The fourth installment of a book series consisting of four local and Western classics, published at a low-price to make the books accessible to the less fortunate, sold out less than a week after going on sale online last week.
Published by non-profit corporation Olje, the “Olje Classics” series’ newly released books are comprised of “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” by Friedrich Nietzsche; John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”; “Joseon Gyeonggukjeon” by 14th-century scholar Jung Do-jun; and “The Caigentan” by Ming Dynasty scholar Hong Zicheng.
The fourth installment of the series went on sale online on Oct. 19 and at local bookstores on Oct. 20. A total of 6,000 volumes were released for sale online as 1,500 four-volume sets, while 2,800 volumes were released to be sold as separate copies.
The 1,500 sets of books were sold out on the day of the release, while the remaining 2,800 volumes were also sold out as of Wednesday.
There are about 500 copies left in bookstores, according Kyobo Book Center, who is in charge of the series’ distribution.
“The price of the each volume is only a quarter of a regular book sold in bookstores,” said Yi Ik-jae of Kyobo Book Center. “But the quality of the texts’ translation is in fact better than most Korean-translated books.”
According to Yi, about 55 percent of those who purchased the series turned out to be in their 30s and 40s, while 33 percent were in their 20s. “Because of the struggling economy, it seems like many in their 30s and 40s turn to classics for emotional support and intellectual stimulation, rather than self-help books,” Yi said.
With the four newly published volumes, the series now boasts 17 titles in total.
In January, Olje published its first four books of the series ― Plato’s “The Republic,” Aristotle’s “Politics,” “Analects of Confucius,” and “Gowoonjib,” a collection of essays by renowned Silla period (57 B.C.― 935 A.D.) author Choi Chi-won ― also at a low price.
Olje only published 5,000 copies for each volume as limited editions, and put aside 1,000 copies for donations. The remaining 4,000 copies were sold out just a day after hitting bookstore shelves on Jan. 11.
The series’ second and third installments were also sold out in the first 15 days after the release.
The same method of distribution was applied to the new additions. Of the 5,000 limited copies of each volume, 4,000 were released for sale. The books are priced at 2,900 won. The remaining 1,000 copies are to be donated to various institutions, including libraries and welfare organizations.
Among the four new books, “The Caigentan (Vegetable Roots Discourse)” was published circa 1590 by Hong. The text combines teachings and aphorisms from Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, and is considered one of the classics of Eastern philosophy.
Professor emeritus Kim Jeong-jin of Seoul National University translated Nietzsche’s critical text on religion and morality, while the legendary Christian allegory “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is a version translated by late author and scholar Chu Yo-sup, who is known for his 1935 short story “The House Guest and My Mother.” First published in 1678, “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is considered one of the most important works of religious English literature.
Local conglomerate SK funded a large part of the cost of the project. For more information about the series, call (02) 720-8278.
By Claire Lee (
dyc@heraldcorp.com)
