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아주 희미한 빛으로도
‘함께 성장해나가는 우리 세대의 소설가’를 갖는 드문 경험을 선사하며 동료 작가와 평론가, 독자 모두에게 특별한 이름으로 자리매김한 최은영의 세번째 소설집 『아주 희미한 빛으로도』가 출간되었다.
2023년 데뷔 10년을 맞이하는 최은영은 그간 만남과 헤어짐을 거듭하는 인물의 내밀하고 미세한 감정을 투명하게 비추며 우리의 사적인 관계 맺기가 어떻게 사회적인 맥락을 얻는지를 고찰하고(『쇼코의 미소』, 2016), 지난 시절을 끈질기게 떠올리는 인물을 통해 기억을 마주하는 일이 어떻게 재생과 회복의 과정이 될 수 있는지를 살피며(『내게 무해한 사람』, 2018), 4대에 걸친 인물들의 삶의 궤적을 따라감으로써 과거에서 현재를 향해 쓰이는 종적인 연대기(年代記)가 어떻게 인물들을 수평적 관계에 위치시키며 횡적인 연대기(連帶記)로 나아가는지를 그려왔다(『밝은 밤』, 2021).
이전 작품들에 담긴 문제의식을 한층 더 깊고 날카로운 시선으로 이어나가는 이번 소설집은 작가가 처음 작품활동을 시작했을 때 품은 마음이 지금의 관점에서 어떻게 이어지는지 보여줌으로써 “깊어지는 것과 넓어지는 것이 문학에서는 서로 다른 말이 아니라는 것”(한국일보문학상 심사평)을 감동적으로 증명해낸다.
2023년 데뷔 10년을 맞이하는 최은영은 그간 만남과 헤어짐을 거듭하는 인물의 내밀하고 미세한 감정을 투명하게 비추며 우리의 사적인 관계 맺기가 어떻게 사회적인 맥락을 얻는지를 고찰하고(『쇼코의 미소』, 2016), 지난 시절을 끈질기게 떠올리는 인물을 통해 기억을 마주하는 일이 어떻게 재생과 회복의 과정이 될 수 있는지를 살피며(『내게 무해한 사람』, 2018), 4대에 걸친 인물들의 삶의 궤적을 따라감으로써 과거에서 현재를 향해 쓰이는 종적인 연대기(年代記)가 어떻게 인물들을 수평적 관계에 위치시키며 횡적인 연대기(連帶記)로 나아가는지를 그려왔다(『밝은 밤』, 2021).
이전 작품들에 담긴 문제의식을 한층 더 깊고 날카로운 시선으로 이어나가는 이번 소설집은 작가가 처음 작품활동을 시작했을 때 품은 마음이 지금의 관점에서 어떻게 이어지는지 보여줌으로써 “깊어지는 것과 넓어지는 것이 문학에서는 서로 다른 말이 아니라는 것”(한국일보문학상 심사평)을 감동적으로 증명해낸다.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2023
12 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Choi Eunyoung
57 books142 followersChoi Eun-young ( 최은영) is a South Korean writer. She began her literary career in 2013, when her short story “Shokoui miso” (쇼코의 미소; Shoko's Smile) was selected for the quarterly literary magazine Writer's World's New Writer's Award. With the same work, she received the 5th Munhakdongne Young Writer's Award in 2014. She was awarded the 8th Heo Gyun Writer's Award in 2016, and was awarded the 8th Munhakdongne Young Writer's award in 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 12, 2023
A collection of short stories- contains 7 stories which were all previously published through Korean literary periodicals.
All seven stories feature female characters who have been using shutting off their feeling as a means of survival and enduring big and small hurts. A lot of damages come from their own families, social injustice or wear and tear of everyday life in Korean society. For all the characters, even though they think they're accustomed to enduring by shutting off their feelings- (perhaps because of such conscious efforts) they are ironically hypersensitive with subtle changes of tone, mood of other people (and does get affected by them). Most of stories and people in the stories are sad, but at the same time, there's deep warmth weaving through the stories; in spite of everything that seems out of their hands, there's love (sometimes expressed explicitly other times disguise as something else).
