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, Prince=
s, Fairies and More!" is an impressive compendium of Korea's best-known fol= ktales. Collected and written down by Yi Ryuk and Im Bang over three centur= ies ago, these 53 legendary tales explore fantasy worlds filled with enchan= ted 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 w= here he stays for several years before returning home to an uncertain futur=
e.

"Charan"-- A beautiful dancing girl befriends a governor's son. As their fr= iendship blossoms into love, their lives take an unexpected and agonizing t= urn!

"Ten Thousand Devils"-- A prince welcomes a distant relative for a visit on=
ly to discover that the guest controls thousands of evil creatures that con= verge 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 rebor=
n 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 o=
f 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 extraordi= nary collection of Korean fables, fantasies, folklore and fairytales. Also = featured are thirty full-color minhwa paintings (Korean folkart) to bring t=
he 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" i=
s a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to community, colleg=
e, 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, on=
e of Korea's foremost writers. In 1719, at the remarkable age of seventy-ni= ne, he became governor of Seoul and simultaneously held office as secretary=
of the cabinet. His writings have long been revered in Korea, and his repu= tation 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 wh=
o arrived in Korea in 1888 to teach English and help translate the Bible in=
to Korean. He founded two middle schools in Seoul, and was a professor at P= yongyang Theological Seminary. His books include History of the Korean Peop=
le and a translation of The Cloud Dream of the Nine, the first work of Kore=
an literature to be translated into English.

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