Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit named Benjamin who lived in a beautiful forest. Benjamin was known for his charming personality and his love for adventure. He would often explore different parts of the forest, discovering hidden trails and secret meadows. One day, while exploring a new area of the forest, Benjamin stumbled upon a peculiar-looking object. It was an old, worn-out hat that seemed to emanate an aura of mystery. Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to put on the hat.
lustration from Drama Fever
That isn t to say that the Iron Age Celts or Qin Dynasty Chinese didn t believe in the protective power of the rabbit s foot, only that we don t have many stories saying so. It makes sense that slaves and former slaves would admire a creature with these traits witty, intelligent, and able to strike back at the ruling class.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to put on the hat. Little did he know, this action would change his life forever. As soon as Benjamin placed the hat on his head, he felt an odd sensation coursing through his body.
When Reality is More Terrifying Than Cursed Bunnies
Heads emerge from toilets, constructed from our own debris. Birth control pills lead to pregnancy. Foxes bleed gold. People connect over ghost-watching. In Cursed Bunny, Bora Chung takes us on an unforgettable journey through folkloric caves and modern-day apartments, unearthing the horror and injustice that are engrained in the fabric of human civilization.
I refused to read Cursed Bunny while I was alone. Translated by Anton Hur, the South Korean short story collection melds together speculative fiction, horror, absurdism, folklore, and bitingly-acute observations of contemporary Korean society. Anticipating that I would be too scared if I read it by myself, I sought out public reading spaces. But after finishing the ten stories, I wasn’t certain that reading Cursed Bunny amidst other people provided any comfort. Chung has a way of revealing humanity’s deep cruelty with an absurd twist, tweaking the ordinary and destabilizing the setting around me. She highlights the struggles of the oppressed, using fantastical elements to expose systems of patriarchy, capitalism, and corruption. Hur expertly captures the tone of Chung’s prose, which is deceptively simple; some stories almost sound like the ones you read in childhood—making them all the more haunting.
Chung’s wry, dark humor and passion for activism shone in our Zoom conversation, where we (surprisingly) laughed our way through topics such as the absurdity of misogyny, urban legends, and why a cursed fetish can’t be ugly.
Jaeyon Yoo: What drew you to the fantastic and surreal elements in this collection, especially in addressing the horrors and cruelties of modern society?
Bora Chung: Especially for the minority or the marginalized, I think the fantastic or the unreal is a better approach for telling their stories. It will vary, according to people’s experiences, but if you try to criticize current society and the state of things in a realistic manner, it runs the risk of turning into a statement—not fiction. And the situation is absurd and illogical [already]. Why should a certain type of human be considered “lesser” than another, because this first type of human has functioning ovaries and a uterus? There’s no logic to it. When you’re confronted with this type of absurdity, it’s very natural to respond with absurd, illogical, and unreal narratives. That’s what fits best.
I never learned creative writing, so I learned everything I know about writing from reading other people’s words. I studied Slavic literature in graduate school, [which] has a very rich tradition of blending genres and defying the order between the fantastic and the real. Do you know Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat? The poor guy becomes a ghost to get the overcoat. And in “The Nose,” a man sees his nose in a uniform that is a higher rank than himself. How does a nose wear a uniform? This is considered one of the canonical works in Russian literature. It’s ridiculous! But this is one of the best writers of the Russian literary tradition. In every single Russian literature class, you read him and people fall in love with him. This opened my eyes to the fact that you can incorporate the fantastic and still make really good stories, that people will enjoy it. It doesn’t have to be realistic. I was fascinated, and thought, “If they can do it, maybe I can do it. I might never be as good as Dostoyevsky, but a girl can dream!”
JY: The story that resonated with me the most was “The Embodiment,” probably because I’ve had my share of traumatizing experiences at a Seoul gynecologist. Your fiction made me think about body as a process and a verb, one that is constantly fragmented and broken… Can you talk more about your depictions of the female body?
He suddenly found himself unable to control his movements and was overcome with a series of unfortunate events. Benjamin found himself tripping over his own feet, stumbling into tree branches, and getting tangled in thorny bushes. It was as if the hat had cursed him with bad luck. No matter how hard Benjamin tried to remove the hat, it seemed to be stuck to his head. He sought help from his animal friends in the forest, but no one could figure out how to break the curse. The other animals watched in pity as poor Benjamin struggled with his newfound misfortune. Days turned into weeks, and Benjamin's bad luck continued. He became the laughingstock of the forest, with other animals whispering and gossiping about his cursed state. Benjamin's confidence dwindled, and he started to isolate himself from others, fearing he would bring bad luck upon them as well. However, one day, as Benjamin was sulking by a river, a wise old owl named Oliver approached him with a solution. Oliver had heard tales of a magical pond deep within the forest, said to have the power to break any curse. Benjamin's hope was reignited, and he eagerly followed Oliver through the dense foliage, determined to rid himself of the cursed hat. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the magical pond. Benjamin took a deep breath and plunged his head into the cool, shimmering water. As he resurfaced, he felt a weight being lifted from his head. To his surprise, the cursed hat floated away, disappearing into the depths of the pond. Benjamin couldn't believe it – he was free from the curse! He thanked Oliver profusely for his guidance and rushed back to the forest to share the good news with his friends. From that day forward, Benjamin was hailed as a hero, and his reputation as a fearless adventurer was restored. The rabbit cursed with bad luck had overcome his misfortune and emerged stronger than ever. Benjamin learned a valuable lesson about the importance of perseverance and the power of friendship. He knew now that even in the face of adversity, he could always rely on the support of his friends and the strength within himself. And so, Benjamin continued his adventures in the forest, sharing stories of his triumph over the cursed hat and inspiring others to never give up, no matter how challenging the journey may be..
Reviews for "When Fashion Turns Against You: The Rabbit's Battle with Bad Wear"
1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "The rabbit cursed with bad wear". The storyline was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters lacked depth. The writing style was dull and uninspiring, making it difficult for me to stay engaged throughout the book. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to others.
2. John - 1/5 stars - "The rabbit cursed with bad wear" was a complete waste of my time. The plot was nonsensical and felt forced, and the characters were poorly developed. The writing itself was filled with grammatical errors and inconsistencies, making it difficult to read. I struggled to finish this book and would definitely not recommend it to anyone.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - I found "The rabbit cursed with bad wear" to be quite underwhelming. The story seemed promising at first, but the execution fell flat. The pacing was off, with too much focus on unnecessary details while the main plot was rushed. The characters were also unrelatable and lacked depth, making it hard for me to connect with the story. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it.
4. David - 1/5 stars - "The rabbit cursed with bad wear" was one of the worst books I've read in a long time. The writing was incredibly boring and lacked any sort of creativity or originality. The plot was predictable and uninteresting, with no real twists or surprises. The characters were forgettable and felt like cliches. I regret wasting my time on this book and would not recommend it to anyone.