The first book
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Description
Book Introduction
The 8th Jaum and Moeum Youth Literature Award Grand Prize Winner
The first book I found after playing hide and seek
Only the chosen ones can read it!
The Jaum and Moeum Youth Literature Award, which has presented diverse and interesting stories each time, is now in its 8th year, starting with "The Shop That Sells Time," which has sold over hundreds of thousands of copies and is considered a great achievement in youth literature.
This year's winning work is Lee Min-hang's full-length novel, "The First Book."
The author travels through time over 2,000 years, presenting the 'first book' that mankind created, the people who pursued it, and the imagination of how history was created through the first book.
The judges praised the work, saying that it was an interesting and fresh work rarely seen in existing youth literature, as it transformed the "old material" of a book into a mystery and fantasy that traveled through time and space.
This novel was selected because it is a genre of fake fiction that fits well with the literary award's nature of demanding newness and challenge.
The protagonist, Yunsu, accidentally discovers a book written by a librarian in a library in Gangwon-do that is about to close. He travels through the various eras contained in the book to find the true meaning of his dream.
The novel is rooted in historical fact, featuring the real-life ancient Library of Alexandria and the Vatican Library, as well as figures who existed during the time the protagonist travels through, such as Thomas More, Erasmus, and Antony.
"The First Book" is a well-balanced blend of mystery, time-space travel, fantasy, and cultural knowledge, allowing readers to experience a variety of enjoyment through the work, as if they were playing a game, watching a movie, or reading a mystery novel.
The first book I found after playing hide and seek
Only the chosen ones can read it!
The Jaum and Moeum Youth Literature Award, which has presented diverse and interesting stories each time, is now in its 8th year, starting with "The Shop That Sells Time," which has sold over hundreds of thousands of copies and is considered a great achievement in youth literature.
This year's winning work is Lee Min-hang's full-length novel, "The First Book."
The author travels through time over 2,000 years, presenting the 'first book' that mankind created, the people who pursued it, and the imagination of how history was created through the first book.
The judges praised the work, saying that it was an interesting and fresh work rarely seen in existing youth literature, as it transformed the "old material" of a book into a mystery and fantasy that traveled through time and space.
This novel was selected because it is a genre of fake fiction that fits well with the literary award's nature of demanding newness and challenge.
The protagonist, Yunsu, accidentally discovers a book written by a librarian in a library in Gangwon-do that is about to close. He travels through the various eras contained in the book to find the true meaning of his dream.
The novel is rooted in historical fact, featuring the real-life ancient Library of Alexandria and the Vatican Library, as well as figures who existed during the time the protagonist travels through, such as Thomas More, Erasmus, and Antony.
"The First Book" is a well-balanced blend of mystery, time-space travel, fantasy, and cultural knowledge, allowing readers to experience a variety of enjoyment through the work, as if they were playing a game, watching a movie, or reading a mystery novel.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Grass Leaf Library, 2016
Library of Alexandria, 185 BC
Library of Alexandria, 642
Vatican Library, 1527
Thomas More Collection, 1881
Again, Grass Library, 1953
Author's Note
References
Library of Alexandria, 185 BC
Library of Alexandria, 642
Vatican Library, 1527
Thomas More Collection, 1881
Again, Grass Library, 1953
Author's Note
References
Detailed image
Into the book
It was only a month ago that the site of the Grass Leaf Library was selected as a new missile base for the US military.
Local residents and those who care about the Grass Library protested the plan by signing a petition, sending it to the National Assembly, and appearing on television.
However, there wasn't much we could do because military facilities, especially US military facilities directly related to national security, were being built.
Some people called the protesting adults communists, and someone even broke the window of the village chief's house with a rock.
Eventually, the adults decided to stop fighting.
There weren't many people who fought to the end just for the library.
--- p.17
“The book rejects it?”
"huh.
That's why the first book is dangerous.
Even if you find the book after playing hide and seek, the first book can only be read by the person you choose.
It's not the reader who chooses the book, it's the book that chooses the reader.
To such a discerning reader, the book tells the story of his own experience, and if he likes it, he keeps reading, but if he doesn't, it swallows his soul in the middle... . . .”
“It’s scary.”
When I made a surprised face, Professor Kwon Young-hye laughed loudly.
--- p.39
The librarians slowly entered, clearing away the pile of stones blocking their way.
When they arrived in front of the palace, they pushed open the heavy stone gate, and when I saw it, I was terrified.
