|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
Starred Review in 7/1 Booklist
The first in a trilogy, this beautifully scripted and drawn Korean manhwa provides a truly intimate but respectful journey in the company of a young girl and her widowed mother. Spanning Ehwa's life from age seven to 16, each chapter shows the progress of her sexual awakening, much more as an emotional and social reality than a set of physical circumstances. As Ehwa moves from the open curiosity of childhood that fixates on body parts to the mysteries of attraction and her own heartbreak, she and her mother navigate common issues that range from defending one's feelings from bullies (little boys in Ehwa's life; gossipy men in her mother's) to mutual attraction (a young monk and a visiting boy from a more monied class for Ehwa; an itinerant painter/scholar for her mother). The mother and daughter share their stories with each other in a developmentally appropriate and credible fashion. The black-and-white art is presented in generous panels and several full-page spreads. While there is some nudity appropriate to the narrative, both the natural and social worlds are depicted to call attention to facial expressions rather than body parts. A variety of flowers adorns the pages, lending a palpable scent of perfume to this heady and gentle read. This is an exquisite and feminist-positive story richly literate and imaginative. Readers will eagerly await the subsequent volumes. – Francisca Goldsmith
Review in 4/20 PW
This manhwa—first in a trilogy—chronicling the lives of a single mother and her daughter in rural Korea is a moving and evocative look at love as seen through the eyes of one feeling it for the first time and another who longs to savor it once more. The story follows daughter Ehwa from age seven up as she discovers the physical differences between boys and girls, grows into young womanhood and undergoes her initial confusing experiences with attraction and romance. Ehwa’s interest is piqued by a young Buddhist monk, a lad whose interest is mutual but doomed to futility thanks to his faith’s strict code of celibacy. Meanwhile, Ehwa’s mother, who was widowed at an early age, finds her loneliness soothed by the attentions of an artistic traveling salesman known only as “Picture Man.” Their relationship later helps Ehwa understand much about the joys of making a romantic connection. This book has no conflict other than that common to youthful competition over boys, but it is a work of great humanity that sucks the reader in. Kim’s artwork is stunning, and seldom has a male writer captured the attitudes, emotions and behavior of female characters so believably. (Apr.)
Review in 3/15 Kirkus
Manga master Kim releases the first in a trilogy of graphic novels that trace the coming of age of a young girl in pastoral Korea. Ehwa lives with her mother, a widowed tavern keeper ostracized by fellow villagers for her independent lifestyle. But an unexpected visit from a traveling salesman ignites a flame of desire in her mother that lays the groundwork for Ehwa’s exploration of her own sexual awakening. Flower and water motifs course steadily through the author’s erotically tinted observations of daily life, but the breathtakingly elegant line drawings of Korean landscapes elevate the use of such standard metaphors for fertility and sexuality. Furthermore, the author is able to evoke nuances of emotion from stock-character forms in a genre not known for its subtlety. Despite his best intentions, however, yang clearly overpowers the mystique of the yin in this opener: Stereotypes—among those referenced here are that women talk a lot, are emotionally fragile and must rely on men for their sexual fulfillment—dot the otherwise unblemished landscapes that saturate this enchanting meditation on love and longing. (Graphic novel. 14 & up)
Recommended Review in 5/1 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
In this first manhwa (Korean graphic novel) of a trilogy (based on the author’s youth and set in rural Korea), Ehwa grows from a naïve six-year-old girl taunted by local boys for not having a penis to a lovely young teenager trying to decide which of two young men, a monk or the son of a local orchard farmer, she is drawn to more. The most important relationship she has, however, is with her beautiful, young, widowed mother: as Ehwa grows and learns more about her developing body and her sexuality, her mother is there to correct misapprehensions and help her understand the complicated and sometimes contradictory emotions of becoming and being a woman. She does this mostly by working through metaphors around their home; it helps that she too has a slowly blossoming relationship with a kind and artistic traveling sales man. The lush drawings combine prettily stylized elements with richly realistic detail, and they turn even indelicate moments, such as a literal pissing contest between local boys, the monk’s first nocturnal emissions, and Ehwa’s shock at her menarche, into tenderly rendered, universal episodes of growing up. Though the art is black and white, the textures inked in the fabrics and details of the landscapes suggest breathtaking beauty and rich color to complement the lyrical music of the text, which at times becomes poetic. As one might expect from an artist who typically writes in the frothier genre of Korean sunjung, this is on the sweet side for a graphic novel, and yet it contains depths of sentiment that are personally revealing and affirming for young readers while they manage to confront issues of sexism and the difficulties as well as the joys of a woman rearing a daughter alone in a strongly patriarchal culture. The themes of sexual awakening for Ehwa, and reawakening for her mother, are timeless, as is the intimacy of their relationship. Notes from a Korean scholar follow and enrich the reading of the novel, commenting on multiple contexts for this original and appealing work.
