Review by Teele -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
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Teele
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Review by Teele -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]
Oppression comes in different shades. The lust for power can lead to a lack of human kindness and promote mutual hatred. The Vanished by Pejay Bradley recaps the sufferings experienced by the Koreans at the hands of their powerful neighbor, Japan.
Embon is the progeny of a Korean royal family and the only child of his parents. His mother endured the scathing humiliation of being an abandoned wife. Despite the lack of fatherly care, he grew up to be a fine young man. The Japanese resistance movement was gaining traction, and he could not remain unaffected. His close friends, Hain Park and Yangwoo, are underground activists for the provisional Korean government, and he soon found himself drawn to their cause. Will they escape the brutal punishment meted out on resisters? Will Embon consent to his arranged marriage? Will Koo Daesik succeed in his quest? Is King Gojong a bad king? These are a few of the questions that were answered as the story unfolds.
Pejay Bradley succeeded in writing a natural and smooth-flowing narrative, which allows for an effortless read. The point of view in each chapter switches between the different characters. This is what I love most about this book. Just when I began wondering how Prince Aansoon felt about his daughter's ailing marriage, I turned the page to find the Prince sharing his thoughts.
This book gave me exposure to the religion, culture, and struggles of Koreans. It gave in-depth knowledge of the scope of Japan's dominance over Korea in the 1920s. The narrative was quite descriptive. I could imagine how cold Embon's cell was when the narrative said 'A week went by, and Embon was chilled to his bones. He didn’t think a hundred blankets would keep him warm; his discomfort went too far. He began to tremble, and he developed a raging fever.' The arrangement of the story was another fascinating aspect of the book. Independent characters later came in contact with each other as the story progressed. This made the book a lot more interesting.
While reading about Embon as a youngster, I observed that his mother seemed permissive and even allowed him to be disrespectful to older servants. This is my only dislike about this book. I believe children need proper home training, otherwise, they might grow up with very undesirable traits. Asides from this, I have no other issues with this book. Its editing was top notch and devoid of errors. I rate The Vanished 4 out of 4 stars. It was beautifully written. I recommend it to readers who have an interest in Korean history.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Oppression comes in different shades. The lust for power can lead to a lack of human kindness and promote mutual hatred. The Vanished by Pejay Bradley recaps the sufferings experienced by the Koreans at the hands of their powerful neighbor, Japan.
Embon is the progeny of a Korean royal family and the only child of his parents. His mother endured the scathing humiliation of being an abandoned wife. Despite the lack of fatherly care, he grew up to be a fine young man. The Japanese resistance movement was gaining traction, and he could not remain unaffected. His close friends, Hain Park and Yangwoo, are underground activists for the provisional Korean government, and he soon found himself drawn to their cause. Will they escape the brutal punishment meted out on resisters? Will Embon consent to his arranged marriage? Will Koo Daesik succeed in his quest? Is King Gojong a bad king? These are a few of the questions that were answered as the story unfolds.
Pejay Bradley succeeded in writing a natural and smooth-flowing narrative, which allows for an effortless read. The point of view in each chapter switches between the different characters. This is what I love most about this book. Just when I began wondering how Prince Aansoon felt about his daughter's ailing marriage, I turned the page to find the Prince sharing his thoughts.
This book gave me exposure to the religion, culture, and struggles of Koreans. It gave in-depth knowledge of the scope of Japan's dominance over Korea in the 1920s. The narrative was quite descriptive. I could imagine how cold Embon's cell was when the narrative said 'A week went by, and Embon was chilled to his bones. He didn’t think a hundred blankets would keep him warm; his discomfort went too far. He began to tremble, and he developed a raging fever.' The arrangement of the story was another fascinating aspect of the book. Independent characters later came in contact with each other as the story progressed. This made the book a lot more interesting.
While reading about Embon as a youngster, I observed that his mother seemed permissive and even allowed him to be disrespectful to older servants. This is my only dislike about this book. I believe children need proper home training, otherwise, they might grow up with very undesirable traits. Asides from this, I have no other issues with this book. Its editing was top notch and devoid of errors. I rate The Vanished 4 out of 4 stars. It was beautifully written. I recommend it to readers who have an interest in Korean history.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: More Hype Than Glory by Tom Hyde
