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Snowy Day and Other Stories
The first story collection published in English by Lee Chang-dong, one of South Korea’s most celebrated and influential literary and cinematic figures of the last four decades
Much like Lee Chang-dong’s internationally renowned films (Burning, Secret Sunshine, Peppermint Candy), these brilliant, unsettling tales, originally published in Korea in the 1980s and now translated into English for the first time, investigate themes of injustice, betrayal, and terror—on both an intimate and national scale. Lee writes deeply and hauntingly about barriers between family, the powerful and the vulnerable, conformists and rebels.
In the title story, drawn from the author’s own memories of serving in the South Korean military, the class divide between a university-educated private and a working-class corporal serving sentry duty together one snowy night leads to tragic consequences. In “There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon,” the psychological violence that two brothers enact on each other over the course of a lifetime captures the darkness and paranoia that pervaded Korea in the 1980s, as the country struggled towards democratic rule. And in the novella-length “A Lamp in the Sky,” a young woman’s brutal interrogation at the hands of the police reveals the series of increasingly troubling decisions that led her to this moment. Is she innocent or guilty? In the end, even she cannot say.
Snowy Day and Other Stories introduces English readers to a master storyteller.
Much like Lee Chang-dong’s internationally renowned films (Burning, Secret Sunshine, Peppermint Candy), these brilliant, unsettling tales, originally published in Korea in the 1980s and now translated into English for the first time, investigate themes of injustice, betrayal, and terror—on both an intimate and national scale. Lee writes deeply and hauntingly about barriers between family, the powerful and the vulnerable, conformists and rebels.
In the title story, drawn from the author’s own memories of serving in the South Korean military, the class divide between a university-educated private and a working-class corporal serving sentry duty together one snowy night leads to tragic consequences. In “There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon,” the psychological violence that two brothers enact on each other over the course of a lifetime captures the darkness and paranoia that pervaded Korea in the 1980s, as the country struggled towards democratic rule. And in the novella-length “A Lamp in the Sky,” a young woman’s brutal interrogation at the hands of the police reveals the series of increasingly troubling decisions that led her to this moment. Is she innocent or guilty? In the end, even she cannot say.
Snowy Day and Other Stories introduces English readers to a master storyteller.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2025
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4139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 4, 2025
4.25/5 ARC gifted by the publisher
A collection of short stories that centers around the authoritarian crackdown of communism/activism/unionization in South Korea after WW2. I really appreciate the cinematic feel from each short story + 2 novella. I had to go really slow with this novel because of how heavy the topics are, examining the brutality against innocent civilians who just want a better life.
I’d recommend this book to those who have some background in modern Korean history, since each story will mention the politics backdrop but doesn’t explain it directly to the readers (which I really appreciate and always love how translated lit is at its core written for a different audience in mind!)
A collection of short stories that centers around the authoritarian crackdown of communism/activism/unionization in South Korea after WW2. I really appreciate the cinematic feel from each short story + 2 novella. I had to go really slow with this novel because of how heavy the topics are, examining the brutality against innocent civilians who just want a better life.
I’d recommend this book to those who have some background in modern Korean history, since each story will mention the politics backdrop but doesn’t explain it directly to the readers (which I really appreciate and always love how translated lit is at its core written for a different audience in mind!)
April 23, 2025
It seemed ironic to him that the ground that was supporting all those awesome high-rises was actually just a huge sedimentary layer of trash.
The publication of Snowy Day and Other Stories is a real event - a translation by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang of a collection of stories from the 1980s/early 1990s by 이창동 (Lee Chang-Dong), best known as a film director but also an accomplished writer. Like Heinz Insu Fenkl I first encountered the director's work via the stunning 2002 movie 오아시스 (Oasis).
This is a collection of 7 stories, all relatively substantial, ranging from 25 pages to 104 pages.
The original stories are, I believe, largely taken from two collections 소지 (Burning Paper) (1987) and 녹천에는 똥이 많다 (There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon)(1992). They are largely set in the 1980s in the period following the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and during the dictatorship of 전두환 (Chun Doo-hwan), with student-led protests against the regime cracked down on by the police.
