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Last Year's Bestsellers: Global Readers' #1 Picks
2026-01-28
English(English)
Korean(한국어)
What did readers of the Digital Library of Korean Literature read most last year? Interestingly, their choices went beyond passing trends or topical buzz, reaching instead into their own emotions and questions. Even across different languages and cultures, readers encountered Korean literature according to the rhythms of their inner lives and the phases of their journeys. Some sought comfort, others looked for clues to understand the world, and still others chose stories that could speak back to their own hearts after some time had passed.
For English-language readers, Baek Sehee’s I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki topped the list. Perhaps those experiencing burnout craved the modest empathy of sharing a bowl of tteokbokki rather than grand gestures of healing. Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, whose protagonist refuses a violent world, was popular among Spanish-language readers. Chinese-language readers most often reached for Cheon Seonran’s No Land, which captures the anxieties of young people drifting without roots in a rapidly changing society. Kim Choyeop’s The Greenhouse at the End of the World, which envisions plant-like solidarity after the apocalypse, resonated strongly with French-language readers. And intriguingly, Portuguese-language readers turned to Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts, and Fairies, perhaps embarking on an intellectual journey to trace the roots of Korean culture.
These five books are more than a list of bestsellers. Together, they might sketch a new atlas—one drawn in the native tongues of readers around the world.
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki [English]
Author Baek Sehee Translator Anton Hur Korean Publisher Heun Overseas Published Bloomsbury Publishing (English)
This book records conversations exchanged over twelve weeks between the author and her psychiatrist. Struggling with an unidentifiable thirst and a persistent sense of emptiness, the author writes candidly about her depression. Depression itself is grounded in hope; without hope, one cannot even feel sadness. The book offers reassurance that it is okay if today is not perfect, and holds out the hope that even on a day steeped in gloom, life may still offer a single moment of laughter over something small and seemingly trivial.
The Vegetarian [Catalan]
Author Han Kang Translator Raimon Blancafort, Mihwa Jo Korean Publisher Changbi Overseas published La Magrana (Catalan)
The Vegetarian explores the pain of a wounded soul through a plant-like imagination, embodying Han Kang’s uniquely chilling and beautiful aesthetic. Yeong-hye, the protagonist, begins to refuse meat one day, triggering conflict with her family. The novel powerfully depicts patriarchal violence carried out in the name of family, and Yeong-hye’s resistance to that violence—her rejection of animality through fasting and her desire to become a tree—resonates deeply with readers.
No Land [Chinese]
Author Cheon Seonran Translator 胡椒筒 Korean Publisher Hanibook Overseas Published 時報出版 (Chinese)
Cheon Seonran showcases remarkable imaginative power in her works. No Land contains ten stories of holding onto hope, slowly but steadfastly, even as the world collapses. The collection moves fluidly between science fiction and literary fiction, apocalyptic narrative and mystery thriller. Its stories feel beautiful and unrestrained, yet quietly terrifying.
Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts, and Fairies [Portuguese]
Author Im Bang Translator James S. Gale Korean Publisher - Overseas published Laboralivros (Portuguese)
Korean Folk Tales: Imps , Ghosts, and Fairies is a collection of folk tales compiled and written by Im Bang and Yi Ryuk, translated into English by Canadian missionary James S. Gale (1863-1937). It includes stories such as “Charan,” “The Story of Chang To-ryong,” “A Story of the Fox,” and “Cheung Puk-chang, the Seer.” Through the eyes of a foreigner, Joseon appears as a mysterious world where goblins, spirits, and humans coexist. Gale translated these stories from a foreign land with elegance, seeking to introduce the literary value of Joseon’s folk tales to the Western world.
The Greenhouse at the End of the World [French]
Author Kim Choyeop Translator SON Mihae, Jean-Pierre Zubiate Korean Publisher Giantbooks Overseas Published Decrescenzo éditeurs (French)
The first full-length novel by Kim Choyeop, this book follows the journey of those striving to survive on an Earth brought to an end by “dust,” and those who seek to uncover buried truths from the past in a reconstructed world. The novel unfolds in a steady, unadorned manner, showing how the heartfelt struggles of ordinary people can ultimately save everyone from overwhelming despair.
지난해 디지털 도서관을 찾은 독자들은 어떤 책을 가장 많이 읽었을까요? 흥미로운 점은, 그들의 선택이 단순한 유행이나 화제성을 넘어 각자의 감정과 질문에 닿아 있었다는 사실입니다. 언어와 문화가 달라도, 독자들은 저마다의 내면의 리듬과 삶의 국면에 따라 한국 문학을 마주하고 있었습니다. 누군가는 위로를 찾았고, 누군가는 세계를 이해할 단서를, 또 누군가는 자신의 마음과 시간차를 두고 대화할 이야기를 선택했지요.
