Review of The Vanished
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Sarah Schmidt
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Review of The Vanished
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]
The Vanished is a historical fiction novel written by Pejay Bradley. Set in the early twentieth century, it describes a young aristocrat’s life during the annexation of Korea by the Empire of Japan. This story tells of a people’s pride in their heritage and their fight for the preservation of their culture.
Embon is born to Lady Sougyon, daughter of Prince Aansoon, cousin to King Golong of Korea. The estranged relationship between his parents means he is raised solely by his mother. Her open-mindedness makes room for a liberal upbringing, deemed as such by the social conventions of that time. Known as a child prodigy, Embon is accepted into the prestigious Hokkaido Imperial University, with the exclusive school boasting a superior quality of education. There he meets other likeminded youngsters who share the belief that their beloved Josun should be free of a foreign country’s rule. Their conversations attract unwanted notice, leading to Embon’s imprisonment under suspicion of collusion with anti-Japanese factions. Starved, emaciated, and having contracted tuberculosis, he is released when details of his status come to light. Despite his release and subsequent return to Korea, he still remembers witnessing the oppression of his people by the Japanese, motivating him to visit Shanghai and join the forbidden Korean Provisional Government.
I really enjoyed this book. The cultural aspects were appealing, particularly as it has to do with the social castes, such as the yangbans, the elite Korean gentlemen’s class, and the sangnoms, the working class. It was interesting learning about the privileges afforded to the yangbans, as well as to see the social structure that was determined by bloodline, influencing marriage prospects and deciding accepted practices for each stratum. I love historical fiction, and the fact that The Vanished is historically accurate made it even more of a treat.
It was also informative to read an account, if fictional, of Japan’s occupation of Korea from the vantage point of a young Korean aristocrat. The atmosphere is fraught and tense with the sentiments of the Koreans subjugated to Japan’s occupation. It evoked feelings of sympathy, especially as it concerns the wiping out of five millennia of heritage and culture. The control exerted over the Koreans led to certain atrocities being committed against them, including the forced changing of their monosyllabic surnames to Japanese multisyllabic names and the mandate that only the colonizer’s language must be spoken in schools and universities.
I kept wondering what happened to Princess Sougyon. The story starts with her, and I thought, apart from having birthed and raised Embon, that she would have had a more crucial role in this book. She is described as educated and opinionated, traits not so prevalent in the woman of that era, and she also narrates some of Embon’s own experiences. I did like the powerful ending of the story, as Embon gets hit with tragic losses that awaken his verve and will to fight for his country, but I disliked that the book was wrapped up without more details about his mother.
There was nothing to complain about as it relates to the writing quality. Apart from having an impressive style of writing, I was glad to note that the book was nearly free of mistakes. I found only three errors, which were negligible, so I assume that this book has been professionally edited.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. With a superb style and standard of writing and a fascinating storyline, this book is deserving of a perfect rating. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy Asian historical fiction, specifically as it relates to the colonial rule of the Japanese Empire over the territory of Korea, as well as those readers who enjoy stories about underground rebellions. I would not recommend The Vanished to people who prefer romantic historical fiction books.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Vanished is a historical fiction novel written by Pejay Bradley. Set in the early twentieth century, it describes a young aristocrat’s life during the annexation of Korea by the Empire of Japan. This story tells of a people’s pride in their heritage and their fight for the preservation of their culture.
Embon is born to Lady Sougyon, daughter of Prince Aansoon, cousin to King Golong of Korea. The estranged relationship between his parents means he is raised solely by his mother. Her open-mindedness makes room for a liberal upbringing, deemed as such by the social conventions of that time. Known as a child prodigy, Embon is accepted into the prestigious Hokkaido Imperial University, with the exclusive school boasting a superior quality of education. There he meets other likeminded youngsters who share the belief that their beloved Josun should be free of a foreign country’s rule. Their conversations attract unwanted notice, leading to Embon’s imprisonment under suspicion of collusion with anti-Japanese factions. Starved, emaciated, and having contracted tuberculosis, he is released when details of his status come to light. Despite his release and subsequent return to Korea, he still remembers witnessing the oppression of his people by the Japanese, motivating him to visit Shanghai and join the forbidden Korean Provisional Government.
I really enjoyed this book. The cultural aspects were appealing, particularly as it has to do with the social castes, such as the yangbans, the elite Korean gentlemen’s class, and the sangnoms, the working class. It was interesting learning about the privileges afforded to the yangbans, as well as to see the social structure that was determined by bloodline, influencing marriage prospects and deciding accepted practices for each stratum. I love historical fiction, and the fact that The Vanished is historically accurate made it even more of a treat.
It was also informative to read an account, if fictional, of Japan’s occupation of Korea from the vantage point of a young Korean aristocrat. The atmosphere is fraught and tense with the sentiments of the Koreans subjugated to Japan’s occupation. It evoked feelings of sympathy, especially as it concerns the wiping out of five millennia of heritage and culture. The control exerted over the Koreans led to certain atrocities being committed against them, including the forced changing of their monosyllabic surnames to Japanese multisyllabic names and the mandate that only the colonizer’s language must be spoken in schools and universities.
I kept wondering what happened to Princess Sougyon. The story starts with her, and I thought, apart from having birthed and raised Embon, that she would have had a more crucial role in this book. She is described as educated and opinionated, traits not so prevalent in the woman of that era, and she also narrates some of Embon’s own experiences. I did like the powerful ending of the story, as Embon gets hit with tragic losses that awaken his verve and will to fight for his country, but I disliked that the book was wrapped up without more details about his mother.
There was nothing to complain about as it relates to the writing quality. Apart from having an impressive style of writing, I was glad to note that the book was nearly free of mistakes. I found only three errors, which were negligible, so I assume that this book has been professionally edited.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. With a superb style and standard of writing and a fascinating storyline, this book is deserving of a perfect rating. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy Asian historical fiction, specifically as it relates to the colonial rule of the Japanese Empire over the territory of Korea, as well as those readers who enjoy stories about underground rebellions. I would not recommend The Vanished to people who prefer romantic historical fiction books.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Artwords by Beatriz M. Robles