Fire and Dust, the shortest piece, perhaps best conveys the atmosphere of the time. It's set on a particular date, not stated in the story, but deducible from context, the 3rd May 1986, and begins:
Saturday. The sky was clear for the first time in a while.
The weather was typical for May and tear gas still swirled in the streets. At Jamsil Baseball Stadium the weekend match was on between the Haetae and OB corporate teams and —despite the risk of clashes with the police-it was the day the opposition party had chosen to press on with their constitutional amendment rally in Incheon. It was also the fifth day that two Seoul National University students-who had attempted suicide by self-immolation— were hovering between life and death with burns over their entire bodies. That was the day I finished my morning classes and headed to the market to buy flowers.
The backdrop here is relatively incidental to the story itself - the first person narrator's son died aged 2 and on the anniversary of his death the narrator is determined to row out on the Han River to float some flowers where he and his wife scattered their son's ashes, rather than to join the memorial service his wife is hosting, only to discover that urban development means the park and pier from which they embarked no longer exists. And he ponders the meaning of a world where students feel compelled to self-immolate as a form of protest.
There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon opens:
"Next stop Nokcheon! Nokcheon Station! Exit through the left."
Uh, uh, uh... Something like a groan leaked from Minu's mouth as he had a bad dream sitting asleep next to Junshik in the hot and crowded train. The worn-out old fans hanging here and there stirred the air, but the car wasn't properly air-conditioned and it was suffocatingly hot inside. Minu slept with his mouth half-open, his head resting uncomfortably against Junshik's shoulder, his face covered in a sheen of greasy sweat.
Is this guy really my brother? Junshik asked himself. A sour smell wafted from Minu's sky-blue shirt, which was soaked in perspiration and probably hadn't been washed in days. His sunburned face was covered in a scraggly beard, but in his dark eyebrows and his thin, refined nose, he seemed to have retained his former looks. He still appeared to be carved from the same mold as their father, who was now buried in the ground.
"다음 정차할 역은 녹천, 녹천역입니다. 내리실 문은 왼쪽입니다."
으, 으, 으, ....... 준식의 옆자리에 앉은 민우의 입에서 신음 소리 같은 것이 흘러나왔다. 이 무덥고 복잡한 전철에 끼어앉아 졸고 있으면서도 무슨 악몽이라도 꾸고 있는 모양이었다. 군데군데 매달린 낡은 선풍기가 힘없이 날갯짓을 하고 있을 뿐 냉방 장치가 제대로 되어 있지 않은 차내는 숨이 막힐 듯이 무더웠다. 준식의 어깨에 고통스럽게 고개를 얹고 입을 반쯤 벌린 채 잠들어 있는 민우의 얼굴에는 기름 같은 땀이 번질번질 흐르고 있었다.
이 녀석이 과연 내 동생인가, 준식은 마음속으로 그렇게 반문했다. 며칠이나 세탁을 못 한 건지 구지레하게 땀에 절은 하늘색 셔츠에서는 시쿰한 땀냄새가 풍겨오고 있었고, 햇빛에 시커멓게 그을은 얼굴에는 텃수염이 함부로 삐죽삐죽 돋아나 있었다. 짙은 눈썹이라든가 곧게 날이 선 코 언저리에는 분명히 옛날의 모습이 그대로 남아 있는 것 같았다. 그것은 또 지금은 땅속에 묻혀 있는 아버지의 얼굴을 판에 박은 듯이 닮은 모습이기도 했다.
Nokcheon is an area on the north side of Seoul being developed at that time, and Junshik has moved their with his wife to one of the first completed buildings. But the surrounding area is literally a building site and the authorities having overlooked the provision of sanitary facilities for the workers, the ground is covered in excrement.
And the new town is literally being built on garbage - hard not to read this as the author's comment on the foundations of Korea's economic miracle at that time, given the political dictatorship:
A long line of garbage trucks was kicking up dust, speeding along the edge of the construction site. They were using garbage as filler to raise a large depression at one corner of the complex. It was barren, dead earth, without a speck of vegetation, and not visible to the eye.
