Cursed Bunny
Vivid
Thought provoking
Thrilling

Cursed Bunny

Bora Chung2021
Cursed Bunny is a genre-defying collection of short stories by Korean author Bora Chung. Blurring the lines between magical realism, horror, and science-fiction, Chung uses elements of the fantastic and surreal to address the very real horrors and cruelties of patriarchy and capitalism in modern society. Anton Hur’s translation skilfully captures the way Chung’s prose effortlessly glides from being terrifying to wryly humorous. Winner of a PEN/Heim Grant.
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Reviews

Photo of Max Riley
Max Riley@maxreads
3 stars
Feb 10, 2025

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but many of the stories just fell a little flat for me. I don't read lots of short story, but lots of the endings made me wishing there was more going on, or something a little more tidy. It was a fun read, but I wouldn't recommend except for very specific reasons.

+3
Photo of Acadia
Acadia@drakka
3.5 stars
Feb 4, 2025

Well written, and an interesting insight into Korean values/critiques/thoughts. Does become very predictable and repetitive at times.

Photo of Agnieszka
Agnieszka@solmisol
4.5 stars
Nov 18, 2024

The Snare story >>>>

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Gelaine Trinidad@gelaine
5 stars
Jul 5, 2024

4.5/5

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sneha@sneha25
2.5 stars
Jun 3, 2024

kinda mid. was expecting more.

Photo of Abigail
Abigail@liaga
4.5 stars
May 13, 2024

Loved it.

I find myself thinking about some stories pretty often, even though I read most of them last year. 

I particularly liked the ones related to curses.

+8
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Isabella @iscbella
1 star
Mar 13, 2024

literally my thought process: wtf - enjoying it - wtf - boring ...

Photo of Q
Q@qontfnns
5 stars
Mar 13, 2024

Absolutely one of my best reads this year :0 The book started with lots of magical realism. It's like Budi Darma but with more angst. The first one was already a punch in the gut, and then it got better and better. Chung carefully added horror, folk-lore, sci-fi, and fantasy to the mix and nailed every single one. Gdi she's so talented it's almost a cheat. My favorites are The Embodiment and Scars, but every piece was stellar. With engaging story telling, simple writing, great pacing, heart wrenching twists and open endings, her short stories are complete circles that leave you squirming and breathless, simultaneously needing a timeout and wanting for more. Ms. Bora Chung, you got a fan in me.

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thea@vvanillapopcorn
4 stars
Feb 25, 2024

Buku yang menarik👀 Horror, science fiction, magic.. semuanya ada dibuku ini dan terbagi menjadi beberapa kumpulan cerita pendek yang bikin tegang, terkejut dan merinding! 💀 Setiap cerita akan dimulai dengan kalimat-kalimat yang bikin kita bergidik & takut dengan apa yang akan terjadi nantinya.. penulis hebat banget bisa bikin emosi yang kita rasakan seperti sedang naik rollercoaster🎢 Cerita pertama bikin ngeri & jijik.. Cerita kedua bikin kita mempertanyakan hal-hal tentang medis.. Hingga saat sudah selesai membaca, aku sadar semua inti ceritanya itu mengerikan☠️ Setiap cerita memiliki tema yang berbeda, ada yang balas dendam, cinta, trauma, keserakahan, ketakutan, atau keinginan mengerikan yang sebenarnya kita inginkan. Semuanya tentang sisi gelap para manusia.. Aku harus berhenti beberapa saat baru bisa lanjut ke part selanjutnya karena ga habis pikir manusia bisa sejahat ini🙃 Bikin aku bertanya-tanya juga apa yang ada dibenak si penulis ketika beliau membuat cerita ini?

Photo of wen
wen@sheisnototter
5 stars
Feb 23, 2024

completely fascinating, i don't think i've read a collection quite like this. thinking a lot of thoughts !

Photo of Shaz
Shaz@shaurorah
2.5 stars
Jan 7, 2024

actually weird book i don't recommend

Photo of Haritlak Thawikasikam
Haritlak Thawikasikam@haritread
5 stars
Jan 6, 2024

Disgustingly good, very satisfying. Don't read the first chapter while eating. This is a big warning

Photo of Grace M
Grace M@thecoupdegrace
4 stars
Nov 13, 2023

“... If I could make a wish I want to be just a little happier If I become too happy I will miss sadness” Folklore for a new age. Snare, Reunion, and of course Cursed Bunny were true standouts in this smart, eerie collection of stories.

Photo of jaz ☁️
jaz ☁️@whatjazreads
4 stars
Sep 4, 2023

Grotesque, unnerving & page turning. This collection of stories feature vibrant characters and deeply unusual storylines.

Bora Chung has created such a singular and compelling writing style and maintained it through each and every one of these stories until the last page.

