Culture
[Scholars and their spaces] Reading, a way of soothing wounded hearts
April 14, 2023
“When sadness strikes me, I look around, but I am still at a loss. I just want to dig myself into the ground, no longer having the desire to live. My broken heart will steady if, fortunately, I have a book in my hand.” Yi Deok-mu (1741-1793), a Silhak scholar and poet of the late Joseon era (1392-1910), is said to have read almost 20,000 books in his lifetime. He had a nickname -- "ganseochi," meaning "a fool who only reads books." He said he was able to forget hu