Review in 4/1 VOYA – 4Q 2P
A young Korean girl learns about longing and love in this lyrical manhwa (the Korean equivalent of Japanese manga). Ehwa is only seven years old when she overhears some boys mocking her widowed mother and comparing her to a promiscuous beetle because she runs the local tavern. In a scene that is funny, sad, and a little shocking, the boys proceed to have a peeing contest and then tease Ehwa because she does not have a “gochoo.” Each chapter in the book chronicles another spring in Ehwa’s life up through her sixteenth year. As she grows older, both Ehwa and her mother, Namwon, experience the ups and downs of love. When Ehwa is nine, Namwon starts an affair with a traveling pictograph artist. Ehwa, meanwhile, falls in love with both a young monk and the orchard farmer’s son. Sexuality and puberty, such as the young monk’s first wet dream, are frankly depicted. The book is also highly romantic, and relishes in poetic comparisons of women to rain and flowers.
This title is an English translation of the first part of a manhwa trilogy originally published in Korea in 2003. The expressive artwork captures both the beauty of the Korean countryside and the inner life of Ehwa and Namwon. It is a quiet, dreamy book that focuses on characters rather than plot. It should appeal to mature girls ready for a thoughtful coming-of-age story, as well as manga fans looking to try something new. – Amy Luedtke
Review in 9/1 SLJ
Gr 10 Up–A coming-of-age story set in rural Korea a few generations ago. Ehwa is a beautiful young woman who, over a series of vignettes, learns about her body and how men and women make babies. She suffers the pain of her first unrequited love for the boy monk Chung-Myung (who also suffers from his own forbidden love for her). She also finds herself attracted to Sunoo, a rich son of an orchard owner who studies in the city. While Ehwa discovers her own desires, her widowed mother finds love again with a traveling picture salesman. The story revolves around the close relationship the women share as Ehwa becomes her mother’s main ally and confidante. The illustrator uses flowers in many of the vignettes to explain aspects of love or to represent his characters and their relationships. While the book begins when Ehwa is seven and only takes her into her early teen years, the nostalgic tone and slow pacing make the title more likely to appeal to older readers. The artwork is beautiful, particularly in Hwa’s depiction of the landscape and the two main characters. A good additional purchase for libraries looking for less action-oriented manga/manhwa titles.–Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT
Review in April Shojo Beat Magazine
Creator Kim Dong Hwa is a master of shojo manga in Korea (where it’s called sunjung manhwa). Hoping to reach beyond his established teenage girl audience, Hwa has produced a sweeping trilogy of books about two generations of women. In the first book, Ehwa is a young girl who is slowly discovering her sexuality. Her mother, a widow and restaurateur, is also grappling with her own struggle being a single mother. Hwa compares and contrasts the dynamic between mother and daughter to great effect, and he portrays his two protagonists with all the dignity and chaos they deserve. A lyrical poem, a tale of sexual awakening, and an homage to generations of Korean women, The Color of Earth gives us an intimate glimpse of adulthood seen through the experiences shared by a mother and her child. Book two comes in June, and the final book will be in stores in September. – Eric Searleman
Product Description
First love is never easy.
