The Guest: A Novel
by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Kyung-ja Chun and Maya West
Recommendations from our site
“This novel is based on a historical incident that took place about two months after the June 1950 outbreak of the war—a massacre, or what you might call an ideological cleansing. Hwang portrays it through native Korean spirituality; once the various souls are satisfied their stories have been heard they can journey to the afterlife. That’s what makes this novel really brilliant. We might say that not only do the victims of wartime atrocities have a chance to reclaim their identity, but the very practice of being spiritual in Korea is once again reclaiming a fundamental place in Korean literary expression.” Read more...
Bruce Fulton, Translator
