Sosol

Sosol 

(abbreviation of kodae sosol), a Korean novella form of the 17th to 19th centuries. The sosol was based on narrative works of Korean folklore, short stories from collections of paesols (short prose works), and adaptations of Chinese novels.

Several hundred sosols have been preserved, most of which are anonymous. They were distributed in manuscript form and in inexpensive booklets printed from woodcuts. The plot of the sosol was taken from history or folklore; similar though unusual events followed one another, and the tale’s conflict was resolved in a happy ending owing to a miracle or the intervention of a wise sovereign.

The brief transitional stage of the sinsosol (new prose) in the early 20th century was followed by the emergence of modern Korean narrative prose.

The term sosol also designates fictional prose as such.

PUBLICATIONS

In Russian translation:
Istoriia o vernosti Chkhun Khian: Srednevekovye koreiskie povesti. Moscow, 1960.

REFERENCES

Trotsevich, A. F. Koreiskaia srednevekovaiapovest’. Moscow, 1975.
Kim Tae-jun. Choson sosol sa (History of Korean Prose). Seoul, 1939.
Skillend, W. Kodae sosǒl: A Survey of Korean Traditional Style Popular Novels. [London, 1968.]

L. P. KONTSEVICH