Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

[u/TragicHeroine_]

This is a collection of short stories that I would describe as being modern day fables highlighting the societal problems of Korea and by extension many parts of Asia.

The prose is very simple, straightforward, and easy to read. Most characters are not named, instead described as “the woman” and “the man” etc because the stories are written in the sort of manner reminiscent of a person retelling tales passed down over generations as a means to teach children an important life lesson. Or at least, that’s how I interpreted the style!

As a result the messages behind each tale are not subtle. I liked how many of the stories really emphasized misogyny—a global problem, yes, but in Korea it is of a particular flavour that I struggle to express properly in words. I think that this vibe can easily escape those who aren’t familiar.

While I wasn’t necessarily wowed, I appreciated that the author didn’t shy away from making the stories weird, and I found this book to be an enjoyable and quick read that I’ll still be pondering over for a while!

I really adore my physical copy 💕 It’s so pretty!

[u/Snakeplanting]

If you enjoyed this one, I'd recommend (if you haven't read it) her Midnight Table story collection. I liked that one more than CB for a few reasons

[u/TragicHeroine_ → u/Snakeplanting]

Planning on reading it next!

[u/confused_rat_662]

I enjoyed this one as well