영미권 독자의 대출 목록 최상단에는 백세희의 《죽고 싶지만 떡볶이는 먹고 싶어》가 자리했습니다. 번아웃을 느낀 독자들이 거창한 치유 대신 떡볶이 한 그릇이라는 소박한 공감을 갈구한 게 아닐까요? 폭력적인 세계를 거부하는 주인공의 이야기가 담긴 한강의 《채식주의자》는 스페인어권에서 인기가 높았습니다. 중국어권 독자들은 급변하는 사회에서 뿌리내리지 못한 채 부유하는 청년들의 불안이 담긴 천선란의 《노랜드》를 가장 많이 찾았습니다. 멸망 이후 식물적인 연대를 꿈꾸는 김초엽의 《지구 끝의 온실》은 프랑스어권 독자의 선택을 받았고, 포르투갈어권 독자는 흥미롭게도 《조선 민담집》을 펼쳐 들었습니다. 이는 한국 문화의 뿌리를 확인하려는 지적 탐험이 아닐까요?
오늘 소개한 다섯 권의 책은 단순한 베스트셀러 목록을 넘어, 각자의 모국어로 그려낸 새로운 세계지도일지도 모르겠습니다.
죽고 싶지만 떡볶이는 먹고 싶어 [영어]
저자 백세희 역자 Anton Hur 국내출판 흔 해외출판 Bloomsbury Publishing(영어)
해당 도서는 저자와 정신과 전문의가 12주간 주고받은 대화의 기록이다. 알 수 없는 갈증과 허전함에 시달리던 저자가 자신의 우울함을 솔직하게 적었다. 우울은 희망을 기반한다. 희망이 없으면 슬퍼할 수조차 없다. 이 책은 오늘 하루가 완벽하지 않아도 괜찮다는 믿음, 종일 우울해도 아주 사소한 일로 한 번 웃을 수 있는 게 삶이라는 희망을 준다.
채식주의자 [카탈루냐어]
저자 한강 역자 Raimon Blancafort, Mihwa Jo 국내출판 창비 해외출판 La Magrana(카탈루냐어)
상처받은 영혼의 고통을 식물적 상상력으로 풀어낸 《채식주의자》는 한강 작가만의 섬뜩한 아름다움의 미학이 담겨있다. 주인공 영혜는 어느 날부터 육식을 거부하며 가족들과 갈등을 빚는다. 가족의 이름으로 자행되는 가부장의 폭력, 그 폭력에 저항하며 금식을 통해 동물성을 벗어 던지고 나무가 되고자 하는 주인공의 모습은 독자에게 큰 울림을 만들어낸다.
노랜드 [중국어]
저자 천선란 역자 胡椒筒 국내출판 한겨레출판 해외출판 時報出版(중국어)
경이로운 소설적 상상력을 보여준 천선란 작가. 《노랜드》에는 멸망하는 세계 속에서도 느리지만 꿋꿋하게 희망을 곁에 두는 열 편의 작품이 담겼다. 해당 작품집은 SF 소설이자 순문학이며, 아포칼립스 서사이자 추리와 스릴러를 넘나드는, 자유롭고 아름답지만 무서운 이야기들이다.
조선 민담집 [포루투갈어]
저자 임방 역자 James S. Gale 국내출판 - 해외출판 Laboralivros(포루투갈어)
《조선 민담집》은 캐나다 선교사 제임스 게일(James S. Gale, 1863∼1937)이 임방과 이륙 등의 글을 번역한 책이다. 자란, 장 도령 이야기, 여우 이야기, 예언자 정북창 등 다양한 이야기가 담겼다. 이방인의 눈에 비친 조선은 도깨비와 귀신, 그리고 인간이 공존하는 신비로운 세계였다. 그는 조선의 야담(野談)이 가진 문학적 가치를 서구에 알리기 위해 낯선 땅의 이야기를 유려하게 번역했다.
소설가 김초엽의 첫 장편 소설이다. 이야기는 '더스트'로 멸망한 지구에서 생존을 꿈꾸는 이들과, 재건된 세계에서 묻혀 있던 과거의 진실을 밝히려는 이들의 여정을 따라간다. 평범한 사람들의 진심 어린 분투가 거대한 절망으로부터 어떻게 모두를 구원하는지를 흔들림 없이 곧게 그려낸다.
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