is regarded no differently. At no point does the narrator pass judgment or appeal for sympathy; she merely wishes there were someone to gently soothe her mother’s weary back, and simply refers to her father as a “perplexing man.” Following Kim Ae-Ran’s sentences, concise yet generous, readers may even feel inspired to try writing a story themselves. It is a short story I would recommend to anyone who wishes to practice transcribing Korean literature. Written by Kim Min-Young (director at Soongrye Munhakdang) Kim Min-Young (director at Soongrye Munhakdang) #Book club #Happy Reading #Knife Marks