Lost Names Chase Mereness, Afton Voigt

Title: Lost Names, scenes from a Korean boyhood

Author: Richard E. Kim

Richard E. Kim

Published: 1970

Name And Description of Main Character: Most of the story we don't have a name but later we find out the author is the main character and he's recapping on his life.

Setting Of Book: Korea/Manchuria from about 1910-1945, during Japanese occupation.

The Story Takes place along the border of Korea and Manchuria.

Synopsis: The Story Lost Names by Richard E. Kim follows the life of a young Korean boy growing up within the process of the Japanese invasion and occupation of Korea. Throughout the story you're taken on a roller coaster of emotions as the main character has to deal with the life of going to school and being forced to learn false information through the Japanese, not to mention emotional and physical abuse. And eventually growing into a man and going to war, the story of Richard E. Kim is an excellent read.

You Should Read this book if... You have an interest in how the life of living in a country occupied by invaders is like for the citizens, and how WW2 was like for people in the countries the war takes place.

You Should Not read this book if... There really is no reason not to read any book, the story is good and it is interesting to hear through a standpoint of somebody in the fray of the war.

The Best Part Of The Book: When Richard or the main character gets his last name changed so he isn't a focused threat to the Japanese, because his father was previously imprisoned for speaking out against the Japanese.

Climax of The Book: When Richard Stands up for his classmate in class and he gets beaten by his Japanese teacher, and in the process ends up getting his friend beat more, then blamed and belittled for the beating.

Best Character In The Book: Richard, The Main character by far, as he is the main focus and you get the most attached to him, especially when he loses his friend while fighting in the war, you really can feel the emotion and feel for him. But His childhood friend nicknamed "Pumpkin" was a fun character, with a fun name of course, who provided a good visual.

How I Imagined Pumpkin.

One Thing This Book Did Well: The Book Did a great job showing us the effect an invading country has on a helpless country, and the aftermath that follows. It Also Portrayed emotion and how the main character was feeling very well. The Overall Emotion of the story and the overlying mood was dark and depressing which really makes you feel for all the people in the situation.

One Thing This Book Did Poorly: There Were MANY gaps in time in the story, though the story does take place over a 35 year period, so it is understandable.

RATING

Amount of action: 4

Amount Of Humor: 2

Amount Of Seriousness: 10

How Difficult The Book Was: 0

How Good The Book Is Overall: 6

Credits:

Created with images by born1945 - "Namdaemun (Great South Gate) in Seoul, Korea" • Conor Lawless - "Gaillimh"

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