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Original Works

We provide information on Korean literature titles (classical, modern and contemporary) in multiple languages.

Printed/Published Work Korean(한국어)

회색인

About the Original Works

Original Title
회색인
Title Romanization
Hoesaegin
English Title(Printed)
A Gray Man
Classification

KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > 1945-1999

Author
Choi In-hun
Co-Author
-
Published Year
1977
Publisher
문학과지성사
ISBN
-
The Series
Munhakdongne Novel
Main Characters
Dokgo Jun, Kim Hak, Mr. Hwang, Oh Seungeun
Subject/Theme
Contradictions in Korean society; inner conflict of the intelligentsia; trauma of the Korean War

About the Author

  • Choi In-hun
  • Birth : 1936 ~ 2018
  • Occupation : Novelist
  • First Name : In-hun
  • Family Name : Choi
  • Korean Name : 최인훈
  • ISNI : 0000000116984436
  • Works : 46
Plot

Dokgo Jun is born in North Korea during the Japanese colonial period, and attends university in Seoul after defecting to South Korea during the Korean War. He does not know whether his mother and sister, who remained in North Korea, are dead or alive; his father, who defects with him to the South, passes away. At college, Jun writes novels while studying Korean literature, and his friends try to convince him to join their political science club, but Jun is skeptical of all politics and social movements. Instead, he does everything in his power to understand who he is.

Descriptions(Languages 2)
  • Korean(한국어)
  • English(English)

1977년 최인훈 전집 제2권으로 출간된 장편소설이다. 1963년6월부터 1964년6월까지 잡지<세대>에 <회색의자>라는 제목으로 연재했던 작품이다. 작품은 한국전쟁 이후의 한국사회에 만연한 모순을 청년 지식인의 시선을 통해 비판적으로 보여주고 있다. 특히 1960년 4.19혁명 직전의 지식인들의 고뇌와 우울, 전망을 존재에 대한 치열한 자기정립과정으로 소설화하여 출간 당시는 물론이고 지금도 높은 평가를 받고 있다. 최인훈문학의 출발점이라 여겨진다.

Published in 1977, this novel is the second volume of Choi In-hun’s collected works. It was originally serialized in Generation from June 1963 to June 1964 under the title A Gray Chair. Written from the perspective of a young intellectual, it offers a critical look at the contradictions in post-war Korean society. In particular, the novel is renowned for its depiction of an individual’s journey of self-actualization, set against the anguish, melancholy, and pessimism of the intelligentsia just before the April 19 Revolution in 1960. The work is considered the starting point of Choi In-hun’s literary career.

Translated Books3

  • English(English) Book Available
    A GREY MAN
    Choi In-hun et al / Choi In-hoon / 1988 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > 1945-1999
  • Chinese(汉语) Book Available
    灰色人
    Choi In-hun et al / 崔仁勋 / 2014 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > 1945-1999
  • Spanish(Español) Book Available
    El hombre gris
    Choi In-hun et al / Choi In-Hun / 2016 / KDC구분 > literature > Korean Literature > Korean Fiction > 20th century > 1945-1999
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