Wow. This was truly incredible. I am not sure if there was a greater meaning to the majority of the stories; if there was, I missed it. But I cannot emphasize this enough: I love these stories. I love love loved them. They were weird and horrible and sad and beautiful and. Highly recommend to people who love short stories.

I love weird, dark stories and I've really been loving Korean horror, but I just didn't connect with this one as much as I wanted to. I am interested in reading more from this author. I might also revisit this at some point, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to enjoy this as much as I had hoped.

A highly original collection of uncanny and disturbing short stories, which spanned an eclectic range of genres: body horror, AI sci-fi, folktale fantasy, social satire. Each one of them effectively delivered unexpected shocks, frequently visceral, sometimes brutal, almost always chilling and grotesque.

I loved the mix of genres in these stories. Chung clearly demonstrates as a master of the short story!

Man, I love freaky little short stories. i’ll never stop thinking about the first one from this collection, The Head. Some of the others have blended together over time, but I thought it was really chaotic and fun and smart overall. If you liked this, you should check out Bliss Montage, Life Ceremony, and Gods of Want — other freaky little short stories to add to the canon.

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung is a delightfully chilling book of Korean horror short stories! I usually am not a huge fan of short stories, but this book was so fun!!

CURSED BUNNY by Bora Chung (translated by Anton Hur) is a wide-ranging collection characterized by strange, surreal stories that border on horror and veer into fable. The stories address themes of patriarchy (reminding me a lot of KIM JIYOUNG, BORN 1982), morality, revenge, womanhood, and technology.

Chung’s prose (and Hur’s translation) is direct, brusque, and eminently readable, and I devoured these stories quickly. However, I honestly almost stopped reading the first one (“The Head”) because it grossed me out, but the rest of the collection was less viscerally repulsive. Please note that the point of the stories is to disturb and startle, so Chung is just doing her job here!

I’m not sure if the collection as a whole will stick with me. I favor story collections that have a unifying theme, sense of place, or overarching message; each story did have social commentary, but just didn’t feel cohesive as a collection. I suppose the creepy mood may have been the defining factor here. In that way, there were echoes of Kim Fu’s LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY and Ling Ma’s BLISS MONTAGE.

Shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize, don’t let my lukewarm feelings about this one prevent you from picking it up. I’d recommend this for fans of horror and speculative fiction combined with short stories.

As weird as it is wonderful - Cursed Bunny is a gross and genius short story collection. I have been WAITING to get my hands on this one and it started at 100, I'll say that.

While not the book for everyone, this is a brainy, entertaining collection that a certain kind of reader will ravish.

Bora Chung has mastered the poetic and deranged in Cursed Bunny. All the short stories are unique and engaging, drawing inspiration from folklore, fairytales, sci-fi, and horror. They're connected by Chung's mesmerizing voice and the themes of power structures that she weaves into the fantasy. Hidden beneath the surface of the absurd and unusual stories are brilliant insights into feminism, the body, family, social class, and political capital. Chung creates the kind of stories you can read again and again, and still unearth new perspectives and ideas.

Thank you Algonquin Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review!

This collection of haunting short stories was shockingly enamoring in that can't-look-away-from-a-wreck feeling! I enjoyed every disturbing word from this book and look forward to reading more from Bora Chung. I will never be able to look at toilets the same way again.

Cursed Bunny is out NOW!

This short story collection was one I was highly anticipating as it was short listed for the Booker Prize and loved by many on Bookstagram and Booktube.

However, I don’t see how it could be so good to be no images or loved. I enjoyed 3 of the stories a lot, but the rest left a lot to be desired.

Additionally, unlike other short story collections, there was no theme connecting them all.

CURSED BUNNY contains ten short stories that blend different genres, ranging from horror, science fiction, magical realism, and fantasy. Chung has further leveraged her masterful writing to unveil humanity's cruelty with precision. With a combination of unsettling tales, imaginative plots, and captivating storytelling, CURSED BUNNY is a masterful book that packs a punch in each short story and has me at the edge of my seat on every page.

The Embodiment exposes the terrors of patriarchy most absurdly and refreshingly. Chung examines the traditional concept that women must be wives and bear children and the stigma of moms having kids outside of marriage. The ending left me so disturbed 🙈

Goodbye, My Love reflects on human relationships with technology and explores the harmful outcome of our wastefulness towards the everchanging new gadgets. I was not expecting the story to end in that way at all!

Snare and Ruler of the Winds and Sands both examine humanity blinded by greed with entirely different styles, the former as a horror family drama and the latter as a fairy tale. Snare is the most unsettling story in the collection, but I still savored every moment.

Reunion is the last one in CURSED BUNNY and possibly my favorite. The story reflects on those tied up in the past and how we find permission to stay alive in however flawed and vulnerable ways we can. In 20 pages, Chung’s precision in grief had me on the edge of my seat, and I didn't want the novel to end.

