Official Review: Chosun by J. Scott Payne

[Eriny Youssef]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Chosun" by J. Scott Payne.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Chosun is a fictional novel about the Korean War. The main character and narrator is Sergeant Charlie Riegle. The book starts right in the middle of the battlefield where Sergeant Riegle is preoccupied with handling the anticipated invasions. He was disappointed when he found his peers spending more time with their "mooses" than focusing on their jobs. Riegle didn't support this practice and refused to follow suit.

The events unfold as we follow Sergeant Reigle's assignment to different locations. He takes off from Japan to Korea and this is when things get heavy. While combating the Reds, the Chinese, and whatever the war brings, many of the characters introduced lose their lives. With everything that's happening, we read about a love story born in the middle of the war between an American Sergeant and a Japanese-speaking Korean girl. The story is about Riegle but also the army troops and the war-affected parts of the world in general. So, contrary to what you might expect, this war novel won't be boring.

What I loved about this book is that it discusses parts of the war other than the war itself. Author J. Scott Payne, having served in the Korean War himself, gives details about the soldier's life during that time. For example, he mentions how the main character enlisted again in the army after failing to find a better option in the normal life. He also describes the true hardship of having to sleep daily in a war zone and spend special occasions away from home. The book tells everything that happens along the way, not just who won who using which weapons. It describes the good and the bad. These details are a bonus if you want to know more about this topic. It lets you live the events as if you were there. However, it may come across as too much for some readers.

This book is told from one point of view. This means all the events and opinions follow this American point of view. War books can be very controversial when it comes to this. Several of the terms used may not be preferred by some readers from specific backgrounds. Some of these terms are "moose," "gooks," "negro," and "chinks." It is, of course, understandable that those were the terms used at that time and they helped the author paint a picture true to reality.

To this end, I should say there's nothing that I personally disliked about the book. However, the author shows a strong, opposing opinion of General MacArthur and the Inchon landing which can be off-putting to readers of a different opinion. Also, I found the chapters to be too short. This caused the reading process to be frequently disrupted but the effect was only minimal.

I give Chosun 3 out of 4 stars. The points mentioned and the occasional errors I found in the text held back the fourth star. The text is well written and professionally edited with just a few errors. The author did an awesome job in capturing the different cultures and nationalities by crafting distinct dialogues. He also explored the impact of the war from different angles.

I highly recommend this book to veterans who served in any war but especially the Korean War. Also, I encourage lovers of war novels and history enthusiasts to read it. I learned a few new things about the war that I didn't know before. The book contains graphic descriptions of killings and injuries. It also discusses the role of sex during war times and the use of women to satisfy sexual needs. So, if you're uncomfortable with any of these, this book may not be suitable for you. Otherwise, enjoy an inside scoop on the Korean War told by someone who's been there himself.

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Chosun
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