Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme that was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is now currently being hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and give the reasons why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan

Blurb from Goodreads

While “Whale” begins with Chunhee, a mysterious young brickmaker of imposing physicality who cannot speak, introduced a the Queen of Red Bricks, it quickly situates her story within a longer multi-generational saga composed of three parts. While we learn of Chunhee s tragic path to her becoming someone who makes bricks of the highest quality, the novel retraces the familial circumstances that shaped her. While poignant yet brutal, “Whale” is also a satire of how we the general public, mass media, even artists and writers tend to romanticize voiceless figures of history.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday everyone! Just like that, we are into the last eleven days of June. Time does fly fast. Before we know it, we are midway through the year already. Speaking of which, I hope 2023 has been kind to everyone. Otherwise, I hope there will be a reversal of fortune in the coming months. As it is the first week of the month, I hope everyone had a great start to the work week. I know that most of us are feeling a little sluggish. How I wish the weekend stretches for three days. I can only wish. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well, in mind, body, and spirit. I am happy to see things slowly going back to normal but the virus remains a real threat so I hope everyone is still observing the minimum health protocols.

The first day of the week also means the start of a new blogging week. To kick off another week of blogging, I am sharing a fresh Goodreads Monday update. After two months’ worth of British literature, succeeded by two months of Japanese literature, I am currently in the midst of a journey across the rest of the Asian continent. I have realized I have not explored most of the Asian literature as much as I explored Japanese literature; my forays into Chinese and Indian literature, for instance, are lacking. After spending time in South Asia, I am back in South East Asia, with Dương Thu Hương’s The Zenith. I bought the book by the Vietnamese writer back in 2018, during the first Big Bad Wolf Sale Manila edition. Unfortunately, it was left to gather dust on my bookshelf. As such, I included the book as part of my 2023 Beat the Backlist Challenge.

Anyway, back to the original goal of this weekly bookish meme. To align with my reading theme this month, I will also be featuring works of Asian writers in my Goodreads update this month. Today, I am featuring South Korean writer Cheon Myeong-Kwan’s Whale. Prior to 2023, I have not heard of Cheon nor had I read any of his works. In his native South Korea, he is a screenwriter and director. His literary career started in 2003 with his short story Frank and I. It earned him the prestigious Munhakdongne New Writer Award. A year later, he published his debut novel, Whale. His debut novel again earned Cheon more prestige; it won the 10th Munhakdongne Novel Award. It was also a literary sensation, with many claiming it is a modern classic of Korean literature.

Despite the accolades the book earned, it took nearly two decades before the book was translated into English. The English translation was as well received as the original text. The book was longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize; it was through this longlist that I first came across the book. It eventually made it to the shortlist; the winner was Bulgarian Georgi Gospodinov’s Time Shelter. While I was apprehensive about reading the book at first – the book’s title was a little simplistic for me I guess – but I eventually gave in, curious about what the book has in store. I also read very positive reviews of the book. I can’t wait to read the book. Thankfully, I have a copy in transit. Apart from Cheon, I am also planning to read a work by Kyung Sook-Shin.

How about you fellow reader? How was your Monday? What books have you added to your reading list? Do drop it in the comment box. For now, happy Monday and, as always, happy reading!