#Sang Young Park

[samireads]

My December wrap up ☺️🫶🏼

Two of these were rereads 😇

[theboywithnaivety]

“If obsession isn’t love, I have never loved.”

— Sang Young Park, Love in the Big City (translated by Anton Hur)

[lusthurts]

So there was this tiktok I saw in the spring at some point that described this book “Love in the Big City” by Sang Young Park as a book that makes you feel the same as Melodrama by Lorde which is one of my all time favorite albums and probably the only album in the world that has ever made me feel the way that it makes me feel (which tbh is an indescribable feeling that i’ve never been able to articulate, yet it’s so distinct idk)

Anyway, I was so skeptical, but that was the only pitch I needed to order the book immediately. It took me a little bit to get into it, as it does for me with most books, but holy shit. It did make me feel the exact same way as Melodrama, and even though I read it in June, I have not been able to stop thinking about it. It just came to mind again when I was listening to “Hard Feelings/Loveless” and I just had to word vomit about this book.

It’s not super long but details all kinds of love, from parental love to platonic love to toxic love to real and genuine true love while also depicting what it’s like to be a young queer person in a big city (specifically Seoul) coming of age and figuring things out. The characters feel so real and so compelling and relatable and I cannot recommend it enough.

other pitches if you’re not a lorde fan (for some reason):

the song “boys” by hippo campus also has a similar vibe to this book for me

the movie “someone great” on netflix is also the same energy

same with “death by a thousand cuts” by taylor swift

[musingwove]

love in the big city - sang young park

[alen09blog]

想成為一次元

我曾經相信，人生只會朝著一個方向流動。當時的一切都更加容易，也更加簡單，只需要竭力擺脫束縛自己的事物就好，只需要看著前方、卯足全力奔跑就好。然而，無止境奔跑這十多年之後，我所到之處依舊是那個原地。 有些記憶永遠不會變成過去。（頁131）

到目前為止，我看過的書都告訴我，苦難與不幸是為了被克服而存在。孫悟空與哈利波特、娜娜與魯夫，一些堪足以承受的考驗加諸於這些角色身上，而這些試煉不過是為了讓即將到來的幸福更加美麗、更加耀眼的一種裝置。 但是，生活中出現的不幸卻沒有那麼容易克服。它會十分漫長，也許終其一生都會用類似的型態反覆出現。我在相對較小的年紀時，就透過父母學到這件事。（頁308）

我過去一直告訴自己。我不想去感受任何的情緒與感覺，或是任何其他東西，結果真的變成什麼都感覺不到了。對於允道、泰瑞和害怕人生就此墜落的那些苦惱，也在頃刻之間成為過往。 我曾經希冀自己能從一切事物中逃亡，哪怕只有一瞬間也好；在耗盡全身力氣後，不知道從何時起，這些事情就像真的沒有發生過一樣，留在心中的只有一片迷茫。就這樣，這個空缺中再沒有任何有價值的事物。 我只是一直空蕩蕩地，在那個位置上慢慢老去。（頁374）

朴相映《想成為一次元》（1 차원이 되고 싶어）（鄧宸瑋譯）

把書闔上，我也想像紋紋一樣，劈頭問主角：「為什麼是允道？」

閱讀此書可算是全球化意義的文化驗收了。出於世代相近作家之筆（朴相映1988年出生），同處上世紀末東亞四小龍經濟共榮圈的成長脈絡，設定其中人物情節，追憶少年昔日，自然而然，具體而微地，召喚出共享之娛樂文本（哈利波特、春光乍洩、重慶森林、霍爾的移動城堡、NANA、Coldplay、艾薇兒等）、社會模式（出櫃與校園霸凌；出國與跑路）、媒體格式（前SNS年代的部落格書寫、電視與雜誌宰制的大眾流行）等風格型態，我完全能同步而無段差地接收。

