North Korean novel ‘Friends’ is ranked 10th in ‘Best World Literature of the Year’ by US Library Magazine



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The American library magazine 'Library Journal' announced on its home page on the 30th of last month that 'Friends', an English version of the North Korean novel 'Friends', was selected as one of the 10 best world literature of 2020. Capture from the library home page

The American library magazine ‘Library Journal’ announced on its home page on the 30th of last month that ‘Friends’, an English version of the North Korean novel ‘Friends’, was selected as one of the 10 best world literature of 2020. Capture from the library home page

North Korean writer Paik Nam-ryong’s novel “Friends” was selected as one of the 10 best world literature of the year by the American library magazine, The Library Journal.

According to the Voice of the United States (VOA) on the 4th, the Library Journal presented ‘Amigo’, an English version of the North Korean novel ‘Bot’, as one of the 10 best world literature of 2020 through its website on the 30th of last month.

“This novel is valuable because it offers a glimpse into everyday life in a totalitarian regime,” said the Library Journal.

Released in 1988, “Friends” portrayed the life of a young man and a young woman from North Korea who got married, but eventually quarreled and eventually divorced. In particular, he was the first to address the issue of divorce between North Korean literary works since the 1960s. The main content of the novel is the pain of a young woman seeking divorce in court, and the judge in charge Lawsuit looks back on their marriage.

Nam-ryong Paik, who wrote this novel, was born in Hamheung, South Hamgyeong province in 1949, graduated from Kim Il-sung University, and became a prominent North Korean writer in 1979 under the name 『Chosun Literature』. Nam-ryong Paik also published a novel, “Revival,” this year, related to President Kim Jong-un.

“Friends” has caught the attention of the international community as realistically as there is a demand for divorce even in a totalitarian society called North Korea. The novel was already published in France in 2011. In the United States, Immanuel Kim, a professor at George Washington University in April, translated and published the English version.

In an interview with VOA in April, Professor Kim said: “Not all the literature in North Korea praises the regime, and I wanted to show that North Koreans are experiencing a daily life similar to that of other countries.”

Meanwhile, the Library Journal selected 144 books in 15 fields, including autobiography, science, cooking and poetry, as the best books of the year.

Journalist Ham Min-jung [email protected]




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