Korean Literature

This comprehensive narrative history of Korean literature provides essential information for scholars and students as well as others. Combining history and criticism, the study reflects the latest scholarship and includes an account of the development of all genres. In 25 chapters, it covers twentieth-century poetry, fiction by women, and the literature of North Korea. It will be a major contribution to the field and a study that will remain for many years the primary resource for studying Korean literature.

Understanding Korean Literature (Han'guk munhak ui ihae) introduces the development and characteristics of the various historical and contemporary genres of Korean literature in a refreshingly clear way. It also presents detailed explanations of the development of a literary Korean language and of literacy and a reading public in Korea. A brief history of literary criticism, both traditional and modern, is included to give the discussion historical context. This translation provides a long-overdue source on Korean literature that can be used as a reference or text in Korean and Asian studies courses and as a general introduction to Korean literature for students of literature.

This comprehensive volume introduces the English-speaking student and general reader to the most important and representative works and genres of classical Korean literature.

Preeminent scholar and translator David R. McCann presents an anthology of his own translations of works ranging across the major genres and authors of Korean writing -- stories, legends, poems, historical vignettes, and other works -- and a set of critical essays on major themes. A brief history of traditional Korean literature orients the reader to the historical context of the writings, thus bringing into focus this rich literary tradition. The anthology of translations begins with the Samguk sagi, or History of the Three Kingdoms, written in 1145, and ends with "The Story of Master Hô," written in the late 1700s. Three exploratory essays of particular subtlety and lucidity raise interpretive and comparative issues that provide a creative, sophisticated framework for approaching the selections.

Librarians and educators have long recognized the power of literature to touch the hearts and minds of readers of all ages. Lesbian and Gay Voices celebrates an exciting body of work that is emerging in the field of literature for young readers. Though more than three million lesbian and gay teenagers live in the United States, and millions more young people live with gay or lesbian family members, their diverse voices are often neglected. One way to provide help for these youngsters who often experience isolation and despair is to share compassionate books that deal honestly with the very issues with which young people themselves are grappling. Here at last is a unique and comprehensive reference tool to fill that need. Written to support librarians and educators in their efforts to provide young people with positive literary images, this groundbreaking guide provides detailed annotations and recommendations for over 275 books.