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A vibrant and enchanting novel from one of Korea's most celebrated writers. When 14-year-old Bugeye and his mother arrive at Flower Island - a vast landfill site on the outskirts of Seoul - they soon become part of the eclectic community of impoverished outsiders who make their living weeding recyclables from the rubbish. Then, one night, Bugeye notices mysterious lights dancing around the landfill ... Could it be the island's ancient spirits? Is his luck about to change? Familiar Things depicts a society on the edge of dizzying economic and social change. It is a haunting reminder to us all to be careful of what we throw away.
About the author
Hwang Sok-yong was born in 1943 and is arguably Korea’s most renowned author. In 1993, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for an unauthorised trip to the North to promote exchange between artists in the two Koreas. Five years later, he was released on a special pardon by the new president. The recipient of Korea’s highest literary prizes, he has been shortlisted for the Prix Femina Etranger and was awarded the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature for his book At Dusk. His novels and short stories are published in North and South Korea, Japan, China, France, Germany, and the United States. Previous novels include The Ancient Garden, The Story of Mister Han, The Guest, and The Shadow of Arms.
Sora Kim-Russell has translated numerous works of Korean fiction, including Hwang Sok-yong’s Princess Bari (Garnet Publishing, 2015), Familiar Things (Scribe, 2017), and At Dusk (Scribe, 2018), which was longlisted for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize.
Summary
A vibrant and enchanting novel from one of Korea’s most celebrated writers.
When 14-year-old Bugeye and his mother arrive at Flower Island — a vast landfill site on the outskirts of Seoul — they soon become part of the eclectic community of impoverished outsiders who make their living weeding recyclables from the rubbish.
Then, one night, Bugeye notices mysterious lights dancing around the landfill … Could it be the island’s ancient spirits? Is his luck about to change?
Familiar Things depicts a society on the edge of dizzying economic and social change. It is a haunting reminder to us all to be careful of what we throw away.
Foreword
A vibrant and enchanting novel from one of Korea's most celebrated writers.
Additional text
‘In the tradition of social realism, Familiar Things reveals aspects of our current throw-away system that are intentionally kept out of sight. But it is not only a Jungle-esque activist exposé. It is also an engaging coming-of-age portrait.’
