Whale: SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2023

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The book is a history of Korea: from it’s humble beginnings to a land of progress then one divided by political strife. This could be represented by the whale itself but the events which happen in the book also mirror ones which have happened throughout Korea’s history. Due to the grotesque characters and overtly sexual situations, the book is a satire. Think of it as a modern day Candide or Terry Southern’s Candy ,both of which also used sex to point out the failings of the philosophies, government and social circles of their time, Cheon Myeonggwan (천명관)’s novel 『고래』 (2004) has had three translations so far, one into English (2016), one into French (2008), and one into Turkish (2022). I am still reading the novel but I wanted to write a few words about it before the winner is announced Tomorrow. I think the novel has the best chances to win. I loved Boulder more but I am not sure it will win. This one epic, longer and “big” in every way, from the themes explored to the writing style and plot. schon fast, was im Roman "Der Wal" geboten wird. Der Verweis auf "Tausendundeine Nacht" ist nicht falsch, führt Cheon Myeong-Gwan nicht nur sehr viele Figuren in seiner Geschichte ein, alle erhalten auch einen Werdegang und situative Erzählungen.

Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan — sins of the mother

Both protagonists encounter more than their share of violence, but there is humour and magic in equal amounts also. Update: I read it. It did not win, unfortunately. The other one I thought it was likely to take the honors did. Too bad I dis not enjoy it as much as this one. Cheon Myeong-kwan is a South Korean novelist, screenwriter and director whose work has been translated into eight languages. He would sip coffee and change the subject, saying something like, ‘But don’t you think the judges for the most recent literary award made such a conservative choice? I of course concede that the author is wonderful.’”I did like the novel, and I understand why it might be a bestselling, classic in Korea (published 20 years ago), but it didn't feel contemporary enough for me to be reading in 2023, and had me craving for signs of social justice or improvement or anything that might leave the reader believing in humanity.

Whale - Archipelago Books Whale - Archipelago Books

Whale will make a lot more sense if you’re familiar with modern (South) Korean history. It will be a startlingly thought-provoking read as Cheon explores this history with incredible depth through his themes and characters as allegories of the brutality and violence that South Koreans have faced throughout the twentieth century. I can see why Cheon deliberately chose women as his protagonists, though I fully recognize the discomforts that come with a male writer putting female characters in horrific situations. It’s complicated, to say the least, and I’m still trying to process how I feel about all of this. A story where the same person can act heroically, cowardly and with great cruelty at different points in her life. There hasn't been a book that has kept me up reading all night, but I spent some waking hours in finishing this one, leaving me so full of awe and hurt. Ahhh! Which all surprises me given this book was released in 2004 in Korea, which is momentous given how conservative it was then (and still is) during that time. Ironically enough, Geumbok's affairs began by sleeping with a pastor spreading God's gospel, and the following year he was able to build a nice church in the centre of Pyeongdae. This was the law of tithing.Life is sweeping away the dust that keeps piling up, as she mopped the floor with a rag, and sometimes she would add, Death is nothing more than dust piling up.”

International Booker Prize 2023: our experts review the six

As I am unfamiliar with the author, I can only take his work at face value and how it felt to me. To me, the violence was a head-on critique of Korea’s misogyny and obesity stigma. And as this book spans generations, the violence against women stood out even more when set against the modernization of Korea’s society. The world was progressing, but why weren’t the people?Geumbok's daughter is Chunhui. She's the whale-like, autistic- y, mute girl who talks to the dead or alive elephant. We like her. We don't want bad things to happen to her. Bad things happen to her. We don't know what her thoughts were and we don't know what kind of life she desired. She was different, and she lived in isolation because of that.

Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan: 9781953861146

I really liked Geumbok, one of the female protagonists, who had a real entrepreneurial gift. Until, that is, she fell in love with a lovely woman, transitioned to a man, and then transitioned to a drunken load. Geumbok was one shitty mother, too, worse than anything Joy Williams has so far thought up.Women and men alike suffer in this novel. They suffer physical, sexual and psychological abuse. If you have a hard time reading about these topics, beware. Huge trigger warning for violence and all types of abuse.