| Trees on a Slope Contributor(s): Hwang, Sun-Wŏn (Author), Fulton, Bruce (Translator), Gil (Contribution by) |
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ISBN: 0824827678 ISBN-13: 9780824827670 Publisher: University of Hawaii Press OUR PRICE: $35.15 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: March 2005 Annotation: Hwang Sun-won (1915-2000) is one of modern Korea's masters of narrative prose. Trees on a Slope (1960) is his most accomplished novel--one of the few Korean novels to describe in detail the physical and psychological horrors of the Korean War. It is an assured, forceful depiction of three young soldiers in the South Korean army during the latter stages of the war: Hyon-t'ae, the arrogant and overconfident squad leader; the stolid and dependable Yun-gu; and "the Poet" Tong-ho. The war affects the men in different ways. Before he can return home, Tong-ho takes his own life after shooting an officer and a prostitute. Hyon-t'ae, finding himself removed from situations of mortal danger, spends most of his time drinking; in the end he is arrested for abetting in the suicide of a young girl. Only Yun-gu is able to make the successful transition to postwar life. His ability to survive the encroachments of others, exploit limited resources, and capitalize on the lessons of harsh experience make him emblematic of Korea over the centuries. Trees on a Slope will introduce an English-reading audience to an important voice in modern Asian literature. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Literary - Fiction | Historical - General - Fiction | War & Military |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 2004020158 |
| Series: Modern Korean Fiction |
| Physical Information: 0.83" H x 5.9" W x 8.78" (0.84 lbs) 208 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1900-1949 - Cultural Region - Asian - Sex & Gender - Masculine |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Hwang Sun-won (1915-2000) is one of modern Korea's masters of narrative prose. Trees on a Slope (1960) is his most accomplished novel--one of the few Korean novels to describe in detail the physical and psychological horrors of the Korean War. It is an assured, forceful depiction of three young soldiers in the South Korean army during the latter stages of the war: Hyŏnt'ae, the arrogant and overconfident squad leader; the stolid and dependable Yun-gu; and the Poet Tong-ho. The war affects the men in different ways. Before he can return home, Tong-ho takes his own life after shooting an officer and a prostitute. Hyŏn-t'ae, finding himself removed from situations of mortal danger, spends most of his time drinking; in the end he is arrested for abetting in the suicide of a young girl. Only Yun-gu is able to make the successful transition to postwar life. His ability to survive the encroachments of others, exploit limited resources, and capitalize on the lessons of harsh experience make him emblematic of Korea over the centuries. Trees on a Slope will introduce an English-reading audience to an important voice in modern Asian literature. |
Contributor Bio(s): Fulton, Bruce: - Bruce Fulton is Young-Bin Min Chair in Korean Literature and Literary Translation, Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia. |