Cursed Bunny

The best part about this book is that you cannot place it under any genre, and yet just to simplify it, I put it under a basic genre, that of short stories. These short stories are not just any run-of-the-mill stories though. There is so much more than what meets the eye.Horror, magic realism, supernatural, the weird, folklore blending with the contemporary storytelling, and then of course the literary that slow slips into the prose.Bora Chung’s stories may be bizarre but they after all only reflect the society, we live in. From the loneliness of people that need droids, to the idea of parenthood and self and ultimately how the two interweave, to the exploitation of people in a capitalistic world, each story resonates on different levels.Yes, the stories are grotesque. Yes, the element of horror in these stories is perhaps a little more, and yes, some narratives may seem similar than most – the bottom-line being, Chung’s stories also work, because of the exquisite translation by Anton Hur.The stories could’ve fallen flat to their face in English if it weren’t for the translator, given the landscape in which they are set. Each story is heavily nuanced, and culturally unique to the place, and that to translate to English, so readers get it all, is the work of an expert, which Anton is. No word seems out of place, nothing jarring in a sentence, and the emotions remain the same. Where I had to feel horror, I did. Where I had to feel pity, I did.Cursed Bunny is all about placing the overlooked and the ignored at the center of things. From monsters to androids to ghosts to sometimes what comes out of us as well is exaggerated and placed in contexts for all to see, in all its glory or not.

"… If I could make a wish I want to be just a little happierIf I become too happy I will miss sadness."~Cursed Bunny by Bora ChungImagine a figure made of feces calling you 'mother'? Or imagine you get pregnant because of excessive use of contraceptive pills? Or even better you fall in love with an AI bot? Isn't it just so hard to digest and absolutely bizarre?It's not every day that you come across a book that is termed 'Genre Defying'. Cursed Bunny was termed exactly like this. This book comprises ten short stories. Each story is as disturbing 'disturbing' can get. But there was also something comforting that made me read these stories until the end.Bora Chung describes complex human emotions of jealousy, anger, and infidelity in a very twisted and enchanting way. The stories are short and precise and just so bizarre that you end up reading them until the end. Though some might find it quite repelling, I think that this book is quite interesting if you can get past all the unsettlingness that the book radiates. A book that's an amazing blend of magical realism, Sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. I think Anton Hur has done a brilliant job in translating this interesting piece of Korean literature.

रस निष्पत्ति - भयानक😰, वीभत्स😖 (in readers)भाव निर्मिति - भय😨, जुगुप्सा😖( in characters)Perfect collection of stories for a world where the inverted colors of cover page remind you of inverted mindsets of today- The Head is a peculiar story, where this woman gets sucked into the hole of the Pot (Life), where excreta has life of its own- What is to embody a female & its complexities? A woman getting pregnant despite taking pills & then searching for a father to further proper growth of the child. Such a satirical take on how a woman, whole sole vessel to bear a child, most of the time has no choice to be 1 or not. She is the primary nurturer but Society believes "If you want a normal child, you’ll do whatever it takes to find a father”- Title story is such a horrific account of how human emotion of Revenge, greed has found it's forever place in human heart, much like the Snake of Eden- Frozen Finger story claustrophobes you, where you encounter the last few moments of a woman trapped in a sinking car. But wait who is there with her- Snare is most ghastly account of human greed. We all have heard the story of Golden Goose, but what shape will greed take, when today's man finds a Golden Goose or Golden Child- A story like Goodbye, my love, is terrific crossover of Klara and the Sun with the world of Stephen King- The longest story Scars emulates the scars on human heart created by the constant betrayals faced in this world of Give & Take. A boy who escapes from the inhumane clutches of a monster to turn into 1- Home sweet home, a dark piece takes you into deep dark dungeons of loneliness of a woman's heart who wishes for a child- Ruler of the wind & Sands reminds you of Arabian tales in structure but the crux of the story mirrors the extent of human greed- The ghosts of Reunion story, just might give you a reason to have a sleepless night, so that you can pick another book to read😉Author's story narration is so powerful that you can clearly correlate it to today's war ravaged world. Translation is super smooth

A very strange, scary but never the less thought provoking set of stories each with a moral behind them.Covering subjects such as beauty, pregnancy and child birth, consumerism, love, revenge, every action has a reaction and the meaning of life itself.My favourite story Home Sweet Home. A modern take on your classic haunted house. Some stories are purely fantastical in nature while others are slightly more realist. None of these are for kids. Proceed with caution.

Excellent, everything about this is amazing.

Bora Chung's imagination is truly amazing. She takes a piece of well-known reality and changes it into something totally new and ... weird! Reading her stories is eye-opening in that respect that unexpectedly, you're impelled to think of normal stuff in completely new context and this widens your experience and reception of reality. Personally, I devoured this book long before it got its nomination, and now I'm keeping my fingers crossed for it to win the International Booker Prize. The competition is tough, though. In my opinion "Cursed Bunny" is one of those books that gives you pleasure while reading, stays with you for a long time and enriches you as a human being. Bizarre, but in the good sense!

Recibí el libro en perfectas condiciones. Sin embargo, mientras lo leía, empezaron a desprenderse las páginas del lomo del libro. De 115 que llevo leídas, se habrán caído unas 55. La calidad es pésima.

One of the most astounding and promising debuts I have read in recent years. These beautiful and terrifying stories will keep expanding inside me.