First Kyu

by Sung-Hwa Hong

Before We Begin Let me tell you a story.An old story, a really old story. Do you know how to play baduk?You do? First kyu, a player of the first rank? Really? Have you ever competed in a professional qualifying tournament? No? Then you are not, I repeat, NOT first kyu!I know, I know. Nowadays all kinds of bad players call them- selves first kyu.This story is, however, not about those fake first kyus. It’s a story of the real first kyus.There is a guy who runs a smoke shop near Niagara Falls. His name is Shin. On rainy days he keeps staring at the falls and mumbles something like “I’m sure they must all be playing for bangneki stakes happily somewhere... ”Can you even guess what he is talking about? If not, just hold on and listen to what I’m going to tell you. Only about a handful of people know this story. So listen up.So our fictional narrator--a first kyu from the Korea in the 1960s--starts his tale of what it takes to win one of the most challenging games.Translated from the original Korean book by the author Dr. Sung-Hwa Hong, with original illustrations by Du-Ri Han, with an expanded section of Go diagrams by pro baduk player Janice Kim, following the famous 'Blood-Coughing Game' that links the story to the history of the game of baduk, known as wei-chi in Chinese and go in Japanese, over centuries of the struggle to be first.Expanded from the original English translation first published in 1999. 285 pages with black and white original artwork.

Genres: Go, Fiction, Games, Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little torn on how many stars to give this one. In some ways, it's not the best novel -- the writing a little stilted, the plot a bit mechanical. Maybe the manuscript would have benefited from another pass by a good copyeditor, and the book design left me cold (no paragraph indentation? OK, I guess... I got used to it).

But, I really liked it, despite all that. The author clearly cared a lot for this story and how to present it. His dry style gives a unique, literal, and sometimes gritty view of the mid-20th-century Korean go world, as well as glimpses of school, street, and gambling culture. And of course (especially for you go players), the game itself is woven intricately and effectively into the narrative. Finally, the psychology of dedicated go players is presented with some interesting and unpredictable complexity.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the world of Korean Go.

Seeing as the author decided to translate the book from his native Korean into English, it would explain the stilted writing and several typos. A decent editing job could have made this a much easier read. Having said that, the quirkiness of the translation added an interesting feel to the book.

Recommended for people interested in the game of Go and/or Korean culture.

[Philippe Fanaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Powerful. Highly recommended. Probably now my favorite out of the trio with Shan Sa's "La Joueuse de Go" and Kawabata's "The Master of Go".

[Jeromie Rand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read First Kyu because it deals with the game of go and the culture around it; I wouldn’t recommend the book to someone who doesn’t share a similar interest. The author makes a point of telling us that he created the English translation himself, but the end result is that the use of language is not very good. I’m sure it captures the author’s intent well enough, but it is not a novel that invites the reader in with beautiful language.

But the translation is only half of the problem. It’s difficult to discern the author’s intent for the story. On the one hand, it seems to be a coming of age novel. The protagonist, Wook, rejects many of his family traditions in order to pursue excellence in the game of go. That’s a good premise; it opens up the possibility for personal growth while he wrestles with whether following his own path is worth it. There are several hints that this kind of struggle might develop… but nothing really comes of it. Instead of self-reflection, Wook is drawn further and further into a life of uncritical hedonism, which, based on the chapter near the opening that gives a glimpse of his present life, is where he ends up.

That’s not the kind of story I generally like to read (I like growth and redemption!), but it could still be a compelling story if the book honestly examined the ramification of those choices. Tragedy can be just as illuminating as comedy. But it doesn’t, really. Instead the book is conflicted. Wook’s final choice is to allow his friend to win a game in his last chance to become a go professional (when he sees his wife praying for him, which seems significant, but there are only scant hints about what this might mean to Wook). This seems like it should be a significant moment, a sign that Wook has chosen friendship or… something… over his single-minded pursuit of excellence in the game, but the book unceremoniously announces that no one who Wook knows ever sees him again. He is unwilling to maintain the commitment to winning, but he is also unable to face his failure. And the opening chapter shows us that the end result isn’t a moment of personal growth, but a final acceptance of the hedonistic path he had been walking.

Perhaps that is the final message of the book: one cannot *almost* pursue an ideal, whether that is excellence at a game or any other path in life. Devotion to an idea demands a cost, and it is best to count the cost before you begin.
Otherwise you risk becoming a shell of a person with nothing to show for it.

[Adam Marquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost gave this four or four and a half stars. The prose is functional but not exceptional, and the text has many typos and errors.

But then, I had a thought: if the feelings I felt reading were exquisite, who cares?

I know these people. I know the weirdos and madmen who case unprofitable obsessions. I love them. Watching the protagonist walk the knife's edge of being a perfectionist or a hobbyist took my breath away.

I've been there. I've made life choices my circle of friends and family all disagreed with. At that point you feel you have to make it work or simply die. I love you, my weirdos, and Dr. Sung-Hwa Hong does too.

[MyImpossibleList · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great piece of work. All the characters seemed to come to life...

I learned a lot about Go and Korean culture. Three quotes:
1. "A three-stone handicap was a teaching game, not a friendship math between the top players of two countries!"
2. "It was not unusual for the two to hold hands while taking a walk, when Wook was not in uniform. Walking with a girl, holding hands or not, was against the rules of K High school, and punishable by indefinite suspension."
3. "Bangneki is a go game played for money, where the amount of money won is determined by margin of victory."

[Matthew McClintock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love to play go, and I really enjoy books and novels that refer to to it. But this novel is not particularly good, and it didn't add much to my understanding of go culture in Korea. Still, if you're really into the game, it's not terrible.

[Lela · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone interested in Go, this book is a very nice read! I have enjoyed reading it a lot! However, the ending was so much out of place! Maybe just leave out the last chapter of it!

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a slightly bland literary style (I have read the Czech translation, but can't imagine the English version would be too different), this book tells the story of a young Korean teenager striving to become a Go professional. The book feels more like a novel for teenagers, but is a decent and quick read for any one with an interest in Go, with the parallels it draws between Go and real-life being probably the book's most redeeming quality.

[Shanthanu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book about a Go player written by a winner of the Canadian Go Championship, so I badly wanted to like it, but the storyline and quality of the writing was much more reminiscent of Chetan Bhagat than Kawabata.

[Chanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting story on the path to becoming a pro in the very cruel game of Go. It kept me very curious on what would happen to him. Also this novel has great lessons for anyome interested in Go. A must read for any Go player.

[Alotor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and a very quick read.

[Kelamir · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book about First Kyu.