The Memoirs Of Lady Hyegyong: The Autobiographical Writings Of A Crown Princess Of Eighteenth Century Korea

These memoirs offer a compelling account of one of the most tragic tales in the history of the Korean court. Lady Hyegyong, the author of these memoir, married Crown Prince Sado when both were just nine years old. As the Prince grew into a young man, he withdrew from his father, the King, and began a harrowing decent into violence and insanity.

Lady Hyegyong's memoirs, which recount the chilling murder of her husband by his father, is one of the best known and most popular classics of Korean literature. From 1795 until 1805 Lady Hyegyong composed this masterpiece, which depicts a court life whose drama and pathos is of Shakespearean proportions. Presented in its social, cultural, and historical contexts, this first complete English translation opens a door into a world teeming with conflicting passions, political intrigue, and the daily preoccupations of a deeply intelligent and articulate woman.
JaHyun Kim Haboush's accurate, fluid translation captures the intimate and expressive voice of this consummate storyteller. "The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong" is a unique exploration of Korean selfhood and of how the genre of autobiography fared in premodern times.