Please Look After Mom
 English Paperback Reprint Cover | |
| Author | Kyung-sook Shin |
|---|---|
| Original title | 엄마를 부탁해 |
| Translator | Chi-young Kim |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Genre | novel |
| Publisher | Changbi |
Publication date | 2008 |
Published in English | 2011 |
| Awards | Man Asian Literary Prize |
| Please Look After Mom | |
| Hangul | 엄마를 부탁해 |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | Eommareul butakhae |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ŏmmarŭl put'akhae |
Please Look After Mom (Korean: 엄마를 부탁해) is a novel by South Korean author Kyung-sook Shin. It sold a million copies within 10 months of release in 2009 in South Korea, is critically acclaimed internationally and the English translation by Chi-young Kim won the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The novel has been adapted as a stage play and musical.[8]
As of April 2012, the book has sold two million copies and the publisher has printed a 10,000-copy special edition to commemorate the achievement.[9] The book was also chosen by Oprah to be one of her "18 Books to Watch for in April 2011[10] and by Amazon as one of its "Best Books of the Month: April 2011".[11]
Plot[edit]
When sixty-nine-year-old So-Nyo is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station, her family begins a desperate search to find her. Yet as long-held secrets and private sorrows begin to reveal themselves, they are forced to wonder: how well did they actually know the woman they called Mom? The novel explores the loss, self-recrimination, and in some cases, self-discovery caused by the mother's disappearance. The novel also considers themes related to the self-sacrifice of mothers in general (and in Korea in particular), the relationship between memories of the past and realities of the present, and the chameleonic aspects of identity.[12]
Style[edit]
The style of Please Look After Mom is a bit unusual, as Julie Hunt noted in booklist, "Composed almost entirely in second-person narration, the writing is sharp, biting, and intensely moving."[13]
Characters[edit]
- Park So-nyo - mother of four children
- Hyong-chol - So-nyo's oldest son
- Chi-hon - So-nyo's eldest daughter
- Yu-bin - Chi-hon's boyfriend
- Yun Chin Hyong-chol's daughter
- Yun Kyun - So-nyo's brother in law
- Hong Tae-hee: a director of an orphanage whom she donated to
Stage play cast[edit]
- Jung Hye-sun - Park Son-yo
- Sim Yang-hong - Mr Yun
- Kil Yong-woo - Young-chul
- Seo Yee-sook - Ji-yeon
Reception[edit]
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The book was also chosen by Oprah to be one of her "18 Books to Watch for in April 2011[14] and by Amazon as one of its "Best Books of the Month: April 2011".[15]
References[edit]
- ^ "South Korean novelist announced as first woman to win Man Asian Literary Prize" Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine Man Asian Prize homepage 15 March 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-24
- ^ Maslin, Janet (March 30, 2011). "A Mother's Devotion, a Family's Tearful Regrets". The New York Times.
- ^ "Kyung-sook Shin". Man Asian Literary Prize. 2012-03-15. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ "Press Release: Kyung-sook Shin's "Please Look After Mom" American Debut Celebration". Koreanculture.org. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ "Please Look After Mom: an Interview With Kyung-sook Shin". Sampsonia Way Magazine. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ "Kyung-sook Shin wins Man Asian literary prize". BBC News. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ "South Korean woman wins Man Asian Literary Prize". CNN. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ "[PREVIEW] Please Look After Mom". HanCinema. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ "Please Look After Mom Sells 2 Million Copies" Archived 2012-07-30 at the Wayback Machine Chosun Ilbo. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-24
- ^ "O Magazine". naver.com. Oprah.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "18 Books to Watch for in April 2011". naver.com. Amazon. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "Please Look After Mom Study Guide & Plot Summary". bookrags.com. Bookrags. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "Please Look After Mom Bilingual Set". hanbooks.com. Hanbooks. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "O Magazine". naver.com. Oprah.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "18 Books to Watch for in April 2011". naver.com. Amazon. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
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