Each short story in CURSED BUNNY deserves its own review and analysis, and I can't wait to read more books from Chung. I'll encourage everyone, regardless of whether you read horror or not, to pick this one up!

Thank you Algonquin books for the gifted ARC

Graphic, uncomfortable and compulsively readable, this collection of ten short and surreal stories is as impressive as it is disturbing and as disturbing as it is entertaining.

Some of the stories within, like ‘Snare’ or ‘Ruler of the Winds and Sands’, feel like traditional fairytales or myths, as the nameless characters follow their allegorical adventures which illuminate the nature of greed and capitalism, powerlust and imperialism. Others, like ‘The Head’ and ‘The Embodiment’, explore the gritty body horror potentials in pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, and look at who has power over women’s bodies in such scenarios – mother, child, man, society?

There are also poignant ghosts, malfunctioning androids, monsters (although which the monster is in ‘Scars’ is up for debate). And, of course, there is the titular cursed bunny – a fetish that wreaks havoc upon the life of your enemy, but at a cost.

Although there are elements of horror in most of the stories, there is also humour, pathos and some sharply piercing commentary on modern society and the human psyche. Each story has its own unique style, and the translator Anton Hur has done a wonderful job of capturing the lyrical flow of the prose and the beautiful or grotesque imagery.

You can expect surprising twists and shocking revelations, and simple moments of illumination that make you see the story and characters in a different light. If you are looking for stories with depth and imagination that will get you brain revving furiously, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a quick, easy read full of gross-out moments, chills and paranormal weirdness, then this is also the book for you. You won’t need to sleep with the light on for any of these stories, but you may find yourself checking that the toilet lid is firmly down…

i’ve finally read one of my anticipated releases of the year and it did NOT disappoint! bora chung’s writing will give you goosebumps and make you never want to step foot into a bathroom again (iykyk 🫠) these stories remind me a lot of junji ito’s manga, you know they’re not real but they still manage to give you the creeps + have you questioning the most minuscule things.

all throughout ‘cursed bunny’ you’re reading stories that are fictional but come so close to reality you have to remind yourself that what you’re reading is actually fiction. bora chung takes the most mundane pieces of every day life and turns it into something that could give you nightmares or make you look at things in a completely different way. (bora chung’s writing/stories remind me a lot of sayaka murata’s work which is 100% something to keep an eye on this book if you’re a fan!)

This was intriguing for sure. I haven't read Korean horror before and this won't be my last.

Some of these stories really had my head spinning. They are definitely ones that make you think.

DNF at 20%.

Sadly, I only made it through two short stories out of this collection before I had to tap out. While the writing and translation is very visceral and engaging, I can not stomach the body horror. I've read much worse in terms of subject matter (*eyes "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca*). Maybe I'll pick this back up in the future because I really do enjoy the writing, but for now... *shivers*

Thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

So incredibly dissapointed with this one. I had heard nothing but good things, but these stories did not work for me at all (aside from 'The Embodiment' which was the only one I enjoyed in this collection.) The writing was far too simplistic and some of the stories simply bored me to tears. Even the ones with interesting premises just fell flat for me.

This is a terrific and thought-provoking short story collection. Moving between genres and often mixing them, the stories are instantly memorable and will have you thinking long after you finish the book. Through situations that are, on the one hand, completely unbelievable, but, on the other, evoke deeper truths about the modern world, the book explores interesting issues related to family, wealth, and freedom. One of the most original books I have read in a long time.

Highly recommended!

There are some short story collections that just fit into my wheelhouse – they’re particularly weird and wonderful at the same time. “Cursed Bunny” by Bora Chung (translated from Korean by Anton Hur) will definitely not be everyone’s taste, but I was super happy I read it.

Chung’s writing is often graphic and does tend to stray into the horror genre a bit, but there is so much depth in each story. The characters are full human beings right from the get-go (which is often missing from some short stories). They’re flawed and selfish and dishonest, which makes them all too relatable. There were some stories that were a bit too gross (namely “The Head”) but I don’t often read books that get that tone of terror and magic that Chung so beautifully encapsulates. The only thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me was that I think perhaps a little bit of Chung’s authentic voice was lost in translation (how I wish I could read Korean to get the full gist!).

Fave stories: “The Embodiment,” “Cursed Bunny,” “The Frozen Finger,” “Reunion” – These run the gamut of a commentary on motherhood and the patriarchy to the effects of generational trauma. These particular stories also happen to be a tad shorter than some of the other ones – I think Chung truly succeeds when she’s more succinct in her storytelling.

I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone who loves magical realism (especially when it strays to the dark side). But beware: there are some major trigger warnings – especially if you’re squeamish around blood or gore.

This is a phenomenal collection of short stories based in Korean lore and just an all around unsettling nature. It was GREAT!

As with any story collection, there are a couple I didn’t care for and some that I really really enjoyed. My favorites were:

•The Head
•Cursed Bunny
•Snare
•Scars

These were all eerie and incredibly entertaining. I love this style of horror writing. The stories are off putting and still completely connect you to the characters.