This book follows the true story of Yi Jin, a court dancer in the palace of the Korean king and queen in 1890. Jin was brought up by a seamstress when her pregnant and abandoned mother died of an illness. The seamstress' sister is a court lady, and through her association, Jin has access to the palace grounds. Jin catches the attention of the Queen who takes an interest in the girl.
Jin meets a French Catholic priest named Blanc and a mute orphan boy, Yeon who follows the priest around. Both people have an impact on her life. Blanc teaches Jin French. When Jin becomes a court dancer Yeon accompanies her with his daegeum flute. Jin becomes the favorite dancer in the court, mesmerizing all including visiting diplomats with the Dance of the Spring Oriole.
A French diplomat at the court, Victor Collin de Plancy falls in love with the dancer and persuades the King to allow him to take her back with him to Paris. There she is on display as a novelty even as she wears the latest fashions and adapts to French culture. She longs for home.
Jin's story is a love story but not in the traditional sense of girl meets boy and falls in love. Her's is not a happy ending. Korea is going through an upheaval as Japan asserts a dominating force over the land, usurping Chinese rule of the region. The court dancer's story plays out against the background of tremendous changes happening in the Korean Joseon dynasty.
Jin's life unfolds in a lyrical style. The writing is soothing and graceful, much like the Korean dances described. Other than an unusual use of the em dash to indicate dialogue instead of quotations and sometimes unclear pronoun antecedents, the writing is fluid and precise.
The reader develops a strong empathy for Jin which makes the ending all the more shocking. I recommend this book to those wishing to expand their knowledge of Korean history specifically and expose themselves to other cultures.
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Man Booker Asian Prize winner of PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM publishes her breathtaking new novel
An atmospheric, tragic novel ... Sorrow threads itself through the pages of The Court Dancer, yet there is a richness both to the period and the narrative as beautiful as any silk fan. Kyung-Sook Shin has become one of South Korea's most popular authors, and for good reason. Her deep understanding of the subtleties of the human heart effortlessly crosses borders and informs her portrait of a different place and a faraway time.
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Top reviews from other countries
Angelina
If I new this would break my heart...
Reviewed in Germany on November 12, 2023
Jimbo
An interesting historic novel about Korea
Reviewed in Australia on August 7, 2022
