March 2023 MBR The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

Tales of Korea
Im Bang, author
Yi Ryuk, author
James S. Gale, translator
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804855495, $18.99, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Korea-Enchanting-Stories-Goblins/dp/0804855498

Synopsis: "Tales of Korea: 53 Enchanting Stories of Ghosts, Goblins, Princes, Fairies and More!" is an impressive compendium of Korea's best-known folktales. Collected and written down by Yi Ryuk and Im Bang over three centuries ago, these 53 legendary tales explore fantasy worlds filled with enchanted animals, fairies, goblins, ghosts, princesses and more!

The among the Korean stories comprising this unique volume are:

"The Home of the Fairies" --A young man happens upon a magical fairy town where he stays for several years before returning home to an uncertain future.

"Charan"-- A beautiful dancing girl befriends a governor's son. As their friendship blossoms into love, their lives take an unexpected and agonizing turn!

"Ten Thousand Devils"-- A prince welcomes a distant relative for a visit only to discover that the guest controls thousands of evil creatures that converge on the prince's home.

"An Encounter with a Hobgoblin"-- A man experiences horrifying visitations in his home and fears that he is living with a sinister force!

"The Snake's Revenge"-- After a soldier kills a snake, the reptile is reborn as the man's son and seeks revenge in a gruesome way!

Critique: Featuring an informative Foreword by author, translator, educator, and folklorist Heinz Insu Fenkl, "Tales of Korea: 53 Enchanting Stories of Ghosts, Goblins, Princes, Fairies and More!" by co-authors by Im Bang and Yi Ryuk, and ably translated into English by James S. Gale is an extraordinary collection of Korean fables, fantasies, folklore and fairytales. Also featured are thirty full-color minhwa paintings (Korean folkart) to bring the magic and mystery of Korean folklore to life. With a very special appeal for readers with an interest in mythology and folklore, "Tales of Korea" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Folklore/Mythology/Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tales of Korea" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note #1: Im Bang, born in 1640, was a disciple of Song Si-yol, one of Korea's foremost writers. In 1719, at the remarkable age of seventy-nine, he became governor of Seoul and simultaneously held office as secretary of the cabinet. His writings have long been revered in Korea, and his reputation as a great scholar has endured for centuries.

Editorial Note #2: Yi Ryuk, who lived during the reign of King Sejo in the mid-15th century, was no less a scholar than Im Bang. The Kuk-cho Inmul-chi (Korea's Record of Famous Men) speaks of him as "a man of many offices and many distinctions in the way of literary excellence."

Editorial Note #3: James S. Gale (1863-1937) was a Presbyterian minister who arrived in Korea in 1888 to teach English and help translate the Bible into Korean. He founded two middle schools in Seoul, and was a professor at Pyongyang Theological Seminary. His books include History of the Korean People and a translation of The Cloud Dream of the Nine, the first work of Korean literature to be translated into English.

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