But Junshik noticed that a lot of the garbage was plastic and, because of that, it would never decompose but remain there, under the dirt, for thousands—no, tens of thousands—of years. And on top of that, from the lifeless earth, steel-reinforced concrete structures were rising up. He didn't exactly know if they were leveling the site with so much garbage because its elevation just happened to be lower than in other spots. But for Junshik, seeing that quantity of garbage gave him the disappointing feeling of seeing through a fagade, as if the magnificent background of the drama he'd been watching had turned out to be a set made of threadbare fabric and cheap wooden planks. It seemed ironic to him that the ground that was supporting all those awesome high-rises was actually just a huge sedimentary layer of trash.
Minu is Junshik's younger, better-looking and more academic, half brother, who he has not seen for many years, educated at Seoul National University, but expelled as a student activist and seeking shelter with his brother as he is wanted by the authorities (although he doesn't tell them this at first). The story presents the contrast between Junshik, who has chosen confirmity in an attempt to provide for his family, and the idealistic but in a sense irresponsible Minu, with Junshik's wife first rejecting the outsider but later becoming disillusioned with Junshik and their marriage.
The Leper has the narrator summoned by the police to try and talk sense into her father, a former communist activist from civil war days, and now caught up in a re-activated cell involving various of his former comrades. Except there is no evidence against him, and the other activists deny his involvement - the old man seems to stubbornly be claiming guilt to live his life vicariously through his comrades.
A compelling collection.
The publication of Snowy Day and Other Stories is a real event - a translation by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang of a collection of stories from the 1980s/early 1990s by 이창동 (Lee Chang-Dong), best known as a film director but also an accomplished writer. Like Heinz Insu Fenkl I first encountered the director's work via the stunning 2002 movie 오아시스 (Oasis).
This is a collection of 7 stories, all relatively substantial, ranging from 25 pages to 104 pages.
The original stories are, I believe, largely taken from two collections 소지 (Burning Paper) (1987) and 녹천에는 똥이 많다 (There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon)(1992). They are largely set in the 1980s in the period following the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and during the dictatorship of 전두환 (Chun Doo-hwan), with student-led protests against the regime cracked down on by the police.
Fire and Dust, the shortest piece, perhaps best conveys the atmosphere of the time. It's set on a particular date, not stated in the story, but deducible from context, the 3rd May 1986, and begins:
Saturday. The sky was clear for the first time in a while.
The weather was typical for May and tear gas still swirled in the streets. At Jamsil Baseball Stadium the weekend match was on between the Haetae and OB corporate teams and —despite the risk of clashes with the police-it was the day the opposition party had chosen to press on with their constitutional amendment rally in Incheon. It was also the fifth day that two Seoul National University students-who had attempted suicide by self-immolation— were hovering between life and death with burns over their entire bodies. That was the day I finished my morning classes and headed to the market to buy flowers.
The backdrop here is relatively incidental to the story itself - the first person narrator's son died aged 2 and on the anniversary of his death the narrator is determined to row out on the Han River to float some flowers where he and his wife scattered their son's ashes, rather than to join the memorial service his wife is hosting, only to discover that urban development means the park and pier from which they embarked no longer exists. And he ponders the meaning of a world where students feel compelled to self-immolate as a form of protest.
There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon opens:
"Next stop Nokcheon! Nokcheon Station! Exit through the left."
Uh, uh, uh... Something like a groan leaked from Minu's mouth as he had a bad dream sitting asleep next to Junshik in the hot and crowded train. The worn-out old fans hanging here and there stirred the air, but the car wasn't properly air-conditioned and it was suffocatingly hot inside. Minu slept with his mouth half-open, his head resting uncomfortably against Junshik's shoulder, his face covered in a sheen of greasy sweat.
Is this guy really my brother? Junshik asked himself. A sour smell wafted from Minu's sky-blue shirt, which was soaked in perspiration and probably hadn't been washed in days. His sunburned face was covered in a scraggly beard, but in his dark eyebrows and his thin, refined nose, he seemed to have retained his former looks. He still appeared to be carved from the same mold as their father, who was now buried in the ground.
"다음 정차할 역은 녹천, 녹천역입니다. 내리실 문은 왼쪽입니다."
