A History of Korean Literature

This is a comprehensive narrative history of Korean literature from its inception and the establishment of a royal Confucian academy in the seventh century, through a period during which most literature in Korea was written in Chinese and the subsequent invention of the Korean alphabet in 1443–4, to the present day. It provides a wealth of information for scholars, students and lovers of literature. Combining both history and criticism, the study reflects the latest scholarship and offers a systematic account of the development of all genres. Consisting of 25 chapters, it covers twentieth-century poetry, fiction by women, and the literature of North Korea. Other topics include the canon, ideology, and further critical issues central to an understanding of Korean literary history. This is a major contribution to the field and a study that will stand for many years as the primary resource for studying Korean literature.

• The first comprehensive history of Korean literature covering all genres • Invaluable resource for students and teachers alike • Includes a glossary and guide to further reading

Introduction Peter H. Lee; 1. Language, prosody, forms, and themes Ho-Min Sohn and Peter H. Lee; 2. From oral to written literature Peter H. Lee; 3. Hyangga Peter H. Lee; 4. Silla writings in Chinese Peter H. Lee; 5. Koryo songs Peter H. Lee; 6. Koryo writings in Chinese Peter H. Lee; 7. Early Choson eulogies Peter H. Lee; 8. Early Choson Sijo Peter H. Lee; 9. Early Choson Kasa Peter H. Lee; 10. Late Choson Sijo Peter H. Lee; 11. Late Choson Kasa Peter H. Lee; 12. Choson poetry in Chinese Kim Hunggyu; 13. Choson fiction in Chinese Kim Hunggyu; 14. Choson fiction in Korean Kim Hunggyu and Peter H. Lee; 15. P’ansor Kim Hunggyu; 16. Folk drama Kim Hunggyu; 17. Literary criticism Peter H. Lee; 18. Early twentieth-century poetry Peter H. Lee; 19. Early twentieth-century fiction by men Kwon Yongmin; 20. Early twentieth-century fiction by women Carolyn So; 21. Late twentieth-century poetry by men Peter H. Lee; 22. Late twentieth-century poetry by women Kim Chongnan; 23. Late twentieth century fiction by men Kwon Yongmin; 24. Later twentieth-century fiction by women Ch’oe Yun; 25. Literature of North Korea Kwon Yongmin; Korean dynasties; Notes; Bibliography; Suggestions for further reading; Glossary; Index.

‘A vast and comprehensive gathering of expert accounts, both from within Korea and from outside, of Korean literary history from the earliest examples up to recent developments in fiction and poetry, in North as well as South Korea. This will be the standard for many years to come. Peter Lee deserves our thanks, and has earned our admiration once again.’ David R. Mc Cann, Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Literature, Harvard University