The author has uncanny ways to detect and describe subtle feelings. Definitely my favorite young Korean writer.
All seven stories feature female characters who have been using shutting off their feeling as a means of survival and enduring big and small hurts. A lot of damages come from their own families, social injustice or wear and tear of everyday life in Korean society. For all the characters, even though they think they're accustomed to enduring by shutting off their feelings- (perhaps because of such conscious efforts) they are ironically hypersensitive with subtle changes of tone, mood of other people (and does get affected by them). Most of stories and people in the stories are sad, but at the same time, there's deep warmth weaving through the stories; in spite of everything that seems out of their hands, there's love (sometimes expressed explicitly other times disguise as something else).
The author has uncanny ways to detect and describe subtle feelings. Definitely my favorite young Korean writer.
January 30, 2024
really really loved this!! 몫, 파종, 이모에게, 답신, 사라지는, 사라지지 않은, in fact every short story in this, touched me in such a personal way. every character felt so real, choi eun-young just knows how to write nuanced human relationships and made me CRY. cried on public transport during both 답신 and 파종, damn it. really loved the theme of this book which was missing a person you can no longer see, and regretting bottling up emotions because it's too late to express them now. really hurt my heart but made me rethink how i treat those around me... and not a single dull story in this, i was enthralled and enchanted.
June 28, 2025
탁월한 언어감각
몰입되는 공감력
따뜻한 슬픔
몰입되는 공감력
따뜻한 슬픔
February 10, 2025
Throughout my life, I experience major and minor setbacks. Some setbacks threw me to the bottom, but some gave me strength to get back on my feet. Nevertheless, for such setbacks to be a driving force, some tricky conditions need to be satisfied. First, the frustration should not be too big to break my will to get back on the track, there should be at least a little hope to get back up, and above all, there should be a reason to get up.
And in many cases, the reason can be found outside of oneself. The reason may be found not only in family, friends, and loved ones, but also in people whom we cross our lives for a while in the course of our life.
In "Even in Very Faint Light," ‘She’ becomes a beacon in Hee-won’s path, and Hee-young in "Share” broke a frame of thought of the main character. Da-hee and ‘Senior’ in "One Year" shone lights on each other for a little while Da-hee was an intern, and after many years, that dim light was still inside them.
In addition, in other stories, family members links the character to her life even if that member lost contact with them due to the tragedy of life. The longing for the nephew in "A Reply" and the memory of the uncle in "Sowing" support the lives of the characters faintly but firmly. On the other hand, Hee-jin's heart that love and hates her aunt in "To Aunty" and Ki-nam's heart that cannot reach his daughter in "Disappearing, not Disappearing" made my heart ache.
Sometimes it is harder to express love to the ones too close to you. Therefore, sometimes nephews and aunts or grandmothers and grandchildren show affection for family members who connect them by accepting each other as they are and expressing love without any strings attached.
These seven short stories express love without saying a word of love. I could feel the emotions through their gaze on each other. Few times I felt heartbroken by how vulnerable the characters in the stories are, but I was not sad because having other people in one's heart is such a precious while it might be painful. Thus, I had a faint yet inextinguishable hope that even if they look vulnerable, they will not break down.
And in many cases, the reason can be found outside of oneself. The reason may be found not only in family, friends, and loved ones, but also in people whom we cross our lives for a while in the course of our life.
In "Even in Very Faint Light," ‘She’ becomes a beacon in Hee-won’s path, and Hee-young in "Share” broke a frame of thought of the main character. Da-hee and ‘Senior’ in "One Year" shone lights on each other for a little while Da-hee was an intern, and after many years, that dim light was still inside them.
In addition, in other stories, family members links the character to her life even if that member lost contact with them due to the tragedy of life. The longing for the nephew in "A Reply" and the memory of the uncle in "Sowing" support the lives of the characters faintly but firmly. On the other hand, Hee-jin's heart that love and hates her aunt in "To Aunty" and Ki-nam's heart that cannot reach his daughter in "Disappearing, not Disappearing" made my heart ache.
