Still, I smiled very prettily
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Description
Book Introduction
Until we meet again after traveling halfway around the world,
Walking, writing, and thinking finally filled me up
Revisiting author Bong Hyeon's essay, "I Laughed Very, Prettily," after 13 years
The illustrated essay 『And Still, I Smiled Very Prettily』 by Bong Hyeon, who has been loved for several essays that delicately capture everyday life through words and pictures, such as 『Neat Repetition Will Save Me』 and 『I Don't Need a Pillow, Because I Have You』, has been published.
This book, which meticulously captures the landscapes and self-image encountered during a world travel by the author in her mid-twenties, who had not found meaning in life, offers a firm message of encouragement that anyone can live as themselves, anywhere, during a time of wandering that we all experience.
“The belief that I can live for myself in any world.
“That means that I can definitely live in the place I left.”
Walking, writing, and thinking finally filled me up
Revisiting author Bong Hyeon's essay, "I Laughed Very, Prettily," after 13 years
The illustrated essay 『And Still, I Smiled Very Prettily』 by Bong Hyeon, who has been loved for several essays that delicately capture everyday life through words and pictures, such as 『Neat Repetition Will Save Me』 and 『I Don't Need a Pillow, Because I Have You』, has been published.
This book, which meticulously captures the landscapes and self-image encountered during a world travel by the author in her mid-twenties, who had not found meaning in life, offers a firm message of encouragement that anyone can live as themselves, anywhere, during a time of wandering that we all experience.
“The belief that I can live for myself in any world.
“That means that I can definitely live in the place I left.”
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
prolog
seoul
Berlin
farm
europe
fly
First Camino
Middle East
Second Camino
Finisterre
India
Nepal
Seoul, 2012
Epilogue
seoul
Berlin
farm
europe
fly
First Camino
Middle East
Second Camino
Finisterre
India
Nepal
Seoul, 2012
Epilogue
Detailed image
Into the book
It was okay.
But I wasn't happy
--- p.17 From "Seoul"
I wanted to run away.
To a place where no one knows me, to a place where I am not myself.
From old, rotting habits and the problems and worries that constantly plague me.
I wanted to reset everything and start fresh.
I wanted to leave.
I thought the more unfamiliar the place, the better
--- p.18 From "Seoul"
I try to make an effort, be wise, not hurt others, not be impatient, solve problems wisely, and not create things I will regret, but it is not easy.
--- p.30 From "Berlin"
In fact, the moments when I feel lonely and desolate are not when I am alone, but when I feel alone among many people.
--- p.63 From "Europe"
I lived in Paris for a couple of months, walking silently along the Seine, visiting art galleries, and looking at the Eiffel Tower.
When did time pass so quickly?
The occasional emails asking for my well-being have become less frequent, and now I can't even think of anyone who would be curious about my news.
So you can go further, anytime.
Because it doesn't matter where you are.
Because you can live like this anywhere.
--- p.119 From "Paris"
You don't walk to the end of the road.
Walking the road itself was important.
The end of the road we walked together was ultimately alone.
Still, it seems like we're walking together.
I haven't been lonely since some time ago.
--- p.164 From "The First Camino"
It's nice to be able to live well with just what I have.
I want to continue this kind of journey.
--- p.205 From "The Middle East"
Where should I go, who am I?
I walk along the road with this short and simple question in my mind.
Maybe I can ask someday.
How was your trip? Were your steps happy?
--- p.240 From "The Second Camino"
In fact, everyone in the world is a traveler, and everyone may be traveling.
There is not much difference between a place you stay for a long time and a place you just pass by.
Just being there makes it a part of life.
Even though I can't go back there.
--- p.301 From "India"
I asked myself countless questions on this journey, but everything I was searching for was inside me.
And in the end, only I could find it.
--- p.341 From "Nepal"
Although he left saying he would not return, he eventually returned and is continuing his life as if the two-year hiatus had never happened.
When I came back, it was still a difficult and daunting place.
But when I think back to that time, I strangely feel courageous and strong.
Even though I still get hurt, I now know how to heal.
I was able to have heartfelt conversations and love someone.
I've been trying to understand life and have learned how to enjoy a lot with just a little.
--- p.346 From "2012, Seoul"
I want to tell my story to someone who is wandering somewhere right now like I was back then.
Because I lost myself and went out to find myself, I was able to find myself in the end.
If you want to leave, follow your decision at any time, and if you want to go back and go deeper, never be afraid.
Above all, I hope you are there wherever you are.
But I wasn't happy
--- p.17 From "Seoul"
I wanted to run away.
To a place where no one knows me, to a place where I am not myself.
From old, rotting habits and the problems and worries that constantly plague me.