The same scene I saw at the Grass Library was now here in Alexandria! The two libraries were eerily similar, transcending time and space.
All that remained was silence, darkness, and dust.
Grandfather Philoponus touched a pile of rotting, crumbling papyrus and closed his eyes for a moment as if in prayer.
--- p.104
I looked at the hand that had been holding the teacher.
The fever had not yet subsided, but the teacher was not there.
I was relieved that it was all a dream, but I was also frustrated that I couldn't return to reality yet.
Where am I in the book? The first book kept forcing me to read.
Where will the book end? Will I ever be able to return to the teacher? To find out, all I could do was focus on each chapter.
Because I don't want to have the unfortunate incident of being stuck in the past because I couldn't finish reading the book.
--- p.123
The sky was like milk, as if something would pour out at any moment.
While Jim was looking out the carriage window, the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
It was because of a man crossing the street while reading a newspaper.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but William Knox grumbled as he straightened his clothes.
“The world is overflowing with useless letters.
Look over there.
There are only educated people on the street, and they all cross the street slowly, reading something.
What if I get hit by a carriage like that… … .
“I say, the end of the world.”
William Knox said, clicking his tongue.
As he said, the world was overflowing with letters.
The days when knowing how to read or owning books was a guarantee of success, and the days when libraries were symbols of wealth and power are over.
--- p.164
“Yunsoo, I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Can you keep your desire to become a librarian?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if I fail the difficult librarian exam, even if I pass the exam but have nowhere to go, even if I get suddenly fired from my contract job like Jeongmin, even if I only get ten librarians from all over the country…
And even if the library suddenly collapses and the teacher disappears… …can that heart not change?”
I was left speechless by the teacher's sudden question.
--- p.174
Now, it seemed like a fantastic opportunity for Young-hye to decide to become a librarian.
'I suddenly wanted to become a librarian while shells were flying.' It's always cooler when the causal relationship is cut off like this.
"okay.
“You will definitely become a good librarian.”
Yeong-hye smiled happily at my words.
It was the warmest smile I'd ever seen from Young-hye.
Yeong-hye went looking for the first book, but what she found was herself and her dream.
Yeong-hye was already an excellent librarian.
I have never seen a librarian as good as her.
Local residents and those who care about the Grass Library protested the plan by signing a petition, sending it to the National Assembly, and appearing on television.
However, there wasn't much we could do because military facilities, especially US military facilities directly related to national security, were being built.
Some people called the protesting adults communists, and someone even broke the window of the village chief's house with a rock.
Eventually, the adults decided to stop fighting.
There weren't many people who fought to the end just for the library.
--- p.17
“The book rejects it?”
"huh.
That's why the first book is dangerous.
Even if you find the book after playing hide and seek, the first book can only be read by the person you choose.
It's not the reader who chooses the book, it's the book that chooses the reader.
To such a discerning reader, the book tells the story of his own experience, and if he likes it, he keeps reading, but if he doesn't, it swallows his soul in the middle... . . .”
“It’s scary.”
When I made a surprised face, Professor Kwon Young-hye laughed loudly.
--- p.39
The librarians slowly entered, clearing away the pile of stones blocking their way.
When they arrived in front of the palace, they pushed open the heavy stone gate, and when I saw it, I was terrified.
The same scene I saw at the Grass Library was now here in Alexandria! The two libraries were eerily similar, transcending time and space.
All that remained was silence, darkness, and dust.
Grandfather Philoponus touched a pile of rotting, crumbling papyrus and closed his eyes for a moment as if in prayer.
--- p.104
I looked at the hand that had been holding the teacher.
The fever had not yet subsided, but the teacher was not there.
I was relieved that it was all a dream, but I was also frustrated that I couldn't return to reality yet.
Where am I in the book? The first book kept forcing me to read.
Where will the book end? Will I ever be able to return to the teacher? To find out, all I could do was focus on each chapter.
Because I don't want to have the unfortunate incident of being stuck in the past because I couldn't finish reading the book.
--- p.123
The sky was like milk, as if something would pour out at any moment.
While Jim was looking out the carriage window, the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
It was because of a man crossing the street while reading a newspaper.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but William Knox grumbled as he straightened his clothes.
“The world is overflowing with useless letters.
Look over there.
There are only educated people on the street, and they all cross the street slowly, reading something.
What if I get hit by a carriage like that… … .
