This book was not quite what I was expecting. It is more of a travelogue than the blurb led me to believe. For me it was interesting as I have lived in Korea, but it was quite short, and didn't have the spark that would get me recommending it to others.

A really interesting fun look at Korea the people the food the traditions. Enjoyed reading the recipes and learning about the traditional foods. A lovely introduction to the world the people of Korea. #netgalley #octopus publishing.

I have been really drawn to Korean fiction in the last number of years and have become more and more fascinated with the country as a result. It is absolutely top of travel wish list.. one day! In the mean time this lovely book definitely helped scratch the travelbug itch and I really enjoyed reading the authors experience of her travels to Korea. This book reads more like a personal travel diary at time rather than I what I was expecting ( a broader view) but that is not a complaint, it worked for me. The authors love of the country and joy of the things she witnessed ,, what she ate, the people she met and the cultural elements she learned about radiates from the pages.
It is a book I will buy a copy of and return to ( especially for the recipes) and hopefully will get to reread it before I one day make the trip myself.
An enjoyable and engaging read.

“The first thing any person will ask you whether in the office, on a date or at home is “Bap meogeosseoyo?” It literally means “Have you eaten”? But it also doubles up as “How are you?” After centuries of starvation and poverty, wars and famine, in Korea, every meal is considered precious. In Korea a meal is never just about the food. It’s about the people and their culture, their relationship to nature and history.”

Written by a literary agent to some of the most celebrated Korean authors, who fell head-over-heels in love from the very first moment she set foot in South Korea, The Korean Book of Happiness invites you to learn how the Korean way can make your life happier and more fulfilled.

The book is part travelogue and part personal journal where the author shares her discovery of Korea through her travels across the country, focussing on the Korean philosophies of han, heung and jeong (resilience, joy and the art of giving) that make up the DNA of Korea life.

For those unfamiliar with Hallyu (the Korean wave), this is a wonderful introduction to the country’s rich and diverse culture which explains why everything from food, to fashion and beauty, to drama and pop music is more popular when you prefix it with K-. At the same time, for those who are already enjoying the Korean wave, this gives you a deeper insight into the source of your K-Happiness.

The audio book courtesy of NetGalley and Octopus Books.

I was hit by the Korean Wave (Hallyu) five years ago and haven't looked back since. As well as the Kdramas, Kpop and learning the language via a popular app, I try to read as many English translations of Korean books as I can.

This is why Barbara Zitwer's profession really interests me. She is a literary agent who specialises in Korean literature and I think I probably have her to thank for so many of the Korean books that I have read.

As the title states, this book is about joy, resilience and the art of giving and Zitwer explores the philosophies of Jeong, Han and Heung.

This is an insightful book with the author exploring cities, retreats and other places of interest such as the DMZ. It acts as a guidebook as well as a cookbook. It is also an insight into the how diverse Western and Eastern cultures are - especially when it comes to family.

Lovely, calming and provoking book on the South Korean culture. Wish I had read it before my trip there and can confirm the book is very true to the words the author has written. Thank you #NetGalley for the book to review.

Ok but a bit oversimplistic and more of a travel guide really than an exploration on Korean philosophy and society

A great introduction to South Korean culture by an author who is clearly passionate about it’. I was fascinated to learn more about all aspects of South Korean life. This is an easy to read and gentle introduction, perfect for someone visiting for the first time or simply interested in life in South Korea.

This is a nice, interesting book. I read the e book ARC and I wonder if the book itself has pictures in. I felt that's what was missing for me.
It was interesting to.read about Korea and some of the experiences the author had.
I'm not sure it was really about happiness, it was loosely a theme but more of a memoir.

Many thanks to Octopus Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.

Barbara J. Zitner has done a lot to raise the profile of Korean literature in the English-speaking world, and for that alone she has my admiration. This book caught my eye for that reason and because I lived in Korea for 4 years, and was interested to see how my experiences would be reflected in this book. Obviously, this book focuses on the good things about Korea (of which there are many), brushing over the bad (as exists everywhere). I would have liked to have seen more Hangeul in the text, perhaps to accompany the clumsy romanisations of Korean words; the Korean alphabet in itself is fascinating in its history, and I'm somewhat surprised this wasn't even alluded to in the book.

There were, however, a few sentences or passages which stood out to me as not being particularly accurate, based on my own lived experience in the country. Early on, Zitwer mentions that "most Koreans do not speak English, or any other language for that matter". English language instruction is a core part of Korean schooling, with children beginning learning English in school from Grade 3 and many students going to after-school English hagwons, or academies. My job for 4 years in Korea was as an elementary school English teacher. Additionally, whenever I went anywhere within the country, people there would be very willing to try out the English they knew, whether fluent or just a few words; I never worried about making myself understood or communicating with people, even in my early days in the country when my Korean was particularly limited. This sentence is odd and does a disservice to the people in Korea.

When talking about shopping in Seoul, Zitwer makes the puzzling claim that "Korean women only wear flat shoes - I have never seen them in high heels". To illustrate how untrue this is, I once saw a woman hiking up Gumeosan in stilettos.

In the concluding chapter, Zitner seems to imply that "splashing ourselves everywhere on social media" is solely a Western habit, and that Koreans are different. This is clearly inaccurate; you wouldn't have had to have been in Korea longer than a day to observe that this is definitely not the case; alternatively, search for the hashtags #카페스타그램 or #셀카 on Instagram.

This isn't an academic text, but nor does it claim to be. This was an enjoyable and quick, if occasionally frustrating, read. I'm sure it will find an audience of casual tourists who will find much to take away from this.

The Korean Book of Happiness : A journey across South Korea in pursuit of joy. This is more of a travel log and memoir rather than a book about happiness. It is about the author immersing herself into everything Korean and finding her own joy. She includes recipes, cultural etiquette, historical details and traditions, and visits many places of interest. It is a great book for anyone interested in the Korean lifestyle and travel.

Well presented, good length, easy-to-read and well presented, but I would have enjoyed a more nuanced, detailed and fresh book on the actual perspectives and philosophy of life in South Korea.

I was hoping for an insight into Korean philosophy and Korea in general.

It all went wrong when I read a section about love hotels which are "unique" to Korea - except they aren't. Famously, Japan also has love hotels, including with themed rooms etc. - presumably for the same reason that children live with their parents for much longer than in the West. After that, I felt that the book probably hadn't been researched or proof read properly (there are a few typos too).

Later on there's a section about hiking that talks about 'gi' (life force and spirit) and going into the mountains improves your gi which "modern science has proven correct" - I've no idea what this is referring to, but I've not heard of any scientific proof of gi - you'd think that would be big news if there's a proven life force. The next page talks about being outdoors improving your creativity and positive emotions - if the author meant this, then fair enough but that's not what she's written on the previous page.

There are some interesting sections about traditional Korea, Buddhism, and DMZ. Sadly, all let down by the lack of photos. It's all very well saying put down your phone and be in the moment but that doesn't work when you're talking about the most beautiful place you've ever been without a photo of it, as people will end up searching for pictures to see what you're referring to.

The book ends up a confusing mess of memoir (the author's experiences in Korea), travel guide (recommendations of where to visit) and self help (each chapter ends with "Lessons from...") but ends up doing none of those things properly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book although it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was more of a travel guide and list of anecdotes rather than tips on how to access the ideals of Korean happiness. I think this gave it a certain smugness that made me unsure if I could ever aspire to be as in tune with Korean happiness as her. Maybe this put me off a little. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.