This book is heart-breaking and poignant. The protagonists, June, Hector, and Sylvie share a parallel fate after living through the destruction of war. In Surrendered, Chang Rae Lee shows us that the casualties of war are the ones who survive. They move through life among the living, indifferent, numb and almost soulless. June, emotionally unavailable, has an estranged relationship with her son. Hector, an alcoholic, meaninglessly drifts through life as a loner. And Sylvie, damaged and lost, seeks for redemption in her missionary work. Hector, grieving over the death of his father hastily joins the military during the