A Field Guide to History Gyeongju

by Korea Cultural and Historical Survey Society, Lee Moon-ok (Translator), Nicholas Duverna (Translator)

276 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 1994

Reviews

[Julian Dones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of this beautiful place I have ever read.

[Earl Grey Tea · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading this book, I feel better prepared for my trip to Gyeongju (경주시) with my parents in a couple of weeks. I now have a better idea of the different historical sites in the ancient city capital, along with some background information that will make sightseeing more enjoyable and rewarding. The most interesting parts of this book to me were the historical pieces of information that put the different statues, buildings and tombs into perspective.

In addition to all of the historical information, there were a lot of descriptions of the different sights. While it did provide some valuable information, there is only so many times that I can read a description of a pagoda. Moreover, it seems that the reader has to have an extensive knowledge of Buddhism to fully understand all of the Sanskrit vocabulary used to describe the different temples and statues of Buddha. I think this problem arises from the fact the book is a translation of the original Korean text.

One other irksome aspect that appears from translating the book into English is the propensity of the author telling me how I feel when I look at something. The author doesn’t know me or my personality. Instead, just tell me what the artist wanted to convey.