- Overview
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This book tells the story of Modern Boy, a top romanticist in colonial Joseon.
- Book Intro
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This book won the 5th Munhakdongne Writer Award in 2000. During the time of Japanese colonial rule in the 1930s, the darkest part of Korean history, Lee Hae-myeong works at the Japanese Government-General of Korea in Gyeongseong due to his pro-Japanese father's influence. He claims that his work at the Japanese Government-General of Korea is aiding in his country's fight for independence because a fortune-teller tells him that, as he has a bad luck, every company he works for will go bust. The self-described romanticist meets a sweet modern girl named Jo Nan-sil by chance and enjoys brief moments of bliss on dates with her.
Then, one day, Nan-sil disappears, taking everything of value from Hae-myeong's boarding house. She leaves nothing but her own overdue rent for Hae-myeong. In his search for Nansil, Hae-myeong discovers that not only does Nan-sil have a terrorist husband nicknamed Terror Park, she has more than ten aliases and is the head of an underground independence movement.
This is the original novel upon which the 2008 film Modern Boy, starring Park Hae-il and Kim Hye-soo, was based.
- About the Author
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Lee Jimin
Lee Jimin made her literary debut in 2000 with her novel The Modern Boy: Can You Make It without Being Ruined or Dying? winning the 5th Munhakdongne Author Award. Lee has also written the novel Do Not Be Frustrated and the story collection He Asks Me to See Him Home.
