The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim

How often do we see a book written about Japanese occupation on Korean soil? It is almost the same as the review I wrote about the Aztecs (click here); which means that it’s almost rare for someone to pen a fictional novel based on such “touchy” issues. Thus, when I saw this book entitled “The Calligrapher’s Daughter by Eugenia Kim”, I didn’t even hesitate to bundle it up and bring it back home with me.

The storyline is about a young woman who fights for her future in a Japanese occupied Korea. Simple introduction nonetheless but it opens up with even greater promises in the first few chapters only to go downhill after that :-(

In its barest essence, it is about a privileged nameless daughter whose dad is a famous and aristocratic calligrapher simply known as Han. Initially despised by his dad, she remained nameless and only known by the make believe name of Najin Han.

As befitting the aristocratic families of ancient times, family ties were strengthened via arranged marriage. Thus, when his staunchly traditional dad arranged for her marriage to another aristocratic family of great lineage, her mom rebelled and sent Najin Han to serve as companion to a young princess in the dying imperial Korean court.

This sets precedence to chain of events in which her dad, mom, brother and the rest of the characters are embroiled in one hardship after another; trying to live their lives hanging between traditionalistic and modernistic approach in the midst of Japanese forced occupancy. Najin Han eventually got married but separated from her husband only to be reunited towards the end of the novel.

In my opinion, the background of this story is good as it introduced us to the ancient Korean customs and how it interacts and grow in tandem with the harsh occupancy of the Japanese regime on Korean soil.

On the other hand, continuous and on-going reference to Jesus Christ (seriously no offense meant here) peppered ubiquitously on every little thing and subjugation of fate to Holy interference sounds to me like an evangelists at work conveyed via the backdrop of historical fiction.


Personal rating: 6 out of 10 (note the "tone" of my review and you can basically judge the allure of this book)

Cons:
1)Read the review especially on the final paragraph.

Pros:
1)Read the review especially on the second final paragraph.