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Part 4
Author's Note
In the revised edition
The story after that

Another bestseller by Lee Seok-won: "Ordinary Existence."
A unique narrative that you can't put down once you pick it up.
Revised edition includes 'The Story After'

This is another bestseller by Lee Seok-won, following 『Ordinary Existence』, and is the author's second collection of prose.
This book, a unique narrative that combines story and prose, makes it impossible to put down once you pick it up. It has been greatly loved by readers, selling over 300,000 copies since its publication.
This revised edition has further refined the expressions throughout the text of the prose collection published five years ago, added a "story afterward" that was not in the first edition, and updated the cover.


A unique narrative that you can't put down once you pick it up.

After the success of his first book, "Ordinary Existence," author Lee Seok-won published a full-length novel, "Indoor Human," which he had been working on for four years, but it was ignored by readers.
Afterwards, he became troubled by his writing and began writing this book out of the question of why there were long novels but no long essays.
While typical essays are a series of short episodes, this collection of prose takes a unique format in which each book connects to a single story.
Because of this, this new essay, which feels like a long novel, became a hot topic at the time of its publication and was much loved by readers.
And its formal uniqueness still has great appeal, making it a book you can't put down once you pick it up, a book you keep reaching for even after you've already read it.

As we live, we feel a lack of many things, and we live with the anxiety and thirst that comes from that lack.
Perhaps that's why I find myself empathizing with the author's stories, which are inherently flawed. They don't just capture the author's inner voice; they also have a central narrative, allowing me to understand why the author thinks and acts the way they do, allowing me to deeply understand the person.

The protagonist, who is a little more delicate and a little more timid than the ordinary people who appear throughout the book, speaks to himself and to the readers.

“If you feel bad, say you feel bad
If you don't like it, just say no
Why can't you speak?

To those who make you uncomfortable
A person who cannot say no to something that is not true
“He is a clear accomplice in the uncomfortable relationship.”


Meeting the me within me
People meeting people

Author Seok-won began writing novels with great enthusiasm, encouraged by the unexpectedly high popularity of his first book, but the years of hard work left him exhausted.
When I was struggling with a big assignment called a deadline but couldn't write, I met a person named Kim Jeong-hee.
She met him purely out of curiosity about the main character in a postcard written by an acquaintance, and with the consideration of a psychiatrist, she put Seok-won's mind at ease. He was excited by the feeling of meeting her and the anticipation that he would soon be able to write a book if he had someone by his side to support him.

“When people meet, the world meets the world.
So when I meet someone, I hope that their world will be broad.
I wish I was someone who had a lot to look into.
“I wish I had someone with a lot to share.”

But since there is no such thing as an easy relationship without a price in this world, that meeting also had its own shadow.


Revised edition includes 'The Story After'

This book is a revised and expanded edition of 『Words That Are Good to Hear Anytime』, which sold over 300,000 copies and became a hot topic.
The author meticulously refined the expressions throughout the text to reflect the changing times, and added a 'story afterward' at the end that was not included in the first edition.
This collection of essays shares the same principle as the author's other books: it 'details the inner world and daily life of humans,' but the way it unfolds the story is completely different.
Unlike other essays that list various episodes or express one's thoughts, this book harmoniously combines a single story and prose that runs through the entire book, allowing for a better understanding of each character's story.
It's a narrative that seems to say that in order to understand a person, you shouldn't look at just one side of them.
This collection of essays captures the speaker's seemingly timid yet embarrassing honesty, and his sometimes unusual attempts to reveal his uniqueness.
The various stories surrounding a person allow us to see them from various angles, allowing us to see not only their front view, but also their side and back views.

I read the book in one sitting without leaving my seat even once.
As expected, it's so good.
- Reader nr**o4

There are so many passages that pierce my heart, word for word.
As expected, Lee Seok-won is someone you can trust, see, and listen to.
- Reader gg**bs

Your story, and our story.
The aesthetics of subtle self-disclosure.
- Reader reddi**0123

A light read, but one that leaves a lingering impression on your heart - Reader n***y

I thought 『Ordinary Existence』 would be this author's best, but I guess I was wrong.
This book was better.
I fully understand that you worked very hard to write this book.
After I finished reading the book, I sat still for a while.
- Reader Eun**su