Korean American Books

Summaries and reviews of fiction and nonfiction books by Korean American authors,
books about Korean Americans and Korea, and Korean literature in English translation,
including some academic works and a sampling on the Korean War

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Women of Uneasy Virtue, by Paul Luchessa

[Publisher’s description] East meets West on intimate terms in this striking series of sketches and stories about modern Korean women, most of them involved with western men. Frankly sexual in nature, the stories reflect the oriental approach to the war between the sexes.
The women are drawn from all levels of Korean society, beginning with the lowest--prostitutes. The first section deals mainly with prostitutes working out of the ‘ville,’ the army camptown in Seoul. The brutalized lives of typical ville whores are described in short, dispassionate sketches.
The tales move through the predicaments of women in the lower orders of the social structure--hostesses, serving girls, runaways and other misfits. There are also shop girls, students, a nurse, and a mail order bride.
Moving up the ladder, there are tales of women who have risen high in society, only to find themselves alone or dissatisfied. These include a professor, a television anchorwoman, and a former Miss Korea.
Despite the sadness of many of the tales in this book, it is ultimately a celebration of the strength, beauty, and passionate nature of Korean women.

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