[Weekend Bookstores] Seneca, a Million-Subscriber Pick, Tops the Chart… “Odyssey” Jumps 30 Spots as the Movie Hits

“Hawaii Mansion,” a Million-Subscriber Pick, a Twist on the Classics… “Odyssey” Charges Ahead With a 30-Spot Surge

Takes overall No. 1 in the second week of August; box-office momentum at the theaters sparks a spike in sales of the original book

A major YouTuber with 1 million subscribers, “Hawaii Mansion,” whose creator has adapted the work, has helped the humanities book “Seneca, to the One Whose Life Is Being Stolen Today” land at the very top of the bookstore charts. At the same time, propelled by screen success, classic epic “Odyssey” related books are drawing keen attention in the publishing world, tracing a steep reverse-riding trend line.

The return of ancient philosophy and the steady foothold of fiction

According to Kyobo Bookstore’s report on bestseller trends for the second week of August, released on the 14th, “Seneca, to the One Whose Life Is Being Stolen Today” climbed four spots from the previous week to seize the overall No. 1 throne. The result is a work woven by extracting only the key ideas from Seneca’s “Dialogues”—the core reasoning drawn from the Stoic philosopher who dominated the Roman imperial era—into 55 sharp, memorable one-liners.

The novel category’s heavy presence remains unchanged as well. Author Ryuhyuk Yoo’s “Aquarium” landed at No. 2, while “The Transparent Spiral” by Higashino Keigo, a master of Japanese detective fiction, grabbed No. 3. Hermann Hesse’s “Siddhartha” and Yang Kwi-ja’s “Contradiction”—proof of the staying power of the classics—also earned spots at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively, demonstrating readers’ steadfast support.

Movie fever spills onto the printed page, triggering an original-book reverse-riding craze

A media-mix phenomenon was also spotted in which the heat in theater districts flows directly into the bookstore scene. The blockbuster surge of the recently released film “Odyssey”, now at the center of attention, led to explosive demand for the original books. Published by Hyundae Jisung, the complete ancient Greek edition of Homer’s long epic “Odysseia” surged straight up by 30 spots to rank at No. 8.

A person at Kyobo Bookstore analyzed, “The complete translations also unveiled separately by Eulyoo Culture Publishing Co., Ltd. and Book Publishing Forest entered the humanities category at No. 10 and No. 12, respectively. In addition, commentary books that help busy modern readers grasp vast classics at a glance—such as ‘Odysseia in One Night’—are also winning their choices.”

◇ Kyobo Bookstore’s August second-week bestseller rankings (based on sales from August 5 through 11)

1. “Seneca, to the One Whose Life Is Being Stolen Today” (Seneca · nonfiction)

2. “Aquarium” (Ryuhyuk Yoo · Poster Shop)

3. “The Transparent Spiral” (Keigo Higashino · Bookda)

4. “Siddhartha” (Hermann Hesse · Minumsa)

5. “Nietzsche’s Overman” (Friedrich Nietzsche · Heut)

6. “Contradiction” (Yang Kwi-ja · Suda)

7. “Cosmos” (Carl Sagan · Science Books)

8. “Odysseia” (Homer · Hyundae Jisung)

9. “My First Real Estate Textbook” (Song Hee-gu · Seosamsok)

10. “A Typical Brother-Sister, Imugi 4” (A Typical Brother-Sister · Mirae N I-seum)