Published by the Gwangju International Center since 2001
Detective Johnny McGruff was a seasoned detective from North America who was in Gwangju, South Korea, for a short vacation. He had always been fascinated with South Korean culture and could not wait to explore the city. As he was walking down Geumnam Street, he noticed a commotion near the ACC in downtown Gwangju. Curiosity getting the better of him, he made his way over to the crowd to see what was happening.
Richard Powers’ first book was published in 1985. His twelfth novel, The Overstory, released in 2018, won the Pulitzer Prize and was a #1 New York Times best seller. Bewilderment is his thirteenth book.
This book’s title is taken from a 1950s top-20 hit song. It has been re-recorded many times, and a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reached number one. It is a love song of a jilted lover who sings, “But when she left, gone was the glow of blue velvet … I can still see blue velvet through my tears.”
“Each time you die another freckle is added to your skin. How faint the freckle indicates how much of a positive impact you had on the life you just expired from. “
In the beginning chapters, the writing may make the book seem simplistic. But the author, Kazuo Ishiguro, is a Nobel Prize recipient, and from reading two of his other novels, I learned that there is a lot more happening than might first appear.
“This is a metaphorical reflection of how I see the metamorphosis of my life.”
