Along with being one of the most loved celebrities in South Korea, IU is also a big bookworm. And how did the secret get out? She was seen with a copy of “Hyori’s Homestay” on set. The idol revealed that she loves to spend time reading books and being lost in stories. She’s been captured reading books on sets by paparazzi too. And this isn’t a habit the idol has picked up recently. It actually goes back to her childhood. Talking about the habit of reading she has, the idol thanks her parents. And being a proud reader, IU has a huge list of books that she thinks are worth sharing with her fans.
Answering how her parents helped her form the reading habit, IU shared that whenever she did something wrong, her parents would never hit her. But instead, they’d give her a thick book to read as punishment. From literature to the humanities, the child read all the books she was given and ended up developing an interest. No wonder she’s one of the creative and ideal people in the industry.
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From South Korea to the West, here are some books that deserve a read as suggested by IU!!
1. Alain de Botton’s “Essays in Love”
One of IU’s favorites, Alain de Botton’s “Essays in Love,” tops the idol’s reading list. An original love story, the novel follows the ups and downs of a relationship. Following the ordinary story of two young people who met on an airplane from Paris to London and fell in love soon after. From the first kiss to fights and reconciliations, from intimacy and gentleness to anxiety and worries. ‘Essays In Love’ has it all. As revealed by IU, she even underlines some parts and reads the book repeatedly.
2. Park Min Gyu’s “Castella” & “Pavane for a Dead Princess”
A collection of short stories written by the South Korean Writer Park Min Gyu, each story in Castella is filled with creativity and originality. In the story, a refrigerator plays a central part throughout the book. It has been used as a metaphor for coldness and the state of tension. One of the must-reads, ‘Castella,’ keeps you hooked throughout the end as you try to figure out what just happened. Another story written by Park Min Gyu, “Pavane for a Dead Princess,” follows an ugly woman and a man who loves her.
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3. Kaori Ekuni’s “Falling into the Evening”
Written by the Japanese author Kaori Ekuni, “Falling into the Evening” is a short novel. The story follows a young woman as her boyfriend breaks up with her for another woman. But as the three people get entangled in each others’ lives, a lot of secrets start to unfold. While the book also has a Japanese drama based on it, the fans prefer the book to live-action.
4. Paulo Coelho’s “Brida”
Paulo Coelho is one of the most renowned writers in the world. His book ‘Brida’ follows the story of a young Irish girl and her quest for knowledge. Interested in various aspects of magic, the little girl has an interest in a lot of things. And continuing the search for wisdom, Brida enters the realm of spirituality. The book is the epitome of creativity, of expression, of explaining the meaning of something in the deepest sense.
5. Milan Kundera’s “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”
Moving into some philosophy, IU loves to read “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. The book follows the story of two women, two men, a dog, and their lives in the 1968 Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history. The story is based on the existential concepts of the German philosopher Nietzsche. Beginning from Nietzsche’s idea of eternal return, the story ends with the philosopher mourning over and hugging a horse whose being whipped.
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