Details
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9782360573776
Collection: Monde coréen
16.5 x 20 cm
Weight: 335 gr
Pages: 240
First publication: 20/09/2023
I am a kisaeng constitutes one of the very rare accounts of the lives of these courtesans, their desires, their dreams and their frustrations. Due to their number and their role, the kisaeng nevertheless occupied an important place in Korean society until the beginning of the 20th century. Their contribution to cultural life — music, dance and literature — was unparalleled. This work is composed of Sosurok, a collection of poetic works in which the kisaeng express themselves in their name, and various documents, also very enlightening, written about these women and coming from university funds and private collections. Annotated and commented by Jung Byung Sul, these documents allow us to hear the voices of the courtesans of the Chosŏn dynasty (until 1910); They depict their states of mind and their aspirations. Their complaints are based on a very simple idea: a kisaeng is also a human being. If they emphasize this evidence, it is because the world in which they live ignores or denies their humanity. Their cries are not only aimed at men, but also at other women. Jung Byung Sul is a professor of Korean literature at Seoul National University and a specialist in novels from the Chosŏn period.
buyPRESS REVIEW
"... Je suis une kisaeng offers a unique perspective on the lives of these influential women in Korean history. ..."
CONTRIBUTORS' BIOGRAPHIES
Jung Byung-sul
JUNG Byung-sul received his PhD from Seoul National University in 1997. He is currently Professor in the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Seoul National University. His main research subject is the novels under the Choson dynasty. His current research focuses on how Koreans perceive Korean culture in relation to China. He previously carried out research at the Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University (2002) and the Center for Korean Studies, UC Berkeley (2007-2008).
Jeong Eun Jin
JEONG Eun Jin is a lecturer at the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (Inalco). In collaboration with Jacques BATILLIOT, she has translated numerous Korean literary texts into French. These include works by Hwang Sok-yong (Zulma, Serge Safran éditeur), Shin Kyung-sook (Philippe Picquier), Han Kang (Le Serpent à plumes) and Hwang Jungeun (Zoe).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Foreword.
The look and voice of the kisaeng
FIRST PART.
THE LIFE OF A KISAENG
I.| The life of Myŏngsŏn, a kisaeng of Haeju
Being born as a woman
Becoming a kisaeng
Enjoying kisaeng life
Make a name for yourself
Finally meeting love
Hearing the news of the separation
The time has come for separation
The four seasons thinking of my beloved
One year, twelve months, thinking of the beloved
My beloved that everything reminds me of
At night I miss my beloved
I worry about my mother
The loyalty I want to show to my beloved
Loyalty that does not give in, even in front of the new governor
My mother again
The birth of a little Seoulite
Called to Seoul
To my mother
The road to Seoul
The joy of reunion
To friends
II.| Kunsanwŏl's lament
Undo your hair
The loyalty of a kisaeng
Meeting with Advisor Kim
Release of Councilor Kim
Leaving your parents
Advisor Kim's Betrayal Kunsanwŏl's sighs
III.| Concubine, what a pitiful fate!
The pitiful fate of a concubine
The delicate situation of the concubine
Relations with husband
In conclusion
IV.| The song of an old kisaeng
Being sold as kisaeng
Become a famous kisaeng
The song of an old kisaeng
Listen to me, my young sisters
second part
THE KISAENG GAMES
I.| How to have fun in a kisaeng house
How to enter a kisaeng house
How to pick up a quarrel
How to interview a beginner kisaeng
How to humiliate a kisaeng and her pimp
II.| A party at kisaeng
Leaving the man from Seoul to the Kŭm River
Tan’ga
Hwasan’gyo ka
Floating a boat on West Lake under the July full moon
III.| The kisaeng register
Haeju kisaeng roll call register
third part
THE VIEW OF KISAENG, THE VIEW OF KISAENG
I.| Five types of men seen by a kisaeng
A male critique of kisaeng
The opulent life of kisaeng
The achievements of the kisaeng in history
The loyalty of courtesans in history
The usefulness of a kisaeng
The miserable life of man
Know thyself
Aebu
Chŏngbu
Mimang
Hwagan
Ch’iae
The best is a rich man
Nothing beats the game of kisaeng
But don't dive too deep!
II.| Kisaeng, a vixen or a treasure?
A kisaeng is a treacherous thing
A kisaeng is a treasure under the sky
III.| The body of a kisaeng
The sadness of growing old
The look of a dancing kisaeng
fourth part
KISAENG AND CORRESPONDENCE
I.| Die of your heartache!
The man's letter
The kisaeng's response
II.| Take me !
The marriage proposal of a kisaeng from Ch’ŏngju
Songs of heartache in the form of sijo
Man's response
III.| Meet like lightning and part like lightning
Meeting in foreign lands
The joy of meeting
Separate forever
IV.| Saying love through sijo
The enemy is the one who is the originator of love
Who will extinguish the fire in this heart?
ANNEX. THE KISAENG UNDER CHOSON
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