The Poet

£9.99

The life of a poet becomes a parable of hunger, hope, and the price of beauty. Yi Sang, born into poverty, dreams of becoming a poet. His gift with words leads him down a path of wandering, hunger, and rejection – yet also moments of transcendent vision. Drawing on the real life of nineteenth-century poet Kim Byeong-yeon, Yi Mun-yol creates a work that is at once historical fiction, fable, and a meditation on the burden of art itself.

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SKU: 9781529986112 Category: Tag: Publisher/imprint : Vintage Classics
Page count : 176
Published on 2nd July, 2026

Description

The life of a poet becomes a parable of hope in Yi Mun-yol’s searching novella of art, status and selfhood.

With their family condemned as traitors, two young brothers are sent away in disguise to save their lives. One grows up by his wits, accepting what has been lost. The other is set on a different path, shaped by a determination to restore the family’s place in the world. As he wanders in search of recognition as a poet, ambition and survival begin to pull him in opposing directions.

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days

Additional information

Weight 0.148 kg
Dimensions 19.7 × 13 × 1.2 cm
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