Review: The Nine Cloud Dream

The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Manjung
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As with all classics, my advice is to read this book without reading any introductions, preambles, or reviews (including this one) and just read it as a story, the way the author intended. 

Of course, there will be plenty of symbolism and other things you won't get by yourself, especially if, like me, you know next to nothing about Korea during the time it was written (I wasn't even sure when it was written at first). But you can always go back to read about that later, and this book has an excellent introduction and some great appendices. 

I did read the end notes as I was reading the story, and appendix one had a list of names that helped, but that was it. 

(SPOILERS BELOW)

Regardless, this was a great story. The introduction said it was like the Korean Divine Comedy. I confess I didn't get that myself (at first it reminded me more of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, since it was basically a dream within the story). But reading about how subversive it was, I see the parallels. 

The emphasis on Buddhism seemed odd, since I know Buddhism was on the outs back then, so I guess that was part of the subversiveness. It also seemed odd that it took place entirely in China, rather than Korea, but I guess that was the standard as well? As always the Wade-Giles put me off (but the footnotes used Pinyin, which was weird). 

The main character and his many women seemed a bit much too. Apparently that had something to do with the I-ching and the 8 steps to enlightenment of Buddhism. Although frankly it seemed more like an excuse to have him find 8 girlfriends. 

Still, if you can get your hands on it, you should read it. 

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