Tales of Korea: 53 Enchanting Stories of Ghosts, Goblins, Princes, Fairies and More! - Im Bang & Yi Ryuk

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AUTHOR: Im Bang and Yi Ryuk

TRANSLATOR: James S Gale
GENRE: Korean Mythology, Anthology. 
RATING: 3 stars.

In a Nutshell: An interesting collection, though not my kind of folktales. This anthology would work nicely for the right reader.


This is a collection of Korean classic stories, mostly written by Im Bang (mid-17th century writer) and Yi Riyuk (mid-15th century), with three anonymous tales. The fifty-three stories cover a variety of themes, whether spiritual or absurdist or family or fantastical. In terms of the range of topics, the scope of the book is magnificent. Many of the tales seem to have a foundation in local spiritual beliefs. The length of the stories ranges from one page long to eight pages long.

As the tagline promised tales of ‘Ghosts, Goblins, Princes, Fairies and More!’, I confess that I was looking for a more fantastical and/or folksy experience. But many of the stories felt like slice-of-life tales, with some ending too abruptly. Quite a few are more like episodes instead of fully-developed stories. Most stories begin with an introductory note related to its key character or its background. Sometimes, this note was almost as long as the ensuing story and even contained spoilers.

On the pro side, the tales do reveal a lot about the Korean beliefs and culture of the authors’ respective eras. It doesn’t look like the stories have been updated for the modern audience but as if their original content has been retained.

This book was first published in Korean in 1913, and has been reprinted quite a few times since. This latest edition, due to be released on 3rd January 2023, is supposed to contain thirty full-color minhwa paintings (Korean folkart), but as mine was an ARC, these were missing from my copy (to my great disappointment) and I cannot give a feedback about the same, though I am sure they would be a delight in the printed edition.

Most of the stories rated around the 3 star mark for me; I liked them enough but wasn’t wowed by them. There were very few exceptions either way. Maybe going in with the right expectations would help deliver a better experience. The foreword states that this is a “collection of yadam, a form that allows for the expression of things considered otherwise unsuitable for literature.”

Recommended to fans of Korean mythology and lore.

My thanks to Tuttle Publishing and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Tales of Korea : 53 Enchanting Stories of Ghosts, Goblins, Princes, Fairies and More!”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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