After completing this novel, I had difficulty falling asleep that night, my mind wrestling with questions about the issues that determined the fate of each character. How much is preordained by the wartime setting and specifically, the occupation of Korea by Japan in the first decades of the 20th century? To what degree did the characters thrive or suffer based on factors related to their gender, family and social circumstances, or the peculiarities of their individual personalities and life philosophies? I think this novel will appeal to readers who love to learn about history during periods of great social upheaval, but even more to those who want to contemplate the events and choices that determine our fate.
I highly enjoyed the book and will continue to think about it for a long time.

If you find yourself struggling to maintain any sense of optimism after following national politics through daily news and opinion pieces, this book throws you a lifeline.
After reading the Splendid and the Vile, particularly the personal accounts captured in the diaries of leaders and everyday citizens, I am allowing myself to latch on to their coattails to find the inspiration and to carry on.