Synopsis
Horrifically bullied by a classmate, a teenaged boy stabs his tormentor to death and is incarcerated. Years later, the boy is a man newly released from prison, now with the power to see across time. The past still weighs heavily on him, but with every future possibility at his fingertips, the man may yet find a way to atone for his actions.
Raised in an unhappy home, a teenaged girl finds companionship in a boy who shares her love of mystery novels. But their relationship is cut short when he is arrested for the murder of the classmate who bullied him. Years later, the girl is a woman who works at a publishing house—where she discovers a submitted manuscript that eerily resembles episodes from her own past.
Her teenaged son murdered by a classmate and forever branded a bully who deserved his end, a mother works tirelessly to clear her child’s name. She hands out flyers, stages protests, and fights for justice, only to be rebuffed. Years later, the mother learns that her son’s murderer has been released from prison. The past still weighs heavily on her, and she cannot rest until wrongs have been righted.
About the Author
Chang Kangmyoung is a newspaper reporter-turned novelist based in Seoul, South Korea. He made his literary debut in 2011 with his first full-length novel The Bleached, which won the 16th Hankyoreh Literary Award. He has since gone on to win multiple literary awards, including the 3rd Jeju Peace Foundation Literary Prize and the 20th Munhakdongne Author Prize. Chang is known for his keen insight into contemporary South Korean society, with many of his novels and short stories dealing with pertinent social issues such as inequality, the treatment of marginalized people, bullying, the education system, youth unemployment, and North Korea.
Accolades
2018 GKL Korea Literature Translation Award Winner (for Slin Jung)
2015 Munhakdongne Author Prize Winner (for Chang Kangmyoung)
“Waning Crescent, or the Way You Remember the World was exceptional—to the point that there was barely any competition in the judging process. My heart ached all the way through the reading experience.”—Kwon Hui-cheol, Literary Critic
“In this book I found a Platonic ideal of a full-length novel, and as a fellow writer I caught myself nursing a hint of jealousy and a great deal of envy towards the author of this work.”—Lee Ki-ho, Author of At Least We Can Apologize
Contact
A complete English translation of this novel is available. Please contact Jackie Yang at the Eric Yang Agency.
Smoking Tigers 