故事框架在這樣的格局內，即使是酷兒，自不例外；其特殊意義，因時空條件得以展露。這是一份參照式證詞，書寫與遺忘對抗。一方面重建主角破碎的記憶，一方面揭露傷痛的無所遁形，藉此安慰，彷彿鎮魂——始於老城的重建，在廢棄樂園池中，發現了竹馬泰瑞父親的白骨，末了舉辦四十九齋禱告儀式——這首尾相應的安排是過分聰明的酷兒式書寫，關於主角長久抑壓的罪惡感來由，一場揭露實是建造一條甬道，如此包裹，掩飾同時暗示，嚴密把風得以陳情自訴。

同學熙榮藉由緊迫盯人的觀察（監視），誤打誤撞地道出一個又對又錯的事實，「他從來沒有喜歡過任何人，也不懂什麼是喜歡（頁377）。」不容於世道的情感，主角、允道、泰瑞，膝跳反射般全面護衛自我的保全機制，表面上那樣愛護自己，卻又彷彿能為鏡像般的對象粉身碎骨在所不惜，無非是自信心低落，對自我存在澈底輕視。連自愛都沒有的人，又能如何愛人？

所以，儘管主角與允道的初戀悲哀作結，「一次元世界」自始作為二人約定的生存之道：

如果你跟我連結在一起，就會形成另一條線，也會在窗外創造出另一個世界（頁122）。

只要縮小成一個點，什麼也不是，便無所畏懼；彼此連結，足以抗衡無垠暗夜。作者引為一種酷兒書寫的敘事策略，主角連結起自己的過去與現在，兩點一線，穿過了盤據在天花板牆角「壓迫著我的整個存在（頁130）」的黑影，沿此視線，艱難回望，「彷彿是很久很以前的我，把頭轉向現在的我（頁400）。」終於取得諒解。

......

老實說，我無法釋懷，二度撕掉泰瑞（告白？）信、丟掉泰瑞送的書（《涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱》），甚至推泰瑞去死的主角（！）。

不過，到底是主角還是熙榮，誰更瘋呢？

（頁45提到） Nell - 어차피 그런 거（反正那種事）

[kpopbookshelf]

Check out my latest podcast episode on Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park!

Featuring Radhika and K^2 from the GoGoGayo! podcast!

[queerographies]

[Amore, Marlboro e mirtilli][Sang Young Park]

Young: Alla ricerca dell’alba e dell’amore a Seoul Titolo: Amore, Marlboro e mirtilliScritto da: Sang Young ParkTitolo originale: Love in the Big CityTradotto da: Giulia DonatiEdito da: RizzoliAnno: 2024 Pagine: 240ISBN: 9788817176279 La sinossi di Amore, Marlboro e mirtilli di Sang Young Park A Seoul le notti durano poco. Basta un drink in più, uno sguardo attraverso il bancone del bar, una…

[sseditorialnews]

Explore how two lost souls grasp onto each other in the Big City.

[poetlcs]

love in the big city - sang young park

[samireads]

New purchases

[smittenskitten]

Prince Mu Ahn who recently became a teen dad, also known for his skill of being able to read his mother's mind from the movements of her eyebrows alone

[reuels]

The Glory Episode. 9 (2023) dir. Ahn Gil-ho

[bl-bam-beyond]

Mandatory Military Service Completed. PARK SEO HAM is back in circulation.

In honor of that a Semantic Error APPRECIATION POST

The First Official Meeting of Jae Young & Sang Woo

Semantic Error (2022, SOUTH KOREA)

Chu Sang Woo (PARK JAE CHAN) is an emotionless take no prisoners college student forced to do the work of a group project all alone. The other group members in his phone as FREELOADERS.

One of those freeloaders is Jang Jae Young (PARK SEO HAM) labeled as FREELOADER # 3 and because Sang Woo removing the names of the members of the group project Jae Young has been denied graduation and he wants revenge. Sang Woo avoids him successfully until Sang Woo sets himself up to meet Freeloader # 3 as a designer for his game.

