Book description
Preeminent scholar and translator David R. McCann presents an anthology of his own translations of works ranging across the major genres and authors of Korean writing-stories, legends, poems, historical vignettes, and other works-and a set of critical essays on major themes. A brief history of traditional Korean literature orients the…
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Why read it?
1 author picked Early Korean Literature as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Just as art offers invaluable insight into traditional culture, so does writing. Maybe I’m biased, but I think literature provides a more exact view than any other art form. I enjoy indulging myself in the mythology and poetry of this book, especially the poetry of the Joseon era. Early Korean Literature introduced me to the traditional poetic form called Sijo, which is both beautifully simple and incredibly complex. Some of my favorite examples of sijo McCann includes are from the famous kisaeng courtier Hwang Jin Yi. Her soulful poems so inspired me that I tried my hand at writing…
From Deb's list on The best books to understand traditional Korean culture.
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