으, 으, 으, ....... 준식의 옆자리에 앉은 민우의 입에서 신음 소리 같은 것이 흘러나왔다. 이 무덥고 복잡한 전철에 끼어앉아 졸고 있으면서도 무슨 악몽이라도 꾸고 있는 모양이었다. 군데군데 매달린 낡은 선풍기가 힘없이 날갯짓을 하고 있을 뿐 냉방 장치가 제대로 되어 있지 않은 차내는 숨이 막힐 듯이 무더웠다. 준식의 어깨에 고통스럽게 고개를 얹고 입을 반쯤 벌린 채 잠들어 있는 민우의 얼굴에는 기름 같은 땀이 번질번질 흐르고 있었다.
이 녀석이 과연 내 동생인가, 준식은 마음속으로 그렇게 반문했다. 며칠이나 세탁을 못 한 건지 구지레하게 땀에 절은 하늘색 셔츠에서는 시쿰한 땀냄새가 풍겨오고 있었고, 햇빛에 시커멓게 그을은 얼굴에는 텃수염이 함부로 삐죽삐죽 돋아나 있었다. 짙은 눈썹이라든가 곧게 날이 선 코 언저리에는 분명히 옛날의 모습이 그대로 남아 있는 것 같았다. 그것은 또 지금은 땅속에 묻혀 있는 아버지의 얼굴을 판에 박은 듯이 닮은 모습이기도 했다.
Nokcheon is an area on the north side of Seoul being developed at that time, and Junshik has moved their with his wife to one of the first completed buildings. But the surrounding area is literally a building site and the authorities having overlooked the provision of sanitary facilities for the workers, the ground is covered in excrement.
And the new town is literally being built on garbage - hard not to read this as the author's comment on the foundations of Korea's economic miracle at that time, given the political dictatorship:
A long line of garbage trucks was kicking up dust, speeding along the edge of the construction site. They were using garbage as filler to raise a large depression at one corner of the complex. It was barren, dead earth, without a speck of vegetation, and not visible to the eye.
But Junshik noticed that a lot of the garbage was plastic and, because of that, it would never decompose but remain there, under the dirt, for thousands—no, tens of thousands—of years. And on top of that, from the lifeless earth, steel-reinforced concrete structures were rising up. He didn't exactly know if they were leveling the site with so much garbage because its elevation just happened to be lower than in other spots. But for Junshik, seeing that quantity of garbage gave him the disappointing feeling of seeing through a fagade, as if the magnificent background of the drama he'd been watching had turned out to be a set made of threadbare fabric and cheap wooden planks. It seemed ironic to him that the ground that was supporting all those awesome high-rises was actually just a huge sedimentary layer of trash.
Minu is Junshik's younger, better-looking and more academic, half brother, who he has not seen for many years, educated at Seoul National University, but expelled as a student activist and seeking shelter with his brother as he is wanted by the authorities (although he doesn't tell them this at first). The story presents the contrast between Junshik, who has chosen confirmity in an attempt to provide for his family, and the idealistic but in a sense irresponsible Minu, with Junshik's wife first rejecting the outsider but later becoming disillusioned with Junshik and their marriage.
The Leper has the narrator summoned by the police to try and talk sense into her father, a former communist activist from civil war days, and now caught up in a re-activated cell involving various of his former comrades. Except there is no evidence against him, and the other activists deny his involvement - the old man seems to stubbornly be claiming guilt to live his life vicariously through his comrades.
A compelling collection.
April 29, 2025
Seven short stories reflecting on South Korea's history, with a heavy focus on communist persecution, the arduous path to democratization, and gender roles.
I finished this yesterday while dealing with the goddamn blackout in Barcelona and honestly, my brain is still not braining, so I won't bother with the review.
I adored the story There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon, absolute five stars. I found the stories compelling, rich, and very relevant. They were very political in a way but had a lot of heart, I had a very good time reading them and thinking about them (and getting angry with them, too). The last story bored me to death, but the rest were anything between a 4 and a 5 star.
I finished this yesterday while dealing with the goddamn blackout in Barcelona and honestly, my brain is still not braining, so I won't bother with the review.
I adored the story There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon, absolute five stars. I found the stories compelling, rich, and very relevant. They were very political in a way but had a lot of heart, I had a very good time reading them and thinking about them (and getting angry with them, too). The last story bored me to death, but the rest were anything between a 4 and a 5 star.
