The Guest

By Hwang Sok-yong, Kyung-Ja Chun (translator), Maya West (translator)

Book cover of The Guest

Book description

Based on actual events, The Guest is a profound portrait of a divided people haunted by a painful past, and a generation's search for reconciliation.
During the Korean War, Hwanghae Province in North Korea was the setting of a gruesome fifty-two day massacre. In an act of collective amnesia the…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The Guest as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In The Guest we hear the voices of the victims of a massacre that took place shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, a massacre blamed on the UN (mostly American) military but actually perpetrated by Koreans on Koreans. To allow us access to the stories of these victims the author uses a ritual in which a practitioner of native Korean spirituality channels the voices of those who have died an unnatural or premature death and who continue to wander in the ether until they are able to communicate their stories to those of us still…

From Bruce's list on Hell Chosŏn.

Want books like The Guest?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Guest.

Browse books like The Guest

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the Korean War, North Korea, and Koreans?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about the Korean War, North Korea, and Koreans.

The Korean War Explore 50 books about the Korean War
North Korea Explore 39 books about North Korea
Koreans Explore 10 books about Koreans