I wanted to reset everything and start fresh.
I wanted to leave.
I thought the more unfamiliar the place, the better
--- p.18 From "Seoul"
I try to make an effort, be wise, not hurt others, not be impatient, solve problems wisely, and not create things I will regret, but it is not easy.
--- p.30 From "Berlin"
In fact, the moments when I feel lonely and desolate are not when I am alone, but when I feel alone among many people.
--- p.63 From "Europe"
I lived in Paris for a couple of months, walking silently along the Seine, visiting art galleries, and looking at the Eiffel Tower.
When did time pass so quickly?
The occasional emails asking for my well-being have become less frequent, and now I can't even think of anyone who would be curious about my news.
So you can go further, anytime.
Because it doesn't matter where you are.
Because you can live like this anywhere.
--- p.119 From "Paris"
You don't walk to the end of the road.
Walking the road itself was important.
The end of the road we walked together was ultimately alone.
Still, it seems like we're walking together.
I haven't been lonely since some time ago.
--- p.164 From "The First Camino"
It's nice to be able to live well with just what I have.
I want to continue this kind of journey.
--- p.205 From "The Middle East"
Where should I go, who am I?
I walk along the road with this short and simple question in my mind.
Maybe I can ask someday.
How was your trip? Were your steps happy?
--- p.240 From "The Second Camino"
In fact, everyone in the world is a traveler, and everyone may be traveling.
There is not much difference between a place you stay for a long time and a place you just pass by.
Just being there makes it a part of life.
Even though I can't go back there.
--- p.301 From "India"
I asked myself countless questions on this journey, but everything I was searching for was inside me.
And in the end, only I could find it.
--- p.341 From "Nepal"
Although he left saying he would not return, he eventually returned and is continuing his life as if the two-year hiatus had never happened.
When I came back, it was still a difficult and daunting place.
But when I think back to that time, I strangely feel courageous and strong.
Even though I still get hurt, I now know how to heal.
I was able to have heartfelt conversations and love someone.
I've been trying to understand life and have learned how to enjoy a lot with just a little.
--- p.346 From "2012, Seoul"
I want to tell my story to someone who is wandering somewhere right now like I was back then.
Because I lost myself and went out to find myself, I was able to find myself in the end.
If you want to leave, follow your decision at any time, and if you want to go back and go deeper, never be afraid.
Above all, I hope you are there wherever you are.
--- p.355 From "Epilogue"
Publisher's Review
The writer Bong Hyeon, who is much loved for his delicate writing and drawings,
Revisiting "I Smiled Very, Prettily" after 13 years
“This story is my story from 13 years ago.
Looking back, I looked back at the twenty or so sketchbooks I had left behind during my two years of wandering the world, a time of glittering reunion that will never be repeated again in my life, and refined my writing and drawings.
Because I was there then, I am who I am now.
“I hope that you, who read this book, can remember a certain period of your life and live in the present as yourself, wherever you are.”_「Prologue」(p. 5)
The debut work of Bong Hyeon, a writer who has been much loved for his essays that express everyday fragments with delicate writing and illustrations, such as 『Neat Repetition Will Save Me』 and 『I Don't Need a Pillow, Because I Have You』, has returned to us after 13 years and has been published in a completely revised edition.
The story that made Bong-Hyeon the writer he is today begins with the author's reckless journey around the world in his mid-20s.
During those times when the author believed he had nothing, he drew the scenery he saw and his own appearance in over twenty sketchbooks to prove his existence.
This book, which captures the travel destinations more vividly than photographs and captures even the darkest raw emotions, sparked a "pilgrimage fever" and made the author's name known to the world.
Now, 13 years later, the author, now a mid-career freelance writer who no longer has to struggle to prove himself, revisits his old travel stories.
To present a new edition to readers, we are also revealing the original colored illustrations that were not included in the first edition.
The message conveyed by the author, now a solid adult of thirty-seven, is simple.
I have gone through a period of wandering, unable to find the meaning of existence, and am now living solely as myself, so I say that you can do the same.
Berlin, Paris, Santiago, Egypt, India, Nepal…
Encountered in the middle of an unfamiliar world
About happiness and unhappiness, meeting and parting, joy and sorrow
The author, a college student in his mid-20s who came to Seoul from Busan, hated Seoul.
I was not satisfied with my appearance.
“I wanted to run away.
“To a place where no one knows me, to a place where I am not myself.” So I just bought a plane ticket and left for Berlin.
For nearly two years, I wandered around the world, including Berlin, Paris, Santiago, Egypt, India, and Nepal, walking wherever my feet took me without any plan.
Being in an unfamiliar place didn't change anything.
