The Star

The short story is a genre that Korean writers have made their own, reflecting a long literary tradition in which the short story is the major form of fiction writing. Collected in this volume are eight stories by leading contemporary writers of Korea which provide deeply moving insights into the human condition. Sadness and triumph are unifying themes in the work. Sadness because all the characters have endured unhappy experiences of one kind or another, and triumph because they are all people who transform their sufferings into blessings through their own warm humanity. The source of this humanity, as we find in these stories, lies in two things which are characteristic of the Korean people - powerful family bonds that are intricately woven and enduring, and a deep nostalgia for the past.