New literary works explore village life, personal struggles, and classical epics

Author Jung Ji-ah returns with her first full-length novel in four years, "Jjini's Warning," following her popular work "My Father's Liberation Journal." The new novel is set in a rural village in Gurye, where a dispute over a "reji" at a local teahouse escalates into a rift between father and son. The story delves into themes of exclusion and acceptance as it weaves together the lives of various characters, including a migrant woman and a city dweller who keeps chickens as pets. The book is published by Changbi.

Jang Kang-myung, 51, releases his new novel, "Wandering." In a personal note, the author shares that the novel is partly inspired by his wife's sudden diagnosis last year. He describes the book as both his story and not his story, suggesting a complex interplay between personal experience and fictional narrative. The novel explores themes of love and prayer, as articulated by the protagonist's novelist husband and the readers who are asked to offer their prayers. It is published by Hyundae Munhak.

"When I Call Us Beasts," the second poetry collection by Korean-American poet Emily Jungmin Yoon, is presented in Korean. Following her first collection, "A Touch of the Savage," this new work marks her transition from prose to poetry and from English to Korean. The poet's journey, described as moving from "leaving Asia to becoming Asian," highlights the continuous transformation of identity through language and translation. The book is published by Jaumgwa Moam.

"Odysseia," a translated work, stands out due to its meticulous approach. Classical scholar Kim Heon spent 22 years on a complete translation, aiming to capture Homer's original intent. This includes preserving the unique rhythm and word order, even if it deviates from standard grammatical structures. The translation renders the word "anger" as "bile surging in the diaphragm," emphasizing a visceral and archaic feel. The book is published by Eulyu Munhwasa.

"Self-Portrait," a representative work by French author Édouard Levé (1965-2007), is being reissued. The novel consists of numerous sentences beginning with "I," creating a fragmented self-portrait through text. Levé's life and writing became intertwined when he died by suicide ten days after submitting his other major work, "Suicide." The translation is by novelist Jeong Yeong-mun and published by Eunhaengnamu.