Review by Nferdi20 -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
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Nferdi20
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Review by Nferdi20 -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]
Title: The Vanished
Author: Pejay Bradley
Publisher: Self-Published
Date: March 1, 2019
Pages: 221
The Vanished by Pejay Bradley is a historical fiction novel based on Japan's occupation of Korea in the early 19th century, changing the previous way of life forever. The book describes how aristocrats, with their problems such as unhappy arranged marriages and country peasants who live meager lives, unite to seek Korea's sovereignty and civil rights against Japan. Embon, a pampered aristocrat and a product of an arranged marriage, and his college friends work valiantly to gather support to overthrow Japan and remove them from their country. His mother, Lady Sousyon, daughter of a prince, is a disappointed woman. She only wants what she thinks is best for her beloved son and encourages him to become educated. The Vanished is also a story of love and loss, stifling traditions imprisoning men and women's rights, social class differences, and the fight for democracy against a ruthless and oppressive Japanese regime.
The book is a pleasure to read because of the various literary devices used to illustrate the exotic beauty often found in Asian stories. I enjoyed the imagery the author used to describe the manicured gardens replete with flowers, vines, trees, and the aristocrats' colorful clothes and home furnishings. I also appreciated Embon's mother's analogy made of the rare magnificent rose bush in her garden to her son's future life as pure love. The writer's writing style brought the fragrance of the roses, flowers, and visualization of the whimsical gardens surrounding Lady Sousyon's home. The scenery descriptions brought back beautiful memories of my trip to Asia a few years ago, walking among the pink Cherry tree and Manchurian violet blossoms.
I did not want to put the book down because it read like an excellent literary novel; however, I was not too fond of two things. One, the story ended when Embon finally figured out what he needed to do. The finale left me wondering how he planned to continue his freedom fighting. Second, the account used flashbacks to tell the story of Mitzuko and Embon's relationship. I believe her inclusion in the story as one of the principal characters would have enhanced the story's plot. On the other hand, the author did a remarkable job using personification to describe the grief over the King's death, "the grief over his death was so profound that every mountain, every river in the country, the sky and the earth had wept along with his people." I also liked using "huge blackbirds" to represent death and the various metaphors and similes mentioned throughout the narrative to accentuate the tension and dialogue between the characters and the Korean proverbs to reveal the bare truth.
The book is a worthwhile read for all readers, especially for readers who like to read stories set in rich tumultuous Asian history and royal dynasties. Along the same lines but set in the middle of WWII is The Island of Sea Women: A Novel, by Lisa See. Both tell stories of Korean men and women's heroic efforts to fight in small and significant ways against Japan, thus paving the way for civil rights and eventual gender equality for South Korean women. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is professionally researched, written, and edited.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Title: The Vanished
Author: Pejay Bradley
Publisher: Self-Published
Date: March 1, 2019
Pages: 221
The Vanished by Pejay Bradley is a historical fiction novel based on Japan's occupation of Korea in the early 19th century, changing the previous way of life forever. The book describes how aristocrats, with their problems such as unhappy arranged marriages and country peasants who live meager lives, unite to seek Korea's sovereignty and civil rights against Japan. Embon, a pampered aristocrat and a product of an arranged marriage, and his college friends work valiantly to gather support to overthrow Japan and remove them from their country. His mother, Lady Sousyon, daughter of a prince, is a disappointed woman. She only wants what she thinks is best for her beloved son and encourages him to become educated. The Vanished is also a story of love and loss, stifling traditions imprisoning men and women's rights, social class differences, and the fight for democracy against a ruthless and oppressive Japanese regime.
The book is a pleasure to read because of the various literary devices used to illustrate the exotic beauty often found in Asian stories. I enjoyed the imagery the author used to describe the manicured gardens replete with flowers, vines, trees, and the aristocrats' colorful clothes and home furnishings. I also appreciated Embon's mother's analogy made of the rare magnificent rose bush in her garden to her son's future life as pure love. The writer's writing style brought the fragrance of the roses, flowers, and visualization of the whimsical gardens surrounding Lady Sousyon's home. The scenery descriptions brought back beautiful memories of my trip to Asia a few years ago, walking among the pink Cherry tree and Manchurian violet blossoms.
I did not want to put the book down because it read like an excellent literary novel; however, I was not too fond of two things. One, the story ended when Embon finally figured out what he needed to do. The finale left me wondering how he planned to continue his freedom fighting. Second, the account used flashbacks to tell the story of Mitzuko and Embon's relationship. I believe her inclusion in the story as one of the principal characters would have enhanced the story's plot. On the other hand, the author did a remarkable job using personification to describe the grief over the King's death, "the grief over his death was so profound that every mountain, every river in the country, the sky and the earth had wept along with his people." I also liked using "huge blackbirds" to represent death and the various metaphors and similes mentioned throughout the narrative to accentuate the tension and dialogue between the characters and the Korean proverbs to reveal the bare truth.
The book is a worthwhile read for all readers, especially for readers who like to read stories set in rich tumultuous Asian history and royal dynasties. Along the same lines but set in the middle of WWII is The Island of Sea Women: A Novel, by Lisa See. Both tell stories of Korean men and women's heroic efforts to fight in small and significant ways against Japan, thus paving the way for civil rights and eventual gender equality for South Korean women. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it is professionally researched, written, and edited.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: When No One Else Believed by Ron Tripodo
