…your foreign publisher sends you reviews to cheer you up.
This week I got a lovely note from the Korean agent who handles my Korean rights. (Foreign sales require two agents–your agent, who acts on your behalf, and an agent working on behalf of the foreign publisher who’s bidding on translation rights to your books. The two agents split the commission, which is 20% for foreign sales compared to 15% for domestic. Anyway…) The agent, who works in Seoul, tells me that my Korean publisher reads my blog and is very sorry that I haven’t gotten more reviews in the States, and that the attached reviews, all from major Korean papers, should make me feel a little better.
The reviews were in Korean. I can speak a little (I’m improving, I hope), but I can only read a few words, unfortunately. (I’m good at prepositions.) So I’m hanging on to them for translation practice.
And I do feel better. Just a little bit embarrassed about all the whining.
I’m still planning out my break, so please chime in with reading and recreational suggestions. And if you read Korean, you’ll be able to finish reading the review below while I’m still identifying the prepositions.
ó°‚ ì¡°ì„ ì¼ë³´ (Chosun Press)
_ê¹€ìœ¤ë• ê¸°ìž(2004ë…„ 2ì›”)
ì˜í™”보다 ì‰½ê³ ìž¬ë¯¸ìžˆëŠ” 세계사
ì±…ì˜ ì œëª© ì•žì— â€˜êµì–‘ 있는 우리 ì•„ì´ë¥¼ 위한’ì´ëž€ 수ì‹ì–´ê°€ 붙었지만, ì–´ë¥¸ë“¤ì´ ì½ì–´ë„ 지극히 ìœ ìµí•œ ì—사서다. ê·¸ ë°©ëŒ€í•˜ê³ ë³µìž¡í•œ 세계사를 ì´ë ‡ë“¯ ì‰½ê³ í¥ë¯¸ì§„진하게 ë“¤ë ¤ì£¼ëŠ” ì—사서가 몇 권ì´ë‚˜ ë 까. ë£ë³´ë‹¤ 세계사를 ‘외워야 í• ê²ƒâ€™ìœ¼ë¡œ ë¨¸ë¦¬ì— ê¾¸ì—ê¾¸ì— ì§‘ì–´ë„£ëŠ” ê³ í†µì„ ê²ªì§€ ì•Šì•„ë„ ëœë‹¤ëŠ” ì ì´ ì´ ì±…ì„ ì½ëŠ” 가장 í° ì¦ê±°ì›€ì´ë‹¤.
ìš°ì„ ì´ ì±…ì—는 다른 세계사 ì±…ë“¤ì´ ì •ì„으로 ì•Œê³ ì‹œì‹œì½œì½œ 늘어놓는 연대(年代)ê°€ 표기ë˜ì§€ 않는다. ê³ ëŒ€ íŽ¸ì„ ë‹¤ë£¬ 1ê¶Œì€ ë‚˜ì¼ê°• ë¬¸ëª…ì˜ í˜•ì„±ìœ¼ë¡œ 시작해 ë¡œë§ˆì˜ ë©¸ë§ìœ¼ë¡œ ëì´ ë‚˜ì§€ë§Œ, ‘지금으로부터 약 7000ë…„ ì „â€™ ‘그로부터 4000ë…„ì´ ì§€ë‚œ 뒤’ë¼ëŠ” ì‹ì˜ 표현만 있지, 단 í•œ ë²ˆë„ êµ¬ì²´ì ì¸ ì—°ë„를 언급하지 않는다.
놀ë¼ìš´ ê±´, êµ³ì´ ì—°ë„를 몰ë¼ë„ ê³ ëŒ€ë¼ëŠ” í° í‹€ì—ì„œ ì—ì‚¬ì˜ íë¦„ì„ ê°ì§€í•˜ë©° ë”°ë¼ê°ˆ 수 있다는 ì ì´ë‹¤. ì „ì 으로 â€˜ê¼¬ë¦¬ì— ê¼¬ë¦¬ë¥¼ 물리며’ ì´ì•¼ê¸°ë¥¼ 엮어가는 ì €ìž ìˆ˜ìž” ë°”ìš°ì–´ì˜ ëŠ¥ë ¥ì´ë‹¤. 3대 ë¬¸ëª…ì˜ ë°œìƒì„ 들여다보ìž. ê¸°ì¡´ì˜ ì±…ë“¤ì´ ê³ ëŒ€ 3대 ë¬¸ëª…ì„ ì´ì§‘트·메소í¬íƒ€ë¯¸ì•„Â·ì¤‘êµ íŽ¸ìœ¼ë¡œ 분리해 ê·¸ 지ì—ì„ ì§‘ì¤‘ì 으로, 그러나 ë‹¨ì ˆì 으로 ëŠë¼ê²Œ 하는 우를 범했다면, 바우어는 3대 ë¬¸ëª…ì„ ì¤‘ì‹¬ìœ¼ë¡œ ìƒê¸´ ë„ì‹œêµê°€ë“¤ì´ êµì—ê³¼ ì „ìŸì„ 통해 서로ì—게 ì–´ë–¤ ì˜í–¥ì„ ë¼ì¹˜ë©° ë°œì „í•´ ê°”ëŠ”ì§€ì— ì´ˆì ì„ ë‘ê³ ì—사를 풀어간다.