“I say, the end of the world.”
William Knox said, clicking his tongue.
As he said, the world was overflowing with letters.
The days when knowing how to read or owning books was a guarantee of success, and the days when libraries were symbols of wealth and power are over.
--- p.164
“Yunsoo, I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Can you keep your desire to become a librarian?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if I fail the difficult librarian exam, even if I pass the exam but have nowhere to go, even if I get suddenly fired from my contract job like Jeongmin, even if I only get ten librarians from all over the country…
And even if the library suddenly collapses and the teacher disappears… …can that heart not change?”
I was left speechless by the teacher's sudden question.
--- p.174
Now, it seemed like a fantastic opportunity for Young-hye to decide to become a librarian.
'I suddenly wanted to become a librarian while shells were flying.' It's always cooler when the causal relationship is cut off like this.
"okay.
“You will definitely become a good librarian.”
Yeong-hye smiled happily at my words.
It was the warmest smile I'd ever seen from Young-hye.
Yeong-hye went looking for the first book, but what she found was herself and her dream.
Yeong-hye was already an excellent librarian.
I have never seen a librarian as good as her.
--- p.221
Publisher's Review
A seventeen year old boy who dreams of becoming a librarian
A fantastic adventure that transcends time and space!
Yunsu, who lives alone with his father after his parents divorced a few years ago, relies on and follows the librarian at Pullip Library, Ms. Kwon Young-hye.
I naturally want to become a great librarian like my teacher, but it seems like I still have a long way to go.
In addition, the Grass Leaf Library is facing closure as the area around the library has been designated as a missile base.
While helping his teacher organize the remaining books in the ruined library, he discovers a part of 『The Great Library and the Lost Books』, which his teacher had written before.
Then, you enter the 'secret room' built to store books, and there, you are chosen by the 'first book' and travel to the past that unfolds within the book.
Yunsu, who had been on a life-threatening adventure in search of the first book while traveling through Alexandria, Egypt, Rome and Venice, Italy, and London, England, came to the mountains of Gangwon-do, where the Korean War was in full swing, in pursuit of the first book.
There, he encounters a young girl named Kwon Young-hye and learns that there was a time in the past when the teacher also had a dream as fervently as he did.
Yunsu realizes that what is truly important is not the first book itself, but his own ceaseless steps toward his dream.
Every time Yunsu resolves a conflict in the past events shown in the first book, he recalls his past experiences.
That is, it is about resolving past wounds and doubts through present experiences.
In doing so, you naturally reflect on yourself and through this, you gain the driving force to move forward toward your dreams.
Weaving real events and fiction together as warp and weft
A mystery brought to life!
The first book is said to be the first book created by mankind and to contain forbidden knowledge.
It has its own will, so its content is not fixed, and even if someone finds the book after playing hide-and-seek, he can only continue reading if he is chosen by the book.
You can follow in the footsteps of past characters to find the first book, or you can enter the body of a past character and unfold a different story.
In other words, the nature of the first book can be said to be similar to the rules of a board game.
The various constraints in the work present Yunsu with trials, but Yunsu overcomes them and grows to the fullest, and by the end of the story, he discovers the true meaning of his dreams.
The novel weaves real history and fictional fantasy like warp and weft throughout the characters and events.
In line with this trajectory, various devices were also placed to make the reader feel like he or she is actually participating in the adventure in the book.
In the chaos where present and history intersect, Yunsu begins a journey to return to his true self.
Look at the people in history and cross them with your present self, and look into your past through them.
The first book is a novel that is as much about seeing as it is about looking.
Readers can quickly read the story through to the end, but they can also read slowly, picking out hidden meanings and elements here and there.
With its wealth of fascinating insights, it will appeal not only to young readers but also to history buffs, bibliophiles, librarians, and those working in the fields of history, library science, and information science.
The well-written entertainment novel that young people have been waiting for!
“Books, libraries… the glorious return of old words!”
"The First Book" fits well with the nature of the youth literature award, which demands newness and challenge.
This work combines various genres, including mystery, space-time travel, fantasy, and cultural knowledge.
I hope that this will be enough to break the prejudice of young people who say that books are boring and turn a blind eye to them.
Readers can enjoy a variety of fun from this book, whether they are playing a game, watching a movie, or reading a mystery novel.
"The First Book" is a well-written entertainment novel that many young people have been waiting for.