“I thought that when I left, everything would be a series of new and special things, but in the end, life is just a repetition of the daily routine.” Finally, at the end of the journey, the author realizes this.
“Everything was both unfortunate and happy at the same time.
It was coincidence and fate, fleeting and eternal.
“Fear became experience, and pain became learning.” Because it was the same wherever I was, I gradually gained the confidence that I could survive anywhere.
“It doesn’t matter where you are.
“You can live like this anywhere.”
A collection of detailed records of walking, writing, and drawing among numerous travel destinations.
Still, at the end of that road, I hope you can smile very beautifully.
“Even ordinary daily life is not much different from a trip.
Every day, meeting someone, eating something, and going to sleep is proof that we are alive.
It doesn't matter where it is.
“If I can only cherish it, loneliness, hurt, and emptiness are all just a part of life.”_「Nepal」(p. 342)
Everyone has probably felt anxious at some point because they couldn't figure out why they exist or what the meaning of life was.
You don't necessarily have to go on a trip to gain some insight.
But one thing is certain: no matter where I am, the only one who can find me is me.
This book delivers a powerful message of encouragement, telling us that we are stronger and have a deeper heart than we think.
“More than anything, I want you to be with me wherever you are.”
Revisiting "I Smiled Very, Prettily" after 13 years
“This story is my story from 13 years ago.
Looking back, I looked back at the twenty or so sketchbooks I had left behind during my two years of wandering the world, a time of glittering reunion that will never be repeated again in my life, and refined my writing and drawings.
Because I was there then, I am who I am now.
“I hope that you, who read this book, can remember a certain period of your life and live in the present as yourself, wherever you are.”_「Prologue」(p. 5)
The debut work of Bong Hyeon, a writer who has been much loved for his essays that express everyday fragments with delicate writing and illustrations, such as 『Neat Repetition Will Save Me』 and 『I Don't Need a Pillow, Because I Have You』, has returned to us after 13 years and has been published in a completely revised edition.
The story that made Bong-Hyeon the writer he is today begins with the author's reckless journey around the world in his mid-20s.
During those times when the author believed he had nothing, he drew the scenery he saw and his own appearance in over twenty sketchbooks to prove his existence.
This book, which captures the travel destinations more vividly than photographs and captures even the darkest raw emotions, sparked a "pilgrimage fever" and made the author's name known to the world.
Now, 13 years later, the author, now a mid-career freelance writer who no longer has to struggle to prove himself, revisits his old travel stories.
To present a new edition to readers, we are also revealing the original colored illustrations that were not included in the first edition.
The message conveyed by the author, now a solid adult of thirty-seven, is simple.
I have gone through a period of wandering, unable to find the meaning of existence, and am now living solely as myself, so I say that you can do the same.
Berlin, Paris, Santiago, Egypt, India, Nepal…
Encountered in the middle of an unfamiliar world
About happiness and unhappiness, meeting and parting, joy and sorrow
The author, a college student in his mid-20s who came to Seoul from Busan, hated Seoul.
I was not satisfied with my appearance.
“I wanted to run away.
“To a place where no one knows me, to a place where I am not myself.” So I just bought a plane ticket and left for Berlin.
For nearly two years, I wandered around the world, including Berlin, Paris, Santiago, Egypt, India, and Nepal, walking wherever my feet took me without any plan.
Being in an unfamiliar place didn't change anything.
“I thought that when I left, everything would be a series of new and special things, but in the end, life is just a repetition of the daily routine.” Finally, at the end of the journey, the author realizes this.
“Everything was both unfortunate and happy at the same time.
It was coincidence and fate, fleeting and eternal.
“Fear became experience, and pain became learning.” Because it was the same wherever I was, I gradually gained the confidence that I could survive anywhere.
“It doesn’t matter where you are.
“You can live like this anywhere.”
A collection of detailed records of walking, writing, and drawing among numerous travel destinations.
Still, at the end of that road, I hope you can smile very beautifully.
“Even ordinary daily life is not much different from a trip.
Every day, meeting someone, eating something, and going to sleep is proof that we are alive.
It doesn't matter where it is.
“If I can only cherish it, loneliness, hurt, and emptiness are all just a part of life.”_「Nepal」(p. 342)
Everyone has probably felt anxious at some point because they couldn't figure out why they exist or what the meaning of life was.
You don't necessarily have to go on a trip to gain some insight.
But one thing is certain: no matter where I am, the only one who can find me is me.
This book delivers a powerful message of encouragement, telling us that we are stronger and have a deeper heart than we think.
“More than anything, I want you to be with me wherever you are.”
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: April 10, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 356 pages | 508g | 150*200*20mm
- ISBN13: 9791173321542
- ISBN10: 1173321543
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