Ehwa grows up helping her widowed mother run the local tavern, watching as their customers – both neighbors and strangers – look down on her mother for her single lifestyle. Their social status isolates Ehwa and her mother from the rest of the people in their quiet country village. But as she gets older and sees her mother fall in love again, Ehwa slowly begins to open up to the possibility of love in her life.
In the tradition of My Antonia and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, from the pen of the renowned Korean manwha creator Kim Dong Hwa, comes a trilogy about a girl coming of age, set in the vibrant, beautiful landscape of pastoral Korea.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Coming of Age Story,
By
This review is from: The Color of Earth (Paperback)
Summary: This is the story of two women, one a little and the other her young widowed mother. The story focuses on the little girl and her awakening identity as a woman, and also as a side story is her mother who finds love again for the first time since her husband's death. As the back of my book says "first love and second chances."Comments: This first book in a trilogy follows the little girl from the age of about six to fourteen. It takes place in a small Korean village in a time period unknown, with the only clue to placing it somewhere in the 20th century being a steam or coal engine train. Now, I'll start off by saying this is not the type of book I would normally read *at all*. I am much too conservative to even want to read a book that has the words "s*xual awakening" on the front flap but doing my job as a Cybils panelist I reluctantly set down to give the book a chance. I can't quite know how to say just how beautiful a story this was. A little girl's curiosity about her body, the difference between boys and girls, grown-up things she over hears and how she goes straight to her mother with her questions and confusion is a tender love story in itself. The mother/daughter relationship presented here is truly touching and really the backbone of this volume. For those wanting a plot there really isn't any. We are touched by the maternal relationship and watch as each of them separately experiences womanhood. The little girl's experiences of finding our about her body, how it's different than a boys, her first period and her first crush on a boy, who is studying to be a monk, are all respectfully portrayed. The mother, who is young and beautiful, suddenly finds that love for a man can touch her heart again when she falls in love with a traveling artist who keeps returning to visit her. There are a couple of incidents in the book that I could have done without but for the most part the material is presented in a decent way, making for a truly touching story. I also really enjoyed the artwork. The is the first time I've read Korean manga which is called manhwa. I'm not a huge fan of manga artwork as I hate the horrible fake over expressive faces and how all the men look like girls. But this book was not drawn that way at all, aside from the occasional great big mouth to show extreme emotions all the artwork is very realistic and the detailed background scenery in many frames is lovely. The men aslo look like men. I wonder if this is typical of Korean manhwa or just this particular artist's style. I've fallen for Ewha, the little girl, and I'll be reading the next book for sure. Though I won't commit any further as I'll have to see if the story remains within my boundaries as she gets older. This book, The Color of Earth, is not going to be for everyone but if the topic interests you and you are comfortable with the subject matter then I hope you find the story as touching as I did. I'll end with a lovely little quote the girl says to herself near the end of the book: "Because I asked something I shouldn't have asked. I heard what I shouldn't have heard. And because I went where I shouldn't have gone, I saw what I shouldn't have seen. How will my young heart cope with all that I've heard and seen?"
