Review by Lunastella -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
Posted: 14 Jan 2021, 19:02
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]
Embon, the grandson of Prince Aansoon, was born into utmost luxury but with an ominous palza (birth forecast). When he’s exposed to different ideas during his college experience, will he abandon his comfortable lifestyle and fight for Korea’s freedom? Will his palza dominate his destiny? The Vanished by Pejay Bradley shows, mainly through the eyes of Embon and his mother, Lady Sougyon, the struggle of Korean society during the Japanese regime at the first half of the XX century and their quest for freedom.
Most aspects of the book are well-developed. But what I liked the most was how naturally the author introduced different cultural aspects of Korean culture with which Westerners are not familiar. Pejay Bradley doesn’t resort to info-dumping, to tiresome and long descriptions, or even to footnotes. She seamlessly weaved all these elements in the narration, making The Vanished a priceless crash course into Korean culture at the same time that it is an unforgettable piece of fiction. I applaud that the author could convey such powerful feelings as she does without resorting to profanity.
There are some underdeveloped aspects of the novel. Namely, the motivations of the characters. Sometimes we don’t even know why Embon, the main character, acts the way he does. His relationship with his father is also left mainly unexplored. This can be explained, in my opinion, because the focus of the book is on Korean’s fight for freedom. The main downfall of this book, however, is the changing points of view. At first, the author alternates between a first-person narration in the voice of Lady Sougyon and a third-person narration, which is fine. Although I enjoyed Lady Sougyon’s point of view more, that’s a matter of personal taste. But the changes in the narrator are sudden, and, unexpectedly, Lady Sougyon’s point of view disappears. The ending, though strong, leaves us with some loose ends. Finally, I understand it’s not the author’s responsibility to educate us, but since the book is centered on Korean history, an epilogue about how Korea achieved its independence would’ve enriched the reading experience.
The book is professionally edited and contains just a few, minor mistakes. Because of this, the outstanding description of Korean culture, and the unique approach of portraying Korea's fight for independence through the eyes of a privileged family, I rate The Vanished by Pejay Bradley 4 out of 4 stars. What I considered flaws might well be a conscious stylistic choice of the author and do not diminish the quality of the book.
The Vanished is, due to the nature of the story, derogatory towards Japanese people. Some readers might fight this offensive, although I think the author just meant to be historically accurate. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or who want to learn more about Korea’s traditions and customs will enjoy The Vanished immensely. People who don’t have the patience for slow-paced stories or that prefer fantasy, romance, or thrillers might want to pick another book.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Embon, the grandson of Prince Aansoon, was born into utmost luxury but with an ominous palza (birth forecast). When he’s exposed to different ideas during his college experience, will he abandon his comfortable lifestyle and fight for Korea’s freedom? Will his palza dominate his destiny? The Vanished by Pejay Bradley shows, mainly through the eyes of Embon and his mother, Lady Sougyon, the struggle of Korean society during the Japanese regime at the first half of the XX century and their quest for freedom.
Most aspects of the book are well-developed. But what I liked the most was how naturally the author introduced different cultural aspects of Korean culture with which Westerners are not familiar. Pejay Bradley doesn’t resort to info-dumping, to tiresome and long descriptions, or even to footnotes. She seamlessly weaved all these elements in the narration, making The Vanished a priceless crash course into Korean culture at the same time that it is an unforgettable piece of fiction. I applaud that the author could convey such powerful feelings as she does without resorting to profanity.
There are some underdeveloped aspects of the novel. Namely, the motivations of the characters. Sometimes we don’t even know why Embon, the main character, acts the way he does. His relationship with his father is also left mainly unexplored. This can be explained, in my opinion, because the focus of the book is on Korean’s fight for freedom. The main downfall of this book, however, is the changing points of view. At first, the author alternates between a first-person narration in the voice of Lady Sougyon and a third-person narration, which is fine. Although I enjoyed Lady Sougyon’s point of view more, that’s a matter of personal taste. But the changes in the narrator are sudden, and, unexpectedly, Lady Sougyon’s point of view disappears. The ending, though strong, leaves us with some loose ends. Finally, I understand it’s not the author’s responsibility to educate us, but since the book is centered on Korean history, an epilogue about how Korea achieved its independence would’ve enriched the reading experience.
The book is professionally edited and contains just a few, minor mistakes. Because of this, the outstanding description of Korean culture, and the unique approach of portraying Korea's fight for independence through the eyes of a privileged family, I rate The Vanished by Pejay Bradley 4 out of 4 stars. What I considered flaws might well be a conscious stylistic choice of the author and do not diminish the quality of the book.
The Vanished is, due to the nature of the story, derogatory towards Japanese people. Some readers might fight this offensive, although I think the author just meant to be historically accurate. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or who want to learn more about Korea’s traditions and customs will enjoy The Vanished immensely. People who don’t have the patience for slow-paced stories or that prefer fantasy, romance, or thrillers might want to pick another book.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
, but it was so enjoyable to learn more! Thank you for your comment!
.