March 11, 2025
this is totally subjective but the last story triggered me so I can't give this a good rating (I mostly rate based on personal enjoyment, not based on how well-written something is)
March 4, 2025
Some stories were great, some were good, others a bit too long to have an impact.
March 13, 2025
not the most engaging read for the most part, but extremely rewarding to discuss and mull over. i truly admire this author's ability to represent the many more or less healthy ways south koreans have to deal with their social and political reality in a raw but nuanced fashion without ever losing its moral compass
May 17, 2025
Some of the best stories I’ve read are included here, especially “A Lamp in the Sky.” What’s more, the collection sheds light on the history and themes informing the author’s career in film.
August 15, 2025
SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES is a short story collection written by renowned South Korean director and filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong that was written in the 1980s, that was recently released in English.
The time frame of when these stories were written is an important one to note and remember while reading this collection. They provide you with the context and a portal into the South Korea during the 1980s: a society oppressed by the military dictatorship of President Chun Doo-Hwan. Without that understanding and knowledge of South Korea’s political landscape during this time, these stories may seem bleak for no reason. And these stories are definitely bleak and depressing, but the brutality and violence (physical and psychological) were all 100% real.
I found the stories to be layered and complex with cinematic writing that was unsurprising given who he is. I could easily see these stories come to life on screen. And while these stories were written decades ago, I thought the release of this book right after the recent martial law declaration in South Korea was timely, but more importantly, necessary. The Korean people have not forgotten the last time martial law was declared (you can see that by how fast they mobilized and protested) and will continue to fight for its young democracy. But what about the Western world? Here in the U.S., we are seeing our democracy being threatened now more than ever. This book is one example, one glimpse of a world ruled by dictatorship. I recommend you read it. What you’ll see is not only the horrors of the times but how the spirit of resistance will always remain and prevail with the people. This was true back then and it is true today and it will remain to be true tomorrow.
Power to the people.
Thank you the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
The time frame of when these stories were written is an important one to note and remember while reading this collection. They provide you with the context and a portal into the South Korea during the 1980s: a society oppressed by the military dictatorship of President Chun Doo-Hwan. Without that understanding and knowledge of South Korea’s political landscape during this time, these stories may seem bleak for no reason. And these stories are definitely bleak and depressing, but the brutality and violence (physical and psychological) were all 100% real.
I found the stories to be layered and complex with cinematic writing that was unsurprising given who he is. I could easily see these stories come to life on screen. And while these stories were written decades ago, I thought the release of this book right after the recent martial law declaration in South Korea was timely, but more importantly, necessary. The Korean people have not forgotten the last time martial law was declared (you can see that by how fast they mobilized and protested) and will continue to fight for its young democracy. But what about the Western world? Here in the U.S., we are seeing our democracy being threatened now more than ever. This book is one example, one glimpse of a world ruled by dictatorship. I recommend you read it. What you’ll see is not only the horrors of the times but how the spirit of resistance will always remain and prevail with the people. This was true back then and it is true today and it will remain to be true tomorrow.
Power to the people.
Thank you the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
July 27, 2025
The last story, A Lamp in the Sky, is the real stand out of this collection. Absolutely gut wrenching, and now it's happening here in America. The system cannot be reformed.
Read
March 1, 2025Lee is one of my favorite directors, but I never had the chance to read his written work in translation. I was so excited to get a copy of this book, and it was worth the wait! This was written and published in the 1980s, which shows with the material, but it's a very specific and critical look into Korea during this time.
full review is on my blog: https://www.ashleyhajimirsadeghi.com/...
I was sent an advance copy from the publisher, but these are my honest thoughts.
full review is on my blog: https://www.ashleyhajimirsadeghi.com/...
I was sent an advance copy from the publisher, but these are my honest thoughts.
November 8, 2025
Snowy Day - 3/5
Fire & Dust - 5/5
War Trophy - 4/5
The Leper - 4/5
There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon - 6/5
Burning Paper - 5/5
A Lamp in the Sky - 7/5
Whole book - 5/5 :)
Fire & Dust - 5/5
War Trophy - 4/5
The Leper - 4/5
There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon - 6/5
Burning Paper - 5/5
A Lamp in the Sky - 7/5
Whole book - 5/5 :)
Read
May 23, 2025Do men ever think of anything but women?