4.0 out of 5 stars
Color of quality,
By
This review is from: The Color of Earth (Paperback)
Works of beauty can be found in every culture. There are masterpieces in every conceivable language, and from every time period. Our 20th (and now 21st) century, has come to re-recognize illustrated fiction as a true art form. The Egyptians, early Mesoamerican Indians, Oriental, and Asian cultures preserved their legends through continuity art. Even the medieval period cultures used artwork to capture moments in history.In anyone`s life, the coming of age is an emotional, awkward time. In `The Color of Earth`, Kim Dong Hwa, tells the story of a mother and daughter in 20th century Korea. Young Ehwa, and her mother live in a small village peacefully until a young monk catches Ehwa`s eyes, and a painter her mother`s. The bloom of first love, and rediscovered love make this a book that is poetic and elegant. The art of Hwa is marvellous, with wide expressive panels intermingled amidst simple design. If this book were in color, it would jump off the page! For North American readers, much of the symbolism in the book is lost. The last section of the book includes a revealing review by Hwang-Min Ho that explains the imagery, and cultural significance extremely well. As love comes to Ehwa and her mother, we are swept away by a story that is beyond time, and beyond borders. The Color of Earth is a treasure indeed. [...] Tim Lasiuta
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews) 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com,
By Cynthia Hudson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Color of Earth (Paperback)
The Color of Earth is the first in a trilogy of graphic novels about a young girl named Ehwa and her widowed mother who owns a tavern in a small Korean village. The story takes place in a time before that country was geographically split by war.Author Kim Dong Hwa creates beautiful images that work with the narrative to tell this story of two generations of women. While the story may seem simple as it follows Ehwa from young girl to young adult, it is filled with rich symbolism that you will want to savor as you read. Flowers symbolize many things in the story, and the characters are often associating flowers with someone they love. Also, you get the sense that young Ehwa is beginning to bloom just as the flowers do. As Ehwa grows, she is confused by the changes in her body, and the information she gets from friends about those changes only confuses her more. Mother and daughter don't talk about the changes before they occur, but Ehwa does turn to her mother to answer the questions she has. The narrative provides an interesting way to bring up topics like boys having wet dreams and girls starting their periods. The words are simple, but combined with the images they are powerful. While this book is targeted to a young adult audience and these concepts won't be new to most readers, it can be a jumping off point for further discussion. I recommend The Color of Earth for mother-daughter book clubs with girls who are 13 or older. In addition to talking about maturing bodies, other points to discuss include first love, Buddhist monks, and life in a small village. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A pubescent tale can indeed be magical,
By Backroads "Scatter-brained book fan" - Published on Amazon.com
It's quite interesting that the author of this graphic novel is a man, for this is a pure girl book through and through. Apparently written in memory of his mother's experiences growing up in Korea this expresses the wonder and mystery of adolescence for women.Kim's stunning illustrations create a timeless Eastern world where a mother and daughter live as the best of friends. The mother is a hard-working widow who does her best to guide her little daughter through pre-pubescent growing up while exploring new romance for herself. Her daughter explores the strange world of the human body and first love crushes. It's a thought-based story that relies more on the tenderness of growing up and its characters rather than on a solid plot. The writing is thoughtful, prone to wandering poetry that may amaze some and annoy others as it compares the natural world to the female experience. It's a sweet, likable, and rather magical tale that is easy to get lost in due to the musing dialogue and fabulous illlustrations. Very much focused on sex and love and growing up, this might strike some as too graphic. But if one can get into its focus, it's quite enjoyable. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional -- A true gem that stands out an the Asian import wasteland,
By S. Bunche "entertainment ronin" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Color of Earth (Paperback)
I've been a lifelong fan of comics from around the world and I have to say that this Korean effort is outstanding in all aspects. The first in a trilogy, this tender look a a rural girl's growing to maturity in direct parallel to the lonely existence of her mother who was widowed early unfolds at a leisurely pace, evoking the important time in a person's youth that all too soon gives way to the concerns of adulthood. The young protagonist, Ehwa, experiences the confusion of first love and the maturation of her body from child to young woman, and every page is sweetly compelling. Author Kim is to be commended for this work, which features gorgeous and lyrical illustrations and the most "human" of scripts to tell its story, and it's the script's characterization of its female characters that truly amazed me because I can't remember the last time I read female characters written by a man that seemed totally believable and identifiably realistic.Simply put, THE COLOR OF EARTH can be heartily enjoyed by both female and male readers and it's one hell of a lot better than the vast majority of what's to be had from the glutted manga/manhwa market. This is the first in a trilogy and I can't wait for the next segment. Believe me, I've read a lot of crap, and this in no way qualifies as such. A 10 out of 10. |
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Children's Books > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Manga
- Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Comic Strips
- Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels
- Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga
- Books > Kids & Family Store > Teens
- Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Love & Romance
- Books > Teens > Manga
- Books > Teens > Social Issues > Being a Teen
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
|
