Blood and Bones I

Blood and Bones, originally published in Japanese in 1998, follows a half-century of the violent, eventful life of migrant worker Kim Shunpei in Osaka. Feared by coworkers, bosses, neighbors, family members, and gangs alike, he moves through life in the only way he knows how: by terrorizing those around him. Yang Seok-il's vivid portrait of Kim Shunpei is modeled after the life of his own father. Built from intimate memories of struggle in the gritty underbelly of Osaka, Yang's harrowing, kaleidoscopic novel depicts how patriarchal violence and restricted life chances can wrack a minority Korean community both during and after Japan's empire.