[This Week's Novels] "Start Line" and More

Start Line

This collection brings together one work from each of eight young writers, selected as the piece that best represents each author's literary world. It features Seong Haena, who has attracted intense attention with her collection "Honmono"; Ye Soyeon, who has emerged as a promising talent after sweeping several major literary awards within just three years of her debut; Wi Sujeong, who sensitively explores human desire and the pain it causes with a cold and delicate style; Lee Misang, known for her biting tone and bold forms; and Jeon Hayoung, who incorporates various forms of art into her fiction, among others. The works of all eight writers are gathered in this volume. (Start Line | Seong Haena and seven others)

Aeneid 3

Virgil's epic poem "Aeneid" has been published in a new translation. Following "Aeneid 1," which includes books 1 to 4, and "Aeneid 2," which includes books 5 to 8, this final volume, "Aeneid 3," completes the translation with books 9 to 12. This is the most famous and final work by Virgil, who is regarded as the greatest poet of Rome, and is an epic he wrote over the last eleven years of his life. The poem deals with the history and mythology of the founding of Rome and is still celebrated today as the greatest literary work ever written in Latin. (Written by Virgil | Open Books)

The Thoughts of Dogs and Cats

This is a collection of short stories by eight established writers: Kwon Jiye, Ko Seungcheol, Kim Yonghui, Yang Sunhee, Yoon Sunrye, Yoon Hyeryeong, Lim Hyunseok, and Hwang Joory. The title story, "The Thoughts of Dogs and Cats" by Kwon Jiye, explores the uncertain relationships of uncertain people. It unravels the power dynamics and rules of life in long journeys where strangers meet, fall in love, marry, and build families, interpreting them as a function of time. The work is marked by both humor and deep emotion. (Kwon Jiye and seven others | Saenggakui Chang)

The Last Desire

This is one of Christian Bobin's early works, written in 1980 but unpublished for many years until it was included in Gallimard's "QUARTO" series in 2024. It is a masterpiece that vividly reveals Bobin's unique poetic and fragmentary style, containing profound reflections that arise at the boundary between love and loss, life and death. The work is particularly striking for its form: a poignant monologue from a woman who has chosen suicide, addressed to the one she loved at the threshold of death. (Written by Christian Bobin | 1984BOOKS)