The Korea Herald

Comic book ‘Misaeng’ sells 1 million copies

Oct 27, 2014

“Misaeng,” a Korean comic book series about an intern’s daily life at his workplace, has sold over 1 million copies, the book’s publisher said Monday.Originally a popular webtoon series by the same title, the nine-book series by Yoon Tae-ho hit the milestone on Sept. 26, Wisdom Books said.“Misaeng,” which literally translates to “An Incomplete Life,” is about things happening to a man who dreamed of becoming a professional baduk player but began working as an intern at a large trading company.Th
Bernhard Schlink: Two Koreas should be the victors

Oct 23, 2014

The biggest mistake Germany made during reunification is that one side was the victor, while the other was the defeated, according to a prominent German writer and thinker. German novelist Bernhard Schlink, the writer of the award-winning 1995 novel “The Reader” and many other works that shed light on the theme of the past, guilt and postwar generation of Germany, says if he could give advice on Korean reunification, it would be to respect each other. “You two (North and South Korea) will be the
Lena Dunham connects with her many ‘awesome’ fans in Seattle

Oct 23, 2014

When she is standing before you, in the still eye of the pop-culture hurricane she has inhabited for several years now, you realize Lena Dunham is just like any young woman who fusses with her hair, loves her sister and can’t resist cheese.But then you hear the steady hum of a sold-out crowd just beyond the door; notice the table stacked with signed copies of Dunham’s new book, “Not That Kind of Girl,” for which she was reportedly paid $3 million; and hear her mention a visit to the Facebook cam
‘Without You, There Is No Us’ a vivid account of six months in Pyongyang

Oct 23, 2014

For a country as closed and intimidating as North Korea is, the number of memoirs by people who briefly lived there is surprisingly large ― at least one a year since 2000, according to a list by the Seoul-based website NK News.The books fall into two categories. In the first are those by authors who clearly wish to be allowed back. They pay little mind to the absence of basic freedoms for North Koreans and dismiss the restrictions they experience themselves. They are not alone: A sizable number
‘Gray Mountain’ will please Grisham fans

Oct 23, 2014

Gray MountainBy John Grisham (Doubleday)John Grisham has been writing legal thrillers and dramas that resonate with readers for almost 25 years, and his latest continues the theme of ordinary people who work in the law profession experiencing a crisis of conscience. Sometimes following the letter of the law might not feel morally just, and that conflict within the person having to confront the issue head-on has propelled Grisham to the top of the best-seller lists and made him a household name.
‘Superstorm’ finds narrative in Sandy’s wrath

Oct 23, 2014

SuperstormBy Kathryn Miles (Dutton)It’s been a weak hurricane season in the Atlantic so far, with little to worry U.S. coastal residents, but any forecaster will tell you: It only takes one storm to make a bad year. In 2012, that one storm was Superstorm Sandy, a hurricane that grew larger even as it lost its tropical characteristics and combined with an early winter storm and blast of arctic air. The “Frankenstorm” slammed the mid-Atlantic coast with a devastating storm surge, causing an estima
‘Tinseltown’ revels in salacious detail

Oct 23, 2014

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of HollywoodBy William J. Mann (HarperCollins)There’s nothing like a whodunit. It’s even better if it’s a true life one with a believable solution. The result is pure catnip to mystery readers.In the hands of William J. Mann, the murder of film director William Desmond Taylor in 1922 comes alive again in “Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood.”Taylor was a perfect gentleman and a director loved by many in the film i
Hiaasen woos young adult readers

Oct 23, 2014

Skink ― No SurrenderBy Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)Incisive social commentary akin to Jonathan Swift’s, wrapped in a sly wit and capitalizing on the “only in Florida” goings-on have won Carl Hiaasen legions of fans. And his ability to write the kind of books that appeal to children won him a Newberry Award.Now Hiaasen smoothly transitions his writing to appeal to readers ages 12 and up with “Skink ― No Surrender,” his first young adult novel.“Skink” rightly doesn’t have some of the very adult situations
Compelling study of Dylan’s later life

Oct 16, 2014

The second installment of Ian Bell’s two-part biography of Bob Dylan, “Time Out of Mind,” is a compelling, focused examination of the latter half of the elusive singer-songwriter’s life and career, starting off with his acclaimed “Blood on the Tracks” album in 1975 and bringing readers close to the present day. For Dylan’s many obsessive fans, who have been offered a wealth of analyses of this singular artist over the years, Bell delivers the goods. Chapters are heavy with engrossing and sometim
Chicago and ‘The Birth of the Pill’

Oct 16, 2014

Chicago journalist Jonathan Eig got the idea for his new book, “The Birth of the Pill,” from a sermon his rabbi gave many years ago.“He was claiming the (birth control) pill was a bigger deal than the airplane, than the A-bomb,” Eig said of Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, then of the Anshe Emet Synagogue on Chicago’s North Side. “At first, I thought he was crazy. Then I came to think maybe he was right.”Eig wondered how the history of something so important could be so quickly forgotten, especially in Ch
‘Full Measure’ is realistic on every level

Oct 16, 2014

Full MeasureBy T. Jefferson Parker (St. Martin’s Press)T. Jefferson Parker, known for his crime novels, delivers an emotional and gut-wrenching literary departure that’s miles away from what his fans and readers would expect in “Full Measure.” Patrick Norris returns home after a military tour in Afghanistan. He has been forever changed by the horrors he faced, the people he was forced to kill and the friends he watched die. Patrick is happy to see his family and start a small sport fishing busin
Couple finds lost spark in ‘Brightwell’

Oct 16, 2014

Murder at the BrightwellBy Ashley Weaver (Minotaur)At the heart of this light, energetic tale of a group of wealthy eccentrics on holiday at a seaside resort in England emerges a story of a marriage. Yes, there’s a juicy scandal, snobbish comments and petty disagreements among people of a certain class feeling carefree and insular in 1932 Kent. It’s all very Downton Abbey. But “Murder at the Brightwell” by Ashley Weaver also proves to be an insightful look at a marriage that started with a stron
‘Truth Be Told’ has romance, humor

Oct 16, 2014

Truth Be ToldBy Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge)Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest entry to feature investigative reporter Jane Ryland showcases the author’s ability to balance humor, gripping drama, romance and contemporary issues. In “Truth Be Told,” Ryland is investigating families who have lost their homes due to foreclosure. While onsite at a house that a bank is taking away from a family, Ryland sees police and then the medical examiner arrive. When Detective Jake Brogan arrives on the scene, Ryland
New history of ‘Star Wars’

Oct 16, 2014

How Star Wars Conquered the UniverseBy Chris Taylor (Basic Books)“How Star Wars Conquered The Universe” by Chris Taylor is an immensely readable look at the worldwide impact of the “Star Wars” saga over the decades. He calls it “a biography of ‘Star Wars.’”The book covers more than the six movies, cartoons and authorized adaptations. The history includes the fans and their vast creativity and explores the franchise that has become a cultural touchstone with worldwide reach.“I was really very con
Australia’s Flanagan wins Booker fiction prize

Oct 15, 2014

LONDON (AP) ― Australian writer Richard Flanagan won the Booker Prize on Tuesday with a visceral book about wartime brutality and its aftermath ― a novel the head of the judging team said was as powerful as a kick in the stomach. Flanagan drew on his father’s experiences as a World War II prisoner of the Japanese for “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” which centers on the Burma Death Railway, built with forced labor at the cost of tens of thousands of lives. Named after a classic work of Japan