Books by Ju Chan Fulton
“The novel is based on a real case of what you might call a sexual reign of terror at an institute for special needs children in South Korea. Gong Ji-young handles this potentially explosive subject matter by writing what you might call a novel of manners—a novel in which we see different elements of society interacting. We see, occasionally in the form of amusing anecdotes and dialogues, how the upper crust of this provincial city comes together to shield the twins when this pattern of sexual abuse becomes public.” Read more...
Bruce Fulton, Translator
“What is significant about books like One Left is that the author is retrieving a significant population of Koreans from historical oblivion, and—once again—giving them voices.” Read more...
Bruce Fulton, Translator
“When we translated this novel, we felt it was the most important single-volume work of literary fiction in modern Korea.” Read more...
Bruce Fulton, Translator
“The novel Ju-Chan and I are translating is by a writer who grew up in North Korea and attended university there, fulfilled his obligatory military service, and then wrote a novel about an iconic Korean entertaining woman called Hwang Chini. Hwang Chini is an iconic figure in Korean tradition, and it is notable that the author—instead of writing a novel of socialist realism about present-day life in Korea—chose to go back 500 years or so. I think this is what made it possible for this novel to be published in North Korea. The writing is superb.” Read more...
Bruce Fulton, Translator
Interviews where books by Ju Chan Fulton were recommended
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1
Hwang Chini
by Hong Sŏkchung, translation Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton -
2
The Guest: A Novel
by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Kyung-ja Chun and Maya West -
3
The Dwarf
by Cho Se-hǔi, translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton -
4
One Left: A Novel
by Kim Soom, translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton -
5
Togani
by Gong Ji-young, translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton
The Best Korean Novels, recommended by Bruce Fulton
The Best Korean Novels, recommended by Bruce Fulton
Korean popular culture—television, film, and music—has been sweeping the globe. But Korean literature is darker and more serious than you might assume, given the fun and irreverent nature of ‘K-pop.’ Here, the respected translator and academic Bruce Fulton highlights five key Korean novels that offer insight into the culture and troubled history of the Korean peninsula.
