Whilst the writing is often comedic, the tone is a philosophical one, with a twist of nostalgia and melancholy. The book is a classic in Korean literature, and this translation, though making the Booker Longlist, is not the first into English.

Alina and Laura are old friends whose relationship is based on eschewing procreation as the be all and end all. It’s a perspective that gets increasingly complicated through pregnancy, birth, loss, a growing intimacy with the troubled son of a neighbour, unexpected resilience, the “birthing” process of writing a thesis and gradual drifting apart with a mother. The book was described by the FT as a ‘distinctly Korean take on Great Expectations’. What do you think is meant by this statement, and do you agree? The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Partners Kim, who is based in Los Angeles, has translated over a dozen books including Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Look After Mom,” which won her the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011. Whale' is a shining example of the power of literature to shorten the distance between far-flung cultures,” said Europa Editions.Whalegives new meaning to the generation-spanning epic. Cheon expertly inserts metafictional jousts into his stirring prose, sardonically toying with our need for narrative even as he explores his characters’ lives with heartfelt urgency. Wonderfully translated by Kim,Whaleis an intricate work of art with unexpected riches.”— YZ Chin, author of Edge Case

Whale," a story of an ambitious woman making something of herself in the world, was among the 13 preliminary nominations that were announced by the organizer on Tuesday. Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan, who is also a film-maker, is translated from Korean by Chi-Young Kim. It is a collection of stories about the lives of linked characters in a remote village in South Korea. A spry, cunning work of invigorated tale-telling. Cheon Myeong-kwan harnesses the ferociously erratic flow of shared narratives, embracing their natural disposition toward salacious detail at every turn. Whale is a billowing, boundless novel. He would sip coffee and change the subject, saying something like, ‘But don’t you think the judges for the most recent literary award made such a conservative choice? I of course concede that the author is wonderful.’”

Advance Praise

One of the narrator's favourite refrains after an instructive passage is "That was the law of ..." and the list of Laws quoted gives a good flavour of the novel: Why didn’t the violence bother me as much? Was it my internalized sexism? Was it my affinity for romanticizing Korea’s history and culture? Was I truly comfortable with the way the women were written? By a man? I work at home. There’s nothing special about my work space; it’s just a typical Korean apartment. I just happen to write at the kitchen table instead of the study because I can easily make myself coffee.