— Overview
The notes hear bitterness in that “shameful record”: if a 1970s account of oppression still speaks, society has improved little.
— Contents and key concepts
A life, and a first story
The notes take up Jo Se-hee’s The Dwarf. He was born in 1940 in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi. He studied creative writing at Seorabeol Arts College and Korean literature at Kyung Hee University, and debuted in the 1965 spring literary contest with “A Mastless Merchant Ship.”
Those dates stay close to the writer they are reading, before the book’s later printings come into view.
A “shameful record,” and a 300th printing
In 2005, at the book’s 200th printing, he called it a “shameful record.” The notes hear bitterness in that phrasing. If a 1970s record of oppression still speaks to readers, they write, society has improved little.
By April 2017 the book had reached a 300th printing. The number, for them, is not only a mark of success. It also keeps that bitter remark in earshot.
A family, and a longed-for father
They read the book as linked stories of a family with a dwarf father. The father’s figure is a longed-for, almost fantastic father. The mother’s is closer to the author as he consciously knew her.
They wanted to keep that household, and that remark about a shameful record, together. The same Korean notes, in a longer form, are on CampusDown.
Sources
- Student notes on Jo Se-hee’s The Dwarf, read through a 2005 remark, a 300th printing, and a family with a dwarf father.
Last updated 15 November 2026
Frequently asked questions
What life of the author do the notes set down?
Jo Se-hee was born in 1940 in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi. He studied creative writing at Seorabeol Arts College and Korean literature at Kyung Hee University, and debuted in the 1965 spring literary contest with “A Mastless Merchant Ship.”
Why does the 200th printing matter, as they read it?
In 2005, at that printing, he called the book a “shameful record.” The notes hear bitterness in the phrase: a record of 1970s oppression still resonates, which suggests that society has improved little. By April 2017 the book had reached a 300th printing.
What kind of book do they take it to be?
Linked stories of a family with a dwarf father. The father’s figure is a longed-for, almost fantastic father; the mother’s is closer to the author as he consciously knew her.
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