Natasha Came: An Anthology by 8 Novelists - Large Print 3

Author Go Seung-cheol and 7 others · Publisher Saenggakeuichang · Published 2026-07-30 · ISBN 9791193748176

About the Book

Currently, there are 15 member writers of 'Keungeul': Go Seung-cheol, Kwon Ji-ye, Kim Da-eun, Kim Mi-soo, Kim Yong-hee, Song Cheol-bok, Song Ho-geun, Yang Sun-hee, Yoon Soon-rye, Yoon Hye-ryeong, Lee Su-jeong, Lim Hyun-seok, Jeong Hyun-sang, Han Ji-soo, and Hwang Ju-ri. This short story collection features 8 of these writers: Go Seung-cheol, Kim Da-eun, Kim Mi-soo, Kim Yong-hee, Song Cheol-bok, Lee Su-jeong, Jeong Hyun-sang, and Hwang Ju-ri. The works included in this collection are introduced below, in the order listed.

Go Seung-cheol's "Natasha Has Arrived" is a novella inspired by Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece, "War and Peace." Tolstoy, along with Dostoevsky, is one of the two giants of Russian literature. He was a literary figure who simultaneously observed worldly affairs through a telescope, humans through a microscope, and the human psyche through an endoscope. Author Go Seung-cheol expressed his impression that reading such a monumental work makes one keenly realize how meager a self-narrative (私小說) is when it's based on trivial personal experiences and filled with excessive emotions. He also stated that for an unknown Korean writer to dedicate a work to the great Tolstoy was an act of "brazen audacity beyond belief."

Kim Da-eun's "Bebe's Garden" is a pure 'nature novel' that originated from the author's accidental discovery that the word "nature" is not in the Bible. The concept of "nature" as defined in language dictionaries aligns with Darwin's theory of evolution, and thus, it could not exist within the Bible of God, who created the universe. The author searched for "nature" in the English Bible but found it used in the phrase "contrary to nature" (Romans 11:24), which was far removed from the natural environment. In short, "nature" was not a word found in the Bible. "Bebe's Garden" was written out of this astonishment. In that context, the creatures in this 'novel' were also created by the author, not by themselves.

Kim Mi-soo's "Just Laughter" explores the moment when one is lost in a forest at dusk in an unfamiliar city, unable to find an exit, when the body keeps sinking deeper into the woods, unexpected wetlands threaten to engulf one's ankles, or someone might appear and grab one's wrist, when darkness closes in fatally from all sides, and one loses the strength to even look at oneself, all from the perspective of two women. If a woman lost in the forest wanders alone and walks out of it, an infinitely clear and vast lake will greet her. The author hopes to rewrite this novel to tell of the truly heart-pounding experiences of that woman who emerged from the forest.

Kim Yong-hee's "This Side of the World" is a story about this side and the other side of the world. In other words, it's about "taking sides." It's also a novel written as an homage to director Yoon Ga-eun's film "The World of Us." The author wanted to portray cinematic visuality through the psychological depiction of characters. The world seen through the eyes of a fifth-grade girl just entering her teens must already be a world with clearly drawn lines. Either this side or the other. Perhaps this is like a rite of passage encountered at the threshold of entering the adult world. It sharply describes, through the protagonist 'I''s daily life, a world that compels one to choose either this side or the other. The author wanted to tell a story about the conflicts and disputes in Korean society, and the numerous 'line-drawing' that occurs within them.

Song Cheol-bok's "Beyond the Rainbow" can be described as an ordinary story that encompasses the three major themes of novels: "what happened, what is happening, and what could happen." However, if the dreams and hopes of old age, illuminated through the protagonist's gaze in the novel, were to become reality, the world would truly be a place worth living. The author prides himself on having discerned the unique difficulty of novel writing among various literary genres. He hopes that this work, based on his research, will be approved by readers as a novel.

Lee Su-jeong's "Corn Cotton Duvet" is based on the author's real-life experience of having stayed in a gosiwon (a tiny, low-cost room) for a month. The author claims to have confirmed the essence of embracing existence in a gosiwon. This is because a gosiwon was a place where one couldn't endure without embracing it. In the very small space of a gosiwon, everything one needs is there: a bed, a desk, and a bathroom. They grip each other, allowing no room for a gap. That's their way of utilizing a tiny space. This is why the author wanted to write about a cotton duvet in midsummer, as it might be the season when "contact" is avoided more than ever.

Jeong Hyun-sang's "Some Original Sin" is a social critique on climate change, inspired by the book "Saving Us." It deals with an aspect of the climate crisis that everyone needs to put their heads together and think about at this time. The book by Katharine Hayhoe, a professor at Texas Tech University and author of "Saving Us," completely changes the reader's perspective on climate change and turns bystanders into participants. The author combined Katharine Hayhoe's insights with memories of Hebden Bridge, a small English town he visited long ago. The author believes that, in some cases, a good message is as important as the completeness of the story. We support the author's future desire to "write a novel that is fun, touching, and has a good message."

Hwang Ju-ri's "Novel, Autobiography" is more akin to a series of connected stories than a single short story, as its plot and characters continuously link and connect to various events and relationships. Thus, this story can be called a literary reflection on the journey of finding "who I am." This novel is a process where the memories of various people surrounding "me" gather to become the memory of one multi-faceted person, or it can be called an autobiography for all of us, confessing that the identities of all others are small parts within us.

Table of Contents

Go Seung-cheol · Natasha Has Arrived / 7
Kim Da-eun · Bebe's Garden / 115
Kim Mi-soo · Just Laughter / 145
Kim Yong-hee · This Side of the World / 173
Song Cheol-bok · Beyond the Rainbow / 213
Lee Su-jeong · Corn Cotton Duvet / 249
Jeong Hyun-sang · Some Original Sin / 281
Hwang Ju-ri · Novel, Autobiography / 313

Afterword for Keungeul Vol. 3 / 337