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The leader of the Korean band BTS, Kim Namjoon, is a multilingual with an IQ of 148 who has written and produced record- breaking songs. He has delivered thought-provoking lectures at the White House and the UN General Assembly, among other international venues.
The songs on Indigo, his first solo studio album, represented his relationship and path of being a celebrity. His passion for books and insatiable reading habits demonstrate his appreciation of philosophy and art. His favorite books span from philosophical to feminist classics, and he's addressed how reading various novels has impacted his songwriting. This in turn has produced some of BTS' most well-known songs.
The rapper and songwriter from the K-pop powerhouse, BTS, has often recommended his favorite books to his fans. These include The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, among others.
From Eloge De L'Amour to The Agony of Eros: 5 books from Namjoon's personal favorites
1) Jigeum Algo Inneun-geol Geuttaedo Aratdeoramyeon — Book by Shiva Ryu
In his interview with DAZED Korea in September 2023, Kim Namjoon read a poem from The Answer by Gertrude Stein from the Korean book Jigeum Algo Inneun-geol Geuttaedo Aratdeoramyeon which translates to If I Had Known Then What I Know Now.
The book is an anthology of proverbs drawn from the admissions or prayers of common people. These include an American-born woman, a nun, an orthodox Rabbi, an Islamic spiritual poet, a beggar, an AIDS patient, amongst others.
2) The Agony of Eros — Book by Byung-Chul Han
Renowned European philosopher Byung-Chul Han examines the dangers that modern culture poses to desire and love. In an age of individuality and technology, he feels that love necessitates embracing self-negligence to find the "Other," as the self is frequently erased. In Han's continuing examination of modern society, The Agony of Eros explores how love is different from how it is perceived in society.
In the interview with Dazed Korea, Namjoon explained that reading this book made him reflect a lot and introspect his ideologies and beliefs of love over the years. He also added that it helped him with his music.
3) Eloge De L'Amour — Book by Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou feels that love is in peril in today's consumerism-filled society, where internet dating offers risk-free romance, and love is too frequently viewed as a hedonistic and desire-driven subset. According to Badiou, love is an ongoing quest for truth and an existential enterprise, that challenges two people to perceive the world from the perspectives of two instead of one, changing their lives forever.
The book encourages us to embrace it as a fantastic endeavor that pushes us to discover others and get detached from a fixation with ourselves, using thought-provoking speech that was culled from a discussion between Badiou and Truong. Another remarkable book from Namjoon's personal favorites, which he even mentioned during his interview with DAZED Korea.
4) The Unbearable Lightness of Being — Book by Milan Kundera
In Milan Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a young lady falls in love with a guy. This guy happens to be divided between his undying love for her and his compulsive womanizing, as well as between one of his mistresses and her obediently devoted spouse.
This book juxtaposes far-off locales, insightful and lighthearted musings, and a multitude of literary genres. During his 2017 KBS interview, Namjoon categorized this book by Milan Kundera as his top favorite.
5) Early Death — Book by Cho Yonghoon
Cho Yong Hoon's book, Dying Young, explores the lives and creative output of twelve Korean artists who passed away at a young age, yet left behind lasting footprints that continue to this day.
This book is only accessible in Korean. After being out of print for ten years, it was reissued in 2021 as a result of Namjoon's influence. The book sold out across all platforms. Later, Hyoyeong Publishing, the book's publisher, said that the book had been uploaded to other platforms so that Namjoon's fans could purchase it.
Several other books were recommended by the BTS leader Namjoon aka RM. Some of these include Demian by Hermann Hesse, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, and Human Acts by Han Kang (translated by Deborah Smith).
Other suggestions are Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, The Stranger by Albert Camus, 1984 by George Orwell, Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, and Almond by Sohn Won-pyung.
