Review by jalester -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
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jalester
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Review by jalester -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]
The Vanished: A Novel explores the lives of several generations of Korean families during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the early 20th century. Pejay Bradley, the author of this historical fiction, masterfully entwines throughout the book how the manners and customs of each older generation gradually vanish and are replaced by Western behaviors. After the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910, the Japanese invade Korea. They introduce their culture to the Korean cities by destroying them and substituting new architecture. This accelerated the vanishing of the old Korean traditions. The Japanese had already accepted and integrated Western culture.
Lady Sougyon is the daughter of a Korean prince and lives in Seoul, Korea. She is 32 years old and has a newborn son (Embon) from an estranged husband. She lives in splendor with many servants attending to her and her baby. Her life is consumed by the strict behaviors and very rigid customs of Korean royalty before the beginning of the Japanese invasion in 1894. Marriages are arranged, women are expected to be quiet, obedient and patient, and dressing properly requires a maid's assistance to apply make-up, choose jewelry and clothing, and prepare hair styles.
Mr. Seoh is part of the elite Korean yangban class. This upper middle class is a societal level between royalty and commoners. Mr.Seoh is a well-paid banker who works for a Japanese bank. Since he is the first born male in his clan, he has a big responsibility to support his large family. Much of the household work is done by his wife, since they only have one servant. Like most in the yangban class, Mr. Seoh wants his children educated in advanced countries and the traditional Korean customs begin to vanish. No longer important are the useless rituals and behavioral codes and the worship of ancestors.
Embon, Lady Sougyon's son, is friends with three students at the prestigious Japanese university where he studies. Old prejudices begin to vanish as boys from different societal classes mingle and they learn about Western culture and democracies. Early in the 1920s underground resistance groups form to fight for Korean independence from Japan. Many Koreans move to Shanghai to set up a provisional Korean government. Embon and his friends are arrested as political dissidents. Embon develops tuberculosis in jail and is released to return home to recover. He does not return to school. His mother hires a matchmaker to find a wife for him. The match is made with Mr. Seoh's oldest daughter, Insoon. After the wedding, Embon discovers that his three college friends are working in Shanghai for the provisional Korean government and he joins them there.
I think The Vanished: A Novel is very well written. The main characters speak directly to the reader, immediately drawing you into their lives. The author develops each story in chronological order and their lives become entwined in the final chapter. I was able to feel the emotions that the characters are feeling. Lady Sougyon's estranged husband causes frustrations and embarrassments for her. Mr. Seoh feels tremendous pride for his social position in society. The Korean people experience horrible fears and grief as their families and culture are destroyed by the Japanese invaders. And most of all, Embon and his friends feel the extreme excitement and fear when they join the resistance to save Korea and build a better future.
I think this is an amazing first novel by the author, Pejay Bradley. Since there is nothing about this book that I object to, I recommend it to anyone interested in history or in learning about the lifestyles and politics in cultures that are different than their own. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
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The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Vanished: A Novel explores the lives of several generations of Korean families during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the early 20th century. Pejay Bradley, the author of this historical fiction, masterfully entwines throughout the book how the manners and customs of each older generation gradually vanish and are replaced by Western behaviors. After the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910, the Japanese invade Korea. They introduce their culture to the Korean cities by destroying them and substituting new architecture. This accelerated the vanishing of the old Korean traditions. The Japanese had already accepted and integrated Western culture.
Lady Sougyon is the daughter of a Korean prince and lives in Seoul, Korea. She is 32 years old and has a newborn son (Embon) from an estranged husband. She lives in splendor with many servants attending to her and her baby. Her life is consumed by the strict behaviors and very rigid customs of Korean royalty before the beginning of the Japanese invasion in 1894. Marriages are arranged, women are expected to be quiet, obedient and patient, and dressing properly requires a maid's assistance to apply make-up, choose jewelry and clothing, and prepare hair styles.
Mr. Seoh is part of the elite Korean yangban class. This upper middle class is a societal level between royalty and commoners. Mr.Seoh is a well-paid banker who works for a Japanese bank. Since he is the first born male in his clan, he has a big responsibility to support his large family. Much of the household work is done by his wife, since they only have one servant. Like most in the yangban class, Mr. Seoh wants his children educated in advanced countries and the traditional Korean customs begin to vanish. No longer important are the useless rituals and behavioral codes and the worship of ancestors.
Embon, Lady Sougyon's son, is friends with three students at the prestigious Japanese university where he studies. Old prejudices begin to vanish as boys from different societal classes mingle and they learn about Western culture and democracies. Early in the 1920s underground resistance groups form to fight for Korean independence from Japan. Many Koreans move to Shanghai to set up a provisional Korean government. Embon and his friends are arrested as political dissidents. Embon develops tuberculosis in jail and is released to return home to recover. He does not return to school. His mother hires a matchmaker to find a wife for him. The match is made with Mr. Seoh's oldest daughter, Insoon. After the wedding, Embon discovers that his three college friends are working in Shanghai for the provisional Korean government and he joins them there.
I think The Vanished: A Novel is very well written. The main characters speak directly to the reader, immediately drawing you into their lives. The author develops each story in chronological order and their lives become entwined in the final chapter. I was able to feel the emotions that the characters are feeling. Lady Sougyon's estranged husband causes frustrations and embarrassments for her. Mr. Seoh feels tremendous pride for his social position in society. The Korean people experience horrible fears and grief as their families and culture are destroyed by the Japanese invaders. And most of all, Embon and his friends feel the extreme excitement and fear when they join the resistance to save Korea and build a better future.
I think this is an amazing first novel by the author, Pejay Bradley. Since there is nothing about this book that I object to, I recommend it to anyone interested in history or in learning about the lifestyles and politics in cultures that are different than their own. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