‘세계 ì •ë³µì˜ ì—사’가 í•œ íŽ¸ì˜ ì˜í™”처럼 ë“œë¼ë§ˆí‹±í•˜ê²Œ ì „ë‹¬ë˜ëŠ” ê²ƒë„ ê·¸ 때문ì´ë‹¤. 메소í¬íƒ€ë¯¸ì•„ì˜ ìˆ˜ë§Žì€ ë„ì‹œ êµê°€ë“¤ì„ 통ì¼í•œ 바빌로니아를 페르시아가 ì ë ¹í•˜ê³ , ì´ë¥¼ 다시 마케ë„ë‹ˆì•„ì˜ ì•Œë ‰ì‚°ë” ëŒ€ì™•ì´ ì •ë³µí•´ 나가는 ê³¼ì •. ì´íƒˆë¦¬ì•„ì˜ ìž‘ì€ ì–¸ë•ë§ˆì„ì´ì—ˆë˜ 로마가 ì¹´ë¥´íƒ€ê³ ì™€ ì´ì§‘트, 스페ì¸ê³¼ 브리튼(ì˜êµ)까지 ì ë ¹í•˜ë©° 번성했다가 ì‡ í‡´í•˜ëŠ” ê³¼ì •ì„ ì¢‡ì•„ê°€ë‹¤ ë³´ë©´ 세계사가 ì–´ë–¤ 거대한 ë¬¼ê²°ì„ ì´ë£¨ë©° í˜ëŸ¬ì™”는지 í•œëˆˆì— íŒŒì•…ëœë‹¤.
ê·¸ë¿ì¸ê°€. ì¹¼ì´ ì•„ë‹Œ ë²•ì „ìœ¼ë¡œ 바빌로니아를 태í‰ì„±ëŒ€ë¡œ ì´ëˆ 함무ë¼ë¹„ 왕, íŽ˜ë¥´ì‹œì•„ì œêµì„ 건설했으나 ì •ë³µë‹¹í•œ êµê°€ë“¤ì— ìžì¹˜ì„±ì„ ì£¼ê³ ê³µì •í•˜ê²Œ ë‹¤ìŠ¤ë ¸ë˜ í‚¤ë£¨ìŠ¤ 대왕, 싸우는 법 ëŒ€ì‹ ê¸€ì„ ì½ê³ 쓰는 ë²•ì„ ë°°ì›Œ 찬란한 민주주ì˜ë¥¼ ê½ƒí”¼ì› ë˜ ì•„í…Œë„¤ 사람들, ë¡œë§ˆì œêµì˜ 1ì¸ í™©ì œê°€ ë˜ë ¤ê³ 욕심부리다 가장 친한 친구ì—게 ì£½ìž„ì„ ë‹¹í•˜ëŠ” ì‹œì €(ì¹´ì´ì‚¬ë¥´) 등 ì œêµë“¤ì˜ í¥ë§ì„±ì‡ ê°€ 단순히 ê°•ë ¥í•œ 군대와 íž˜ì— ë‹¬ë¦° 게 아니었다는 ì—사ì êµí›ˆì„ ì €ìžëŠ” ë§Žì€ ë¶„ëŸ‰ì„ í• ì• í•´ ì „í•˜ê³ ìžˆë‹¤.