Sometimes it is harder to express love to the ones too close to you. Therefore, sometimes nephews and aunts or grandmothers and grandchildren show affection for family members who connect them by accepting each other as they are and expressing love without any strings attached.
These seven short stories express love without saying a word of love. I could feel the emotions through their gaze on each other. Few times I felt heartbroken by how vulnerable the characters in the stories are, but I was not sad because having other people in one's heart is such a precious while it might be painful. Thus, I had a faint yet inextinguishable hope that even if they look vulnerable, they will not break down.
March 12, 2025
It’s been a while since I picked up a Korean book, and I’m so glad I did. One review said, “These seven short stories express love without saying a word of love,” and I couldn’t agree more. The writing feels so subtle, calm, and almost detached, yet somehow carries such powerful warmth.
October 25, 2025
又是一本悲伤的书，读到某些段落时会不自觉地掉泪……书页间浸满了女性在社会中的种种困境…她们被无形的社会规训所束缚，在应当为自己发声时自我怀疑，在面对不公时习惯性沉默。这种失语是长期压抑环境下形成的生存策略，是父权制度在女性身上刻下的集体伤痕。尽管如此，她们依然会找到彼此，悄悄织成女性之间温暖而坚韧的隐秘网络。
最后看到作者写给读者的亲笔信又没忍住哭了。整本书的感动在这一刻变得无比具体。她让我觉得，在复杂的世界里，女性之间的这种理解和连接，特别珍贵，也特别有力量。哪怕只是以最微弱的光，我们也能照亮彼此。
最后看到作者写给读者的亲笔信又没忍住哭了。整本书的感动在这一刻变得无比具体。她让我觉得，在复杂的世界里，女性之间的这种理解和连接，特别珍贵，也特别有力量。哪怕只是以最微弱的光，我们也能照亮彼此。
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December 25, 2025补：25.12.19 听劝跳过了《回信》和《播种》，最后一篇没读。喜欢同名短篇和《一年》，喜欢《分内之事》讨论的议题但阅读体验有些疏离。//恩荣显然擅长描写人物的内心、人性深处的隐秘以及人物关系，但读完之后，我眼前出现的往往是几幅静态的画面，或许这与故事整体过于“安全”有关。可能是个人喜好差异。随意切换人称和对话没有双引号让阅读过程多少有点费力。
尝试标很火、大家都很喜欢，但我读了之后不知道该怎么喜欢的书。
尝试标很火、大家都很喜欢，但我读了之后不知道该怎么喜欢的书。
September 22, 2023
작품해설마저도 주옥같은 이 책을 좀 더 많은 사람들이 읽게 되기를. 그리고 좀 더 많은 사람들이 자신의 목소리를 내는데 주저하지 않게 되기를.
December 2, 2025
简中读了一篇还是跑来看胡椒筒法的翻译了，但是回去看了评论，写得真好呀。感受到了不怎么会爱，但是努力去爱这个世界的作者的心，在《回信》一文当中，一开始认为是在等侄子的回信么？读到最后才意识到，她等待的其实是作为读者的我们。那些对他人和自己最幽微的想法如果是我，写出来也会删去，但是她好像不怕。
阅读和写作的一些思考，尤其是读、写了就行了么？
阅读和写作的一些思考，尤其是读、写了就行了么？
December 22, 2025
女性作家独有的细腻感，几篇都很动人。尤喜欢最后一篇，消失的，永不消失的。失联的母女情谊写的太好了。
March 7, 2024
거칠지 않은 담담한 문장으로
그리고 너무 있을 법한 이야기들로
가슴에 아주 오래 남는 글을 쓸 줄 아는 작가
그리고 너무 있을 법한 이야기들로
가슴에 아주 오래 남는 글을 쓸 줄 아는 작가
January 5, 2025
아주 희미한 빛으로도 살아가는 우리들.
각자 다 다른 사연과 고통을 품고 살아가는 자들의 이야기, 그러나, 모두 누군가에 의해서 계속 살아가게 된다.
각자 다 다른 사연과 고통을 품고 살아가는 자들의 이야기, 그러나, 모두 누군가에 의해서 계속 살아가게 된다.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews