[One Thousand Characters a Day] Author Kim Seol's 'Nan Saeng Cheo Jeom Reading Club' <3>

Editor's NoteWhen it comes to book clubs, there is often a feeling that members must be well-versed in the book, have read a lot, or at least finish reading all the books they agreed upon. The author conveys the relaxed atmosphere of the book club he personally organized, as if telling such people not to even start worrying about those things. He practices what he calls "stumbling reading." No matter how powerful the content of the book is, he often gets lost within it. He stops in the middle of the road, admiring a certain passage or listening intently to an anecdote, forgetting where he was. While wandering like this, he sometimes ends up talking about something other than what he originally intended, and even confuses books he has already read with those he has not yet read. When he is wandering in strange places within the book, other members of the book club help him find his way. Word count: 1063 characters.

Anyone who reads a bit has probably experienced this at least once: encountering a so-called "favorite author." Then, they seek out and read all the books written by that author, practicing what is called "complete works reading." As they meet each work one by one, they come to understand the author's literary growth background and even their writing style.

(Omitted)

Among book club participants, I have seen several people volunteer to do complete works reading alone. But I have never seen anyone follow through to the end. Even though it seems easy, it requires considerable effort and perseverance. From my experience, while complete works reading definitely helps in understanding an author, there were quite a few times when I felt displeased because the publisher seemed to have recklessly released books relying solely on the author's name. After experiencing such cases a few times, I felt that the book selection was not careful enough and lost interest in the complete works reading method.

Since they start with the determination to read all works by this author no matter what, they end up reading even writings they cannot relate to or find uninteresting. It becomes a situation where reading feels like an obligation rather than a pleasure. Therefore, many give up halfway with the complete works reading method.

(Omitted)

I hope people would like authors as much as they like singers and actors. Everyone should have at least one favorite author whose books they make sure to buy and read. I hope people realize that chatting excitedly with someone who shares a love for the same author is one of the most enjoyable things in the world. Maybe I also hold book clubs to talk about my favorite authors. Although I have never met anyone whose favorite author perfectly matched mine, there were people whose tastes were quite similar. When just two such people gather, time flies without notice. Knowing which author someone likes reveals who that person is. It’s similar to how you can understand a person by looking at the friends they hang out with.

Knowing whose complete works reader you are reveals what kind of person you are. Isn’t that ultimately what we want to know? If we clearly define what kind of human we are and what we want, we find answers to why we live and how we should live. This is why reading books leads to self-discovery. That is the true charm of reading and the ultimate joy.

－Kim Seol, <My First Ever Book Club>, Tiramisu The Book, 15,000 KRW