반면 ì—ì‚¬ì˜ í° ì¤„ê¸°ë¥¼ ì´í•´í•˜ëŠ” ë° ê·¸ë¦¬ 중요하지 ì•Šì€ ì‚¬ê±´ë“¤ì€ ê³¼ê°ížˆ ì³ëƒˆë‹¤. ëŒ€ì‹ ê³ ëŒ€ ë„ì‹œêµê°€ë“¤ì˜ ìƒí™œìƒ, 문화 현ìƒì— í™•ëŒ€ê²½ì„ ë“¤ì´ëŒ„다. ì´ì§‘트 파ë¼ì˜¤ë“¤ì˜ 미ì´ë¼ê°€ ìˆ˜ì‹ ì°¨ë¡€ì˜ ê³µì •ì„ ê±°ì³ í”¼ë¼ë¯¸ë“œì— 안치ë˜ëŠ” ê³¼ì •ë„ ì†ì— ìž¡íž ë“¯ ìƒìƒí•˜ë‹¤. ê³ ëŒ€ ì¼ê³± 가지 ë¶ˆê°€ì‚¬ì˜ ì¤‘ í•˜ë‚˜ì¸ â€˜ë°”ë¹Œë¡ ì˜ ê³µì¤‘ì •ì›â€™ì´ 페르시아 ê³µì£¼ì˜ í–¥ìˆ˜ë³‘ ë•Œë¬¸ì— ë§Œë“¤ì–´ì¡Œë‹¤ëŠ” ì´ì•¼ê¸°ë©° 아시리아 ì œêµì— 세계 ìµœì´ˆì˜ ë„ì„œê´€ì´ ë§Œë“¤ì–´ì§„ 사연, ëŒ€ì¤‘ëª©ìš•íƒ•ì„ ë§Œë“¤ì–´ ì‚¬ìš©í–ˆë˜ ì¸ë„ì˜ ëª¨í—¨ì¡°ë‹¤ë¡œ 사람들과 콘í¬ë¦¬íŠ¸ë¥¼ ì²˜ìŒ ë°œëª…í•´ í‰í‰í•œ ë„로를 ë§Œë“ ë¡œë§ˆì¸ ì´ì•¼ê¸° 등 í¥ë¯¸ì§„진한 ì—사ì ì—피소드가 ê³³ê³³ì— ë°•í˜€ 있다.
다분히 ì•„ì´ë“¤ì„ ìœ„í•´ì„œì˜€ê² ì§€ë§Œ, ë‹¹ì‹œì˜ ì—사ì ì‚¬ì‹¤ì„ ë’·ë°›ì¹¨í• ì„±ì„œì™€ ì‹ í™”, ë¯¼ë‹´ì„ í’부하게 활용한 ê²ƒì€ ì´ ì±…ì˜ ì§„ê°€ë¥¼ ë”ìš± 빛나게 한다. “~ì˜ ì—사를 ìž ì‹œ ë˜ëŒì•„볼까?â€ì²˜ëŸ¼ 구어체로 ì„œìˆ í•œ 것 ì—ì‹œ ê·¸ 때문ì´ì§€ë§Œ, ìžì‹ ì€ ë¬¼ë¡ ë„¤ ì•„ì´ë¥¼ ëª¨ë‘ í™ˆìŠ¤ì¿¨ë§(Home Schooling)으로 í‚¤ì›Œëƒˆì„ ë§Œí¼ ë°©ëŒ€í•œ 지ì‹ê³¼ 언어 êµ¬ì‚¬ë ¥ì„ ì§€ë‹Œ ì €ìžê°€ 바로 ê³ì—ì„œ ì´ì•¼ê¸°í•˜ë“¯ ìƒìƒí•˜ê³ ìžìƒí•˜ê²Œ ë“¤ë ¤ì£¼ëŠ” ‘세계사 ê°•ì˜â€™ì— 매료ë˜ì§€ ì•Šì„ ì–´ë¥¸ë„ ë“œë¬¼ 것 같다.
I read technical manuals most of the time. But when I want to do some purely recreational reading (usually during the holidays) I look for fiction of the surreal humorous type. My favorite is Carl Hiaasen. His two young adult books are probably my favorite. I used to live in Florida, the subject of Carl’s satire, so the books are extra funny. Purely bubble gum for the mind.
I also really enjoyed State of Fear by Michael Crichton
To recover from ANY type of mental stress, I heartily endorse P.G. Wodehouse. “The Code of the Woosters” is my favorite, but anything will do in a pinch. I enjoy sitting by the pool and wondering what Jeeves would say about the bathing “styles,” piercings, tatoos, etc. of our century! Stone the crows!
Oh, and Wallace Stegner. I can’t seem to let a month go by without re-reading something by Stegner.
On second thought, if Trollope isn’t to your taste – have you ever read Angela Thirkell? She decided to swipe Trollope’s county in England, advance it about 75 years, and make it her own. She’s a lighter writer, and enjoyable. Began when she was about 40, I think. Don’t you think somebody ought to do this same thing with Faulkner’s little piece of fictional soil?
I would cut and paste and take this to Jackie’s martial arts teacher to translate tomorrow—but it is all in question marks, not Korean, when I look at it.
I can’t imagine your books not getting more reviews in the states. I would be lost without your SOTW. I disliked history as a kid – I don’t want that to happen to my kids so in short, I NEED your books. We live in Mexico at the moment where we can hop over to an ancient pyramid or view some digs going on while we study ancient history. If it weren’t for your activity books, those trips, while cool, would be the ONLY activities we’d do all year.
Claudine de Nava
Well, according to Babelfish, the first paragraph is incomprehensible.
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