Photo of Clara Gauthier
Clara Gauthier@cegauthier
4 stars
Aug 4, 2023

felt like a spiritual successor to the fairy tale collections i read as a kid, but for an older age range and more applicable to modern society.

+2
Photo of carys jenkins
carys jenkins@carys_reads
3 stars
Aug 2, 2023

high 3 star

Photo of Bi
Bi@mytileneve
4 stars
Jun 28, 2023

Really surprised by how good this short story collection was - one of the best I’ve read overall. All the stories were unique but different from each other, yet the collection still felt cohesive. The snare and The frozen finger were stand out stories for me.

Photo of Florence
Florence@mysweetpeaches
5 stars
Jun 21, 2023

Every story knocked the air out of my lungs. In gruesome understanding of human fears and the trauma of family Chung really got her point across. My favourite story was Snare

+5
Photo of Air
Air@airhorn
4 stars
May 10, 2023

I think it makes a difference that I listened to this versus read it. However, there are some stories that stuck out more than others. I have spoke about the concepts of stories with friends though so I think that speaks to this book’s impact on me. However, it’s not a five star read. Just a book I enjoyed.

+2
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Anyaconda@kaffeeklatschandbooks
2 stars
Apr 7, 2023

Way out of my comfort zone and too crazy. It just sounds like the author got drunk or stoned and thought about gross stuff they could write about. There's no rhyme or reason to any of the stories except shocking readers in my opinion. Read Sayaka Murata's Earthlings instead.

Photo of Gia Palamos
Gia Palamos@giapalamos
4 stars
Mar 25, 2023

I enjoyed reading most of the stories—some definitely gave me the creeps

Photo of Ashlyn
Ashlyn@demonxore
3 stars
Mar 21, 2023

The final story, titled "Reunion," was the crown jewel of this collection. The rest are also pretty good! I would recommend this set of stories to those who like offbeat contemporary short fiction.

+1
Photo of p.
p.@softrosemint
5 stars
Feb 15, 2023

What a perfect collection of short stories - I do not think I have read something of the genre as good since "Things We Say In the Dark" in 2022. Chung manages to strike a perfect balance between the bizarre and horror; she does not shy away from the grotesque but knows how to use it to its maximum effect (the Eastern European influences are palpable).

The short stories vary in length and format but also in themes and motifs. I cannot imagine that every reader would not find at least one that sticks with them. My personal favourites are "Cursed Bunny", "Snare", "Goodbye, My Love", "Scars" and "Home Sweet Home" but I think we all have the shared experience of eyeing the bathroom with suspicion after reading the opening "The Head".

Photo of Shreya Punj
Shreya Punj@theeditorrecommends
4 stars
Jan 24, 2023

Grotesque, wicked, scary, and compelling. What a collection. I’m too stunned to write a proper review. This collection has SF, magic realism, fairy tale, horror, and some are just plain gross. But each story is a master class in hooking a reader from the very first sentence. Each story gave me whiplash. The only story I didn’t enjoy was Scars. It was too long-winded, had no clear path and while executed well, didn’t leave much of an impact on me.

Highlights

Photo of Agnieszka
Agnieszka@solmisol

“Ever since I was born, I existed only for you. I wanted to be irreplaceable to you, the only one in the world to somebody.”

Page 117
Photo of Agnieszka
Agnieszka@solmisol

Anyone who curses another person is sure to end up in a grave themselves.

Page 67
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Agnieszka@solmisol

They had spent too much of their marriage in a state of emotional detachment to really start making an effort to be affectionate now.

Page 16
Photo of maddie
maddie@king

Therefore, "a moment ago" was always the best moment, and the present was always better than the future.

Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa

"It's all very fine and well to rip open your opponent when it's an animal, but if you do that to another man, the mess afterwards is such a fuss to clean up."

Page 144

[Scars]

Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa

“In this way, he was still thinking of his daughter as no more than food for his son, who in turn was just gold for his purse.”

Page 101
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Natalie Stenson
Natalie Stenson@natalies

There was nothing left for me to wait for. But there I remained, standing in his bathroom, waiting for someone to miraculously find me, to release me from my ties to this life.

Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa

"People, you know, they're so funny. Don't you think? Just because they're afraid, they go about trusting in any old voice they hear around them, even when they can't see for the life of them."

Page 86

[The Frozen Finger]

Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa

“‘Then you better hurry up and find a man who's willing to be the father.’ ‘The child's father? Why?’ The doctor shot back, ‘You're carrying a child - of course the child needs a father!’”

Page 26

[The Embodiment] idk it’s like the woman suddenly became a mom but the men get to decide whether they want to have a kid ???? like “willing to be” also the baby literally doesn’t have a father so why does it suddenly NEED one if that makes sense

This highlight contains a spoiler