[Chungmuro Book Cafe] 'Pesteu' Regains Attention... A Memory of Hope Emerging Amid the COVID Crisis

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] In Italy, 475 people lost their lives on the 18th (local time) alone due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). As the COVID-19 crisis spreads uncontrollably, the Black Death that plunged Europe into the terror of death in the mid-14th century is once again being recalled among the population. In the Asia Economy bestseller rankings, French novelist Albert Camus (1913?1960)'s 'La Peste (The Plague, 1947)' topped the list.

Asia Economy selected bestsellers from books sold between the 11th and 17th. The rankings were based on sales volume from major online and offline bookstores such as Interpark, Yes24, and Kyobo Bookstore, combined with ratings from the newspaper’s culture department reporters.

'La Peste' is Camus's first novel, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. Born in the French colony of Algeria, he wrote the novel set in the Algerian city of Oran. The story depicts people trapped in the city after Oran was quarantined due to the outbreak of the plague.

'La Peste' recently gained special attention after being introduced on the tvN program 'These Days Bookstore: Reading Books for You,' which has a significant influence on the bestseller market. In the episode aired on the 10th, the program described 'La Peste' as a book that reminds us that any disaster can be overcome through human solidarity that does not lose hope.

The 8th-ranked book, 'The Birth of Leaders in an Age of Chaos,' also evokes the COVID-19 crisis at first glance. However, it is not directly related. 'The Birth of Leaders in an Age of Chaos' is a study of the leadership of four U.S. presidents who served during times of turmoil. During their administrations, the U.S. experienced the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Vietnam War.

The author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, explores in the book whether leaders are born or made. Born in 1943, historian Kearns Goodwin worked as an aide to President Lyndon Johnson at the White House when she was twenty-four. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995. Director Steven Spielberg also made the film 'Lincoln' (2012) based on Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 book 'Team of Rivals.'

'The Birth of Leaders in an Age of Chaos,' dealing with leadership, seems inevitably connected to the current situation of coping with the COVID-19 disaster. In 'La Peste,' the protagonist Dr. Rieux organizes a volunteer corps and acts as a leader, helping the intellectual Tarrou respond to the plague and emphasizing the importance of solidarity.

The book 'You Are Right,' written by psychiatrist and author Jung Hye-shin, re-entered the Asia Economy bestseller rankings about a year after its last appearance in late April last year. 'You Are Right' gained renewed attention after actress Moon So-ri mentioned it as a book she recently read on the Olive TV talk show 'Bob Bless You 2' on the 12th.

While 'The Secret of the Top 1 Percent at Harvard,' which contains success formulas found at Harvard University, and 'John Lee’s Habits for Becoming Rich,' written by the CEO of Meritz Asset Management, continue to remain on the bestseller list, 'The Having' newly entered the rankings.

The author of 'The Having' says that anyone can enjoy wealth and fortune by their own power even without inherited wealth, outstanding academic background, or exceptional talent. The secret is to feel fulfilled with what you currently have.

Recently, YouTube channels have also greatly influenced the bestseller landscape. Among them, 'Kim Mi-kyung TV' is one of the most influential channels. 'The One Phrase That Saved Me,' written by Kim Mi-kyung, the operator of 'Kim Mi-kyung TV,' ranked on the bestseller list immediately after its release on the 11th. The book contains sincere thoughts and feelings shared with her channel subscribers.

'If the Weather Is Good, I Will Visit You' and 'When I Don’t Even Know What I Want' dropped slightly in ranking compared to the previous tally (March 6) but still maintain high popularity. '1cm Diving,' a story about finding small happiness in life, rose three places compared to the last ranking.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.