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A Distant and Beautiful Place

by So-young Kim, Yang Gui-ja, Yang Kwija
A Distant and Beautiful Place
A Distant and Beautiful Place

Compelling tales of life's pursuit amid change.

It's like stepping directly into the shoes of those experiencing the rapid transformation of South Korea. Reading "A Distant and Beautiful Place" offers a visceral understanding of the human cost of rapid progress and the delicate balance between the old and the new. The stories add a personal dimension to historical events, inviting you to explore the depth of ordinary lives with uncommon grace and humor.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

A Distant and Beautiful Place

by So-young Kim, Yang Gui-ja, Yang Kwija
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780824826390
Authors: So-young Kim, Yang Gui-ja, Yang Kwija
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Date of Publication: 2003-12-28
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Related Topics: Asian Literature
Goodreads rating: 3.97
(rated by 59 readers)

Description

Somewhere on the periphery of Seoul, between the modern metropolis and the traditional farming communities, lies a "distant and beautiful place," the neighborhood of Wonmi-dong. Here, a young couple from the city struggles to make a home for themselves; a hapless "salary man" is forced into door-to-door sales after losing his job; a precocious seven-year-old questions the meaning of friendship and community. Everyone seems to be chasing the intangible dream of a better life. Set against the backdrop of South Korea's breakneck drive for industrialization and economic development in the 1980s, these compassionate and often humorous stories capture the essence of modern South Korean life—including the ubiquitous atmosphere of violence and fear that clouded the country prior to democratization in 1987. They also depict the Korean people's unfailing optimism and love of life. A Distant and Beautiful Place first appeared as a series of linked stories in literary journals between 1985 and 1987. It was published as the collection Wonmi-dong saramdul in 1987 and quickly became a best seller. Yang Kwija, one of South Korea's most respected and popular authors, has since published dozens of novels and shorter pieces.
 

Compelling tales of life's pursuit amid change.

It's like stepping directly into the shoes of those experiencing the rapid transformation of South Korea. Reading "A Distant and Beautiful Place" offers a visceral understanding of the human cost of rapid progress and the delicate balance between the old and the new. The stories add a personal dimension to historical events, inviting you to explore the depth of ordinary lives with uncommon grace and humor.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.