Just as the protagonist, Yunsu, finds the answer to why he wants to become a librarian while searching for his first book, readers can ask themselves questions as they journey into books with Yunsu.
Just as Yunsu went back in time to erase himself and become a new person, readers can become Yunsu and become a character who became Yunsu again while reading the book.
Just as "The First Book" broke the mold of existing youth literature, I hope it will become an axe that breaks the frozen inner sea of young readers.
Judges: Lee Sang-kwon (novelist), Kim Hye-jeong (novelist), Bang Min-ho (critic, professor of Korean literature at Seoul National University)
A fantastic adventure that transcends time and space!
Yunsu, who lives alone with his father after his parents divorced a few years ago, relies on and follows the librarian at Pullip Library, Ms. Kwon Young-hye.
I naturally want to become a great librarian like my teacher, but it seems like I still have a long way to go.
In addition, the Grass Leaf Library is facing closure as the area around the library has been designated as a missile base.
While helping his teacher organize the remaining books in the ruined library, he discovers a part of 『The Great Library and the Lost Books』, which his teacher had written before.
Then, you enter the 'secret room' built to store books, and there, you are chosen by the 'first book' and travel to the past that unfolds within the book.
Yunsu, who had been on a life-threatening adventure in search of the first book while traveling through Alexandria, Egypt, Rome and Venice, Italy, and London, England, came to the mountains of Gangwon-do, where the Korean War was in full swing, in pursuit of the first book.
There, he encounters a young girl named Kwon Young-hye and learns that there was a time in the past when the teacher also had a dream as fervently as he did.
Yunsu realizes that what is truly important is not the first book itself, but his own ceaseless steps toward his dream.
Every time Yunsu resolves a conflict in the past events shown in the first book, he recalls his past experiences.
That is, it is about resolving past wounds and doubts through present experiences.
In doing so, you naturally reflect on yourself and through this, you gain the driving force to move forward toward your dreams.
Weaving real events and fiction together as warp and weft
A mystery brought to life!
The first book is said to be the first book created by mankind and to contain forbidden knowledge.
It has its own will, so its content is not fixed, and even if someone finds the book after playing hide-and-seek, he can only continue reading if he is chosen by the book.
You can follow in the footsteps of past characters to find the first book, or you can enter the body of a past character and unfold a different story.
In other words, the nature of the first book can be said to be similar to the rules of a board game.
The various constraints in the work present Yunsu with trials, but Yunsu overcomes them and grows to the fullest, and by the end of the story, he discovers the true meaning of his dreams.
The novel weaves real history and fictional fantasy like warp and weft throughout the characters and events.
In line with this trajectory, various devices were also placed to make the reader feel like he or she is actually participating in the adventure in the book.
In the chaos where present and history intersect, Yunsu begins a journey to return to his true self.
Look at the people in history and cross them with your present self, and look into your past through them.
The first book is a novel that is as much about seeing as it is about looking.
Readers can quickly read the story through to the end, but they can also read slowly, picking out hidden meanings and elements here and there.
With its wealth of fascinating insights, it will appeal not only to young readers but also to history buffs, bibliophiles, librarians, and those working in the fields of history, library science, and information science.
The well-written entertainment novel that young people have been waiting for!
“Books, libraries… the glorious return of old words!”
"The First Book" fits well with the nature of the youth literature award, which demands newness and challenge.
This work combines various genres, including mystery, space-time travel, fantasy, and cultural knowledge.
I hope that this will be enough to break the prejudice of young people who say that books are boring and turn a blind eye to them.
Readers can enjoy a variety of fun from this book, whether they are playing a game, watching a movie, or reading a mystery novel.
"The First Book" is a well-written entertainment novel that many young people have been waiting for.
Just as the protagonist, Yunsu, finds the answer to why he wants to become a librarian while searching for his first book, readers can ask themselves questions as they journey into books with Yunsu.
Just as Yunsu went back in time to erase himself and become a new person, readers can become Yunsu and become a character who became Yunsu again while reading the book.
Just as "The First Book" broke the mold of existing youth literature, I hope it will become an axe that breaks the frozen inner sea of young readers.
Judges: Lee Sang-kwon (novelist), Kim Hye-jeong (novelist), Bang Min-ho (critic, professor of Korean literature at Seoul National University)
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: June 14, 2019
- Page count, weight, size: 240 pages | 344g | 142*206*15mm
- ISBN13: 9788954439862
- ISBN10: 8954439861
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