The History of Modern Korean Fiction (1890-1945)

This book traces the emergence of modern Korean literature and its trajectory towards the turn of the twentieth century. In examining the entanglements of literary style, form, and contemporaneous institutions, Young Min Kim illuminates an oft-overlooked period in modern Korean literary history.

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This book explores the history of modern Korean literature from a sociocultural perspective. Rather than focusing solely on specific authors and their works, Young Min Kim argues that the development of modern media, shifting conceptualizations of the author, and a growing mass readership fundamentally shaped the types of narratives that appeared at the turn of the twentieth century. In particular, Kim follows the trajectory of the sin sosŏl (new fiction) as it meshed with the new print and media culture to give rise to innovative and hybrid genres and literary styles. In doing so, he compellingly illuminates the relationship between literary systems and forms and underscores the necessity of re-locating literary texts in their sociohistorical contexts.