Even before its publication ceremony in October 2004, the French translation of Hwang Sok-yong's Sonnim (손님) was largely written about in Le Monde, which selects about 10 out of 660 new books from this fall. Two weeks later, a review of the book was published, and a page each in Le Figaro, Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Magazine Littéraire, and others were devoted to the book. In addition, the book also enjoyed the honor of being shortlisted for the Prix Femina Etrange. With the exception of an event held at the Korean Cultural Center in France and a lecture at the University of Le Havre, meetings between the author and readers were arranged in cultural spaces owned by private, independent bookstores, making the events accessible to the general French public, rather than only Korean language students.