Wikipedia

Cursed Bunny

Cursed Bunny is a 2017 short story collection by Chung Bora and translated by Anton Hur.

Cursed Bunny: Stories
AuthorChung Bora
TranslatorAnton Hur
LanguageEnglish
GenreSpeculative fiction
Publisher아작
Publication date
March 15, 2017
ISBN9791166686665

Overview

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Cursed Bunny consists of ten short stories, each an example of speculative fiction. The stories are:

  1. "The Head"
  2. "The Embodiment"
  3. "Cursed Bunny"
  4. "The Frozen Finger"
  5. "Snare"
  6. "Goodbye, My Love"
  7. "Scars"
  8. "Home Sweet Home"
  9. "Ruler of the Winds and Sands"
  10. "Reunion"

Development history

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Publication history

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Cursed Bunny was originally published in South Korea on March 15, 2017. It was published in the United Kingdom by Honford Star on July 15, 2021.[1] It was published in the United States by Algonquin Books on December 6, 2022.[2]

Reception

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Cursed Bunny received critical acclaim upon release.[3] According to Book Marks, the book received "rave" reviews based on 10 critic reviews with 7 being "rave" and 3 being "positive" and 1 being "mixed".[4]

The New York Times Book Review praised both the diversity of the collection's stories and the translation, complimenting Anton Hur for capturing "the tricky magic of Chung's voice."[5] The Chicago Review of Books was similarly positive, praising the stories for functioning as critiques of greed, sexism, and modernity.[6] Reactor and ArtReview published similar reviews, positively noting the collection's themes and praising Hur's translation.[7][8]

The San Francisco Chronicle positively described each story's concept and themes.[9] The Los Angeles Times noted that some of the stories feel into genre conventions but noted that Chung's use of horror helped subvert expectations and praised her literary approach to writing.[10] Kirkus Reviews described the stories as being both "bleak" and "wise and honest," while Booklist described the collection as being "irresistible."[11][12] Shelf Awareness was also positive, noting that Chung's "gruesome" imagery was used for more than shock value and that the images helped illustrate the stories' anti-capitalist themes.[2]

Upon its release in the United Kingdom, Cursed Bunny was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize.[13] The award was ultimately given to Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree.[14] After being released in the United States, it was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Translated Literature.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Cursed Bunny". The Booker Prizes. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  2. ^ a b Martin, Alice (2022-10-21). "Review: Cursed Bunny". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  3. ^ "Cursed Bunny: Stories". Book Marks. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. ^ "Cursed Bunny: Stories". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  5. ^ Kupersmith, Violet (2022-12-13). "With Bora Chung as Our Guide, We Walk Ourselves Into the Trap". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  6. ^ MacAllen, Ian (2022-12-09). "Greed and Other Monsters in "Cursed Bunny"". Chicago Review of Books. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  7. ^ Murad, Mahvesh (2022-12-06). "Strange, Surreal, and Sometimes Shocking: Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, Translated by Anton Hur". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  8. ^ Churchman, Fi (2022-08-02). "Cautionary Tales of Capitalism: Bora Chung's 'Cursed Bunny' – Review". ArtReview. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  9. ^ Biewald, Connie (2022-11-30). "Review: Trio of fiction in translation opens worlds of strange beauty and startling familiarity". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  10. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (2022-12-09). "In a Korean author's U.S. debut, uncanny pleasures rear their ugly heads". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  11. ^ "Cursed Bunny". Kirkus Reviews. 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  12. ^ Hong, Terry (2021-06-01). "Cursed Bunny". Booklist. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  13. ^ Knight, Lucy (2022-04-07). "International Booker prize shortlist delivers 'awe and exhilaration'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  14. ^ Marshall, Alex (2022-06-01). "Hindi Novel Wins International Booker Prize for the First Time". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  15. ^ Jihae, Lee (2023-10-05). "'Cursed Bunny' is nation's 1st finalist for US Nat'l Book Award". Korea.net. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
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