August 4, 2025
Already adore Lee as a filmmaker (BURNING and SECRET SUNSHINE are tremendous); now I adore him as a writer of prose. A wobbly start with its first story (of seven), but each subsequent story was more rewarding than the last.
Many orbit the Gwangju Uprising, are harrowed and haunted (one story, literally) by the Korean War + DMZ; others are bitter dramas that I wish Lee had adapted, namely "War Trophy," "There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon," and A Lamp in the Sky." Need more of his work translated!
Many orbit the Gwangju Uprising, are harrowed and haunted (one story, literally) by the Korean War + DMZ; others are bitter dramas that I wish Lee had adapted, namely "War Trophy," "There's a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon," and A Lamp in the Sky." Need more of his work translated!
Read
January 7, 2025Lost me at about 70% (skimmed mostly after that, but 'finished' anyway). This would work so much better on screen/telly, I reckon (anyway).
April 27, 2025
You can see how this led to his movies, where his brilliance lies.
March 7, 2025
Summary
Snowy Day and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Lee Chang-dong, translated into English by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang. Set in the 20th century, the stories depict haunting narratives based on true stories that navigate themes of injustice, betrayal, and terror involving family conflicts, the powerful versus the vulnerable, and the conformists versus the rebels.
Review
As someone who has been a K-Drama addict since 2016, a BTS ARMY since 2019, and a fan of Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun (whose character I love and cried for in The Walking Dead series), and Jeon Jong-seo, all three who starred in one of Lee Chang Dong's most acclaimed films, Burning, I have sufficient grasp of many social issues and horrific stories, which since then and now are being incorporated in K-Dramas, music, and films. Reading Lee Chang Dong's Snowy and Other Stories which was well translated into English all thanks to Heinz Fenkl and Yoosup Chang, made me have an even deeper grasp and sentiment for Korea's history not so long ago. I must admit, this book was hard to read, not because the narrative’s flow wasn't smooth but because of its very detailed account of such haunting stories. They are so unnerving. In fact, it was hard to finish reading the last one titled The Lamp in the Sky. Nevertheless, this book is a definite MUST-READ and I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up! If you're already a fan of Lee Chang Dong, you'll realize how consistently intricate he is in his narrative with very complex and intriguing characters, very unsettling situations, all of which evoke emotional turmoil and yet somehow will make you appreciate the author’s openness in depicting Korea's troubled society. This is a book you shouldn’t miss.
Snowy Day and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Lee Chang-dong, translated into English by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang. Set in the 20th century, the stories depict haunting narratives based on true stories that navigate themes of injustice, betrayal, and terror involving family conflicts, the powerful versus the vulnerable, and the conformists versus the rebels.
Review
As someone who has been a K-Drama addict since 2016, a BTS ARMY since 2019, and a fan of Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun (whose character I love and cried for in The Walking Dead series), and Jeon Jong-seo, all three who starred in one of Lee Chang Dong's most acclaimed films, Burning, I have sufficient grasp of many social issues and horrific stories, which since then and now are being incorporated in K-Dramas, music, and films. Reading Lee Chang Dong's Snowy and Other Stories which was well translated into English all thanks to Heinz Fenkl and Yoosup Chang, made me have an even deeper grasp and sentiment for Korea's history not so long ago. I must admit, this book was hard to read, not because the narrative’s flow wasn't smooth but because of its very detailed account of such haunting stories. They are so unnerving. In fact, it was hard to finish reading the last one titled The Lamp in the Sky. Nevertheless, this book is a definite MUST-READ and I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up! If you're already a fan of Lee Chang Dong, you'll realize how consistently intricate he is in his narrative with very complex and intriguing characters, very unsettling situations, all of which evoke emotional turmoil and yet somehow will make you appreciate the author’s openness in depicting Korea's troubled society. This is a book you shouldn’t miss.
March 17, 2025
The writer is gifted and a pleasure to read. I’m not into the politics of Korean history so I’m not that invested. However his storytelling is so good that I was making my way through. The last story, however, was too violent against the woman and very uncomfortable to read. I pushed through because it was the end anyway. He should write new material but not as dark and he would be successful. Probably doesn’t want to since he is making movies, none of which I’m familiar with. A shame to let his gift for prose go to waste though.
March 11, 2025
Feel like Han Kang does the Cold War era in Korea better but this was pretty solid. Very bleak but ended up empathizing heavy with most of the characters - think I slightly prefer LCD’s movies but this was still great
August 31, 2025
DNF at 50%
I like the writing but it's not sparking joy at the moment. I'd probably give this another shot, if I'm at the right headspace for it. In the meantime, off to the DNF shelf (and returning it to the library, because it's due tomorrow).
I like the writing but it's not sparking joy at the moment. I'd probably give this another shot, if I'm at the right headspace for it. In the meantime, off to the DNF shelf (and returning it to the library, because it's due tomorrow).
Read
June 24, 2025well this wasn't unsettling AT ALL !!!
November 24, 2025
greatest filmmaker, great writer, greatest artist
March 30, 2025
Seven captivating stories feel like seven films I watched in my head. Lee Chang-dong is undoubtedly my favourite South Korean film maker. The person whose vision, empathy and sensitivity I value enormously. Therefore, I was extremely happy to be able to read his collection of stories “Snowy Day and Other Stories”, written in the 1980s and 1990s and only now translated into English; Lee Chang-dong was an accomplished writer before he turned to filmmaking. I was not disappointed. This book will be in the selection of the best books I will have read this year.
As these stories were written before 2000, during the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan, the shadow of the Gwangju massacre and various other pro-democracy protests hangs over them. Idealistic protagonists are confronted with pragmatic and opportunistic family members or colleagues, asking about the meaning of life and purpose of their being born in South Korea in those times.
“‘You can’t just keep running until the world changes… You don’t actually believe the world is going to change, do you?’ ‘Whether the world changes or not isn’t the important thing,’ Minu said. ‘I’m just doing what I believe is right.’ ‘And if you believe it’s right, you have to do it?’ ‘There has to be someone in the world who speaks up for what’s right’.”
These stories, all of them very strong and memorable, are stunningly constructed and reflect the Zeitgeist of the decade just before South Korea became a democratic country. Frustration mixed with resignation, fear hand in hand with hope for a better tomorrow - Lee is a master of human psychology.
I feel that sometimes your story doesn’t belong to you only. It belongs to the whole generation or even nation. Lee’s stories belong to the whole nation of South Koreans but they are also universal and timeless. As one character says: “Even now, after twenty years, I realise I’m still not able to get away from that question. Even now, I’m being assaulted by questions that can’t be answered”. This is the plight of every nation, always - being assaulted by questions that can’t be answered.
A superb collection - and I wish Lee will adapt at least one of his stories into a film.
As these stories were written before 2000, during the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan, the shadow of the Gwangju massacre and various other pro-democracy protests hangs over them. Idealistic protagonists are confronted with pragmatic and opportunistic family members or colleagues, asking about the meaning of life and purpose of their being born in South Korea in those times.
“‘You can’t just keep running until the world changes… You don’t actually believe the world is going to change, do you?’ ‘Whether the world changes or not isn’t the important thing,’ Minu said. ‘I’m just doing what I believe is right.’ ‘And if you believe it’s right, you have to do it?’ ‘There has to be someone in the world who speaks up for what’s right’.”
These stories, all of them very strong and memorable, are stunningly constructed and reflect the Zeitgeist of the decade just before South Korea became a democratic country. Frustration mixed with resignation, fear hand in hand with hope for a better tomorrow - Lee is a master of human psychology.
I feel that sometimes your story doesn’t belong to you only. It belongs to the whole generation or even nation. Lee’s stories belong to the whole nation of South Koreans but they are also universal and timeless. As one character says: “Even now, after twenty years, I realise I’m still not able to get away from that question. Even now, I’m being assaulted by questions that can’t be answered”. This is the plight of every nation, always - being assaulted by questions that can’t be answered.
A superb collection - and I wish Lee will adapt at least one of his stories into a film.
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