Whale

Translated by Chi-Young Kim

Shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize

A sweeping, multi-generational tale blending fable, farce, and fantasy — a masterpiece of modern fiction perfect for fans of One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Translated by Chi-Young Kim

"A DISTINCTLY KOREAN TAKE ON GREAT EXPECTATIONS." Financial Times

A sweeping, multi-generational tale blending fable, farce and fantasy.

A woman sells her daughter to a passing beekeeper for two jars of honey. A baby weighing fifteen pounds is born in the depths of winter but named "Girl of Spring". A storm brings down the roof of a ramshackle restaurant to reveal a hidden fortune. These are just some of the events that set Myeong-Kwan Cheong's beautifully crafted, wild world in motion.

Set in a remote village in South Korea, Whale follows the lives of its linked characters: Geumbok, who has been chasing an indescribable thrill ever since she first saw a whale crest in the ocean; her mute daughter, Chunhui, who communicates with elephants; and a one-eyed woman who controls honeybees with a whistle.

Brimming with surprises and wicked humour, Whale is an adventure-satire of epic proportions, by one of international literature's the most original voices.