@pose4photoml @lutawolf @kingofthereblog-boysloveed

[alen09blog]

雖然我們已經有過多次性關係，他的身體就像我的身體一樣，我的身體也像他的身體一般，沒有什麼新鮮感，但是兩人的自尊心都很低，且會週期性地產生自殺衝動，學生時期有過被霸凌的經驗，喜歡看藝術電影或書籍，厭惡村上春樹和洪尚秀、法國文學和奧迪（Audi）等共同點，所以彼此都覺得相當特別。 〈在熙〉，朴相映《在熙，燒酒，我，還有冰箱裡的藍莓與菸》（頁50，盧鴻金譯）

素來介意設定，人物塑造縱是輕巧帶過，足以點撥片面又刻骨的情感與意識形態。這般觸及厭惡村上春樹，真是靈敏精緻，瞬間代入。

[stuffnonsenseandotherthings]

So apparently the only version of Love in The Big City to have the original Translator's Note at the end (or at least the only English language version, other language version may have other translators' notes at the end) is the one published by Titled Axis?

That strikes me as a pity and, luckily it seems like Anton Hur agreed with me because here it is, online for all to read:

https://lithub.com/to-all-the-gays-of-seoul-on-translating-sang-young-park/

Reading about why Anton decided to take up translating Park Sang Young into English (and the effort he went to to achieve his goal) was really something and I think their sense of share space and experience explains just why Anton's translations of Park Sang Young are on a whole other level.

"I translated him because no one had told this story before, and it was my story. No writer had ever inhabited the same place at the same time as me, breathing the same air and thinking the same thoughts."

[staydandy]

Sweet Home 2 (2023) - 스위트홈 시즌2 - Whump List

List by StayDandy Synopsis : The residents of Green Home Apartments, who risked their lives through bloody battles against their neighbors-turned-monsters, find themselves at a crossroads for survival. Forced to leave their base and venture out into the world, they join other survivors from all over. They are continuously threatened by the monsters outside and also by the monstrous desires of the people among them. (MDL)

Whumpees : Cha Hyun Soo played by Song Kang (center) • Pyeon Sang Wook / Jung Ui Myeong played by Lee Jin Wook (left) • Park Chan Young played by Jung Jin Young (right)

Country : 🇰🇷 South Korea Genres : Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural

Notes : This is a Full Whump List • Adapted from a webtoon “Sweet Home” (스위트홈) by Kim Carnby (김칸비) and Hwang Young Chan (황영찬) • Season 3 is slated for release Summer 2024! • I do like the first season a little better. The time leaps in this season left some plot holes that I wish they had fixed - like Hyun Soo's powers, and what happened to him after the end of ep3?? 🫤 Felt like the show quickly shifted focus to the child. • TW : Suicidal

Related List : Sweet Home Season 1 - Full List

Episodes on List : 7 Total Episodes : 8

*Spoilers below*

01 : … continued from last ep of Season 1 ... Cha Hyun Soo captured, Pyeon Sang Wook body possessed by Jung Ui Myeong monster, [quick flashback] Sang Wook shot.. [present] Hyun Soo fights Ui Myeong inside a vehicle; Hyun Soo choked several times, head banged on the steering wheel, stabbed … chest slowly healing … Ui Myeong hallucinating, stabbing own leg, Hyun Soo & Ui Myeong in car crash.. Ui Myeong trapped in Sang Wook's broken body, dragged.. Hyun Soo shot several times, passes out

02 : Park Chan Young constricted by monster … Hyun Soo captured & caged (@ 30min - not complaining 😏, but is there really any good reason for stripping the man??) … Ui Myeong in a body bag, covered in cuts, broken bones, shot "dead" (@ 33:22 - all the ass in this ep lol) … Hyun Soo fighting a monster, beat up, neck bitten & blood drunk … Ui Myeong crawling along the floor

03 : Hyun Soo locked up, straightjacket, staggering (aerosol drug in the room?), Hyun Soo & Ui Myeong fight; Hyun Soo's arm broken, stabbed, transforms, whipped(ish), turned into a statue (??)

05 : Chan Young beat up … tw:suicidal

06 : Kicked … pushed into a pit … ankle twisted … tied up … drugged unconscious

07 : Unconscious, foam at the mouth, poisoned … nauseous, retching … Hyun Soo shot

08 : Forced to fight & kill a friend … split personality

More Whump Lists for this show: love-me-a-lotta-whump