A Classic in Translation: Classic Challenge
"The Story of Hong Gildong is arguably the single most important work of classic Korean fiction. A fantastic story of adventure, it has been adapted into countless movies, television shows, novels, and comics in Korea. Until now, the earliest and fullest text of this incredible fable has been inaccessible to English readers.
Hong Gildong, the brilliant but illegitimate son of a noble government minister, cannot advance in society due to his second-class status, so he leaves home and becomes the leader of a band of outlaws. On the way to building his own empire and gaining acceptance from his family, Hong Gildong vanquishes assassins, battles monsters, and conquers kingdoms. Minsoo Kang’s expressive and lively new translation finally makes the authoritative text of this premodern tale available in English, reintroducing a noble and righteous outlaw and sharing a beloved hallmark of Korean culture." Amazon
Another classic lets me down. So far this year the only classic I've enjoyed has been A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I had my husband read this and he didn't really care for it either. That said, the translation is so well done. I think this part fable, part adventure story was just to confusing and at times I had no idea what I was reading. You should try it out, it might have just been me and my reading preferences.
Good to know. I intend to add more Asian lit to my TBR, and there is a fair amount of Chinese and Japanese, but I had not heard of this Korean work. Thanks for the honest review. I'm adding it to my TBR.
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