MADreads

Famous Korean love trilogy now available in U.S.

October 1st, 2009 Molly - Central

I wish I had known this before I started reading The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa: the author is a very famous creator of Korean manhwa, which is a general term for comics and cartoons in Korea, and it was a big deal for him to write a graphic novel series about women.  I didn’t learn this until I read the afterword, and it really makes a difference in the story, at least for me.

The Color of Earth is the first in a trilogy featuring a young girl named Ehwa and her mother, a widowed tavern owner in a country village around the turn of the century in Korea.  Ehwa ages from about seven years to fifteen in the first book and while she is experiencing a sexual awakening, her mother is experiencing a sexual re-awakening.  This is where I wish I had known it was a big deal for this author to be writing about women, because I was initially skeptical.  Something seemed a little off to me, and I wasn’t sure if it was the translation or the culture or the time period in which the story was set.  After reading the very earnest author’s note and learning a little more about him and what he’s all about, I re-read the first book with a heightened sensitivity and it meant a lot more.

The second book in the trilogy, The Color of Water, was released in the U.S. earlier this summer and focuses on a teen-age Ehwa in her first serious love relationship and her mother’s on/off relationship with a traveling salesman.  There’s a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end, with both mother and daughter basically left alone and in tears.  The third book, The Color of Heaven, was released in September, so you won’t have to wait a long time to find out what happens to Ehwa and her mother, which is good, because you can’t help but want these two to be happy.

The artwork is exceptionally beautiful.  There is so much attention to the Korean landscape, flowers and insects in particular, many of which are symbolic, that at times it is hard to keep going with the story.  Your eyes will be busy appreciating the illustrations.

And the U.S. publication of the trilogy is tailor made for book groups, (if your book group is cool with sexual content in a graphic novel format).  The second book has a reading guide in the back of the book and questions for groups that pertain to the relationships, the location and time period for books one and two.  It’s a wonderful story and whether you are new to the genre or a die-hard fan of graphic novels, you won’t want to miss this.

Entry Filed under: Graphic Novel