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Amazing. Powerful. Highly recommended. Probably now my favorite out of the trio with Shan Sa's "La Joueuse de Go" and Kawabata's "The Master of Go".
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First Kyu: A Novel
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Before We Begin Let me tell you a story.An old story, a really old story. Do you know how to play baduk?You do? First kyu, a player of the first rank? Really? Have you ever competed in a professional qualifying tournament? No? Then you are not, I repeat, NOT first kyu!
I know, I know. Nowadays all kinds of bad players call them- selves first kyu.This story is, however, not about those fake first kyus. It’s a story of the real first kyus.
There is a guy who runs a smoke shop near Niagara Falls. His name is Shin. On rainy days he keeps staring at the falls and mumbles something like “I’m sure they must all be playing for bangneki stakes happily somewhere... ”
Can you even guess what he is talking about? If not, just hold on and listen to what I’m going to tell you. Only about a handful of people know this story. So listen up.
So our fictional narrator--a first kyu from the Korea in the 1960s--starts his tale of what it takes to win one of the most challenging games.
Translated from the original Korean book by the author Dr. Sung-Hwa Hong, with original illustrations by Du-Ri Han, with an expanded section of Go diagrams by pro baduk player Janice Kim, following the famous 'Blood-Coughing Game' that links the story to the history of the game of baduk, known as wei-chi in Chinese and go in Japanese, over centuries of the struggle to be first.
Expanded from the original English translation first published in 1999. 285 pages with black and white original artwork.
I know, I know. Nowadays all kinds of bad players call them- selves first kyu.This story is, however, not about those fake first kyus. It’s a story of the real first kyus.
There is a guy who runs a smoke shop near Niagara Falls. His name is Shin. On rainy days he keeps staring at the falls and mumbles something like “I’m sure they must all be playing for bangneki stakes happily somewhere... ”
Can you even guess what he is talking about? If not, just hold on and listen to what I’m going to tell you. Only about a handful of people know this story. So listen up.
So our fictional narrator--a first kyu from the Korea in the 1960s--starts his tale of what it takes to win one of the most challenging games.
Translated from the original Korean book by the author Dr. Sung-Hwa Hong, with original illustrations by Du-Ri Han, with an expanded section of Go diagrams by pro baduk player Janice Kim, following the famous 'Blood-Coughing Game' that links the story to the history of the game of baduk, known as wei-chi in Chinese and go in Japanese, over centuries of the struggle to be first.
Expanded from the original English translation first published in 1999. 285 pages with black and white original artwork.
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Genres
gofictionliteraturegames
287 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,1999
This edition
- Format
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287 pages, Paperback
- Published
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July 1, 1999 by Good Move Press
- ISBN
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9780964479692
- ASIN
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0964479699
- Language
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English
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Rating(3.8 / 5.0, 13 votes)
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13 reviews All reviews
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I was a little torn on how many stars to give this one. In some ways, it's not the best novel -- the writing a little stilted, the plot a bit mechanical. Maybe the manuscript would have benefited from another pass by a good copyeditor, and the book design left me cold (no paragraph indentation? OK, I guess... I got used to it).
But, I really liked it, despite all that. The author clearly cared a lot for this story and how to present it. His dry style gives a unique, literal, and sometimes gritty view of the mid-20th-century Korean go world, as well as glimpses of school, street, and gambling culture. And of course (especially for you go players), the game itself is woven intricately and effectively into the narrative. Finally, the psychology of dedicated go players is presented with some interesting and unpredictable complexity.
But, I really liked it, despite all that. The author clearly cared a lot for this story and how to present it. His dry style gives a unique, literal, and sometimes gritty view of the mid-20th-century Korean go world, as well as glimpses of school, street, and gambling culture. And of course (especially for you go players), the game itself is woven intricately and effectively into the narrative. Finally, the psychology of dedicated go players is presented with some interesting and unpredictable complexity.
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A fascinating look into the world of Korean Go.
Seeing as the author decided to translate the book from his native Korean into English, it would explain the stilted writing and several typos. A decent editing job could have made this a much easier read. Having said that, the quirkiness of the translation added an interesting feel to the book.
Recommended for people interested in the game of Go and/or Korean culture.
Seeing as the author decided to translate the book from his native Korean into English, it would explain the stilted writing and several typos. A decent editing job could have made this a much easier read. Having said that, the quirkiness of the translation added an interesting feel to the book.
Recommended for people interested in the game of Go and/or Korean culture.
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An outstanding book about First Kyu.
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This is a great piece of work. All the characters seemed to come to life...
I learned a lot about Go and Korean culture. Three quotes:
1. "A three-stone handicap was a teaching game, not a friendship math between the top players of two countries!"
2. "It was not unusual for the two to hold hands while taking a walk, when Wook was not in uniform. Walking with a girl, holding hands or not, was against the rules of K High school, and punishable by indefinite suspension."
3. "Bangneki is a go game played for money, where the amount of money won is determined by margin of victory."
I learned a lot about Go and Korean culture. Three quotes:
1. "A three-stone handicap was a teaching game, not a friendship math between the top players of two countries!"
2. "It was not unusual for the two to hold hands while taking a walk, when Wook was not in uniform. Walking with a girl, holding hands or not, was against the rules of K High school, and punishable by indefinite suspension."
3. "Bangneki is a go game played for money, where the amount of money won is determined by margin of victory."
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A very interesting story on the path to becoming a pro in the very cruel game of Go. It kept me very curious on what would happen to him. Also this novel has great lessons for anyome interested in Go. A must read for any Go player.
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I love to play go, and I really enjoy books and novels that refer to to it. But this novel is not particularly good, and it didn't add much to my understanding of go culture in Korea. Still, if you're really into the game, it's not terrible.
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Great book and a very quick read.
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