Whale

"The narrative in Whale is so engaging, weaving a tale of one person’s journey from humble beginnings to successful entrepreneur. At first, it seems like the simple story of a bricklayer, but it evolves into a saga encompassing the lives of people across different eras in the past century, finally bringing us to the present day. Cheon Myeong-kwan began his career as a film screenwriter, before he made a stunning debut on the literary scene by winning a prestigious Korean award with this novel. He is a natural storyteller whose work captures the essence of Korean magical realism . I’m thrilled that this remarkable novel was nominated for the 2023 International Booker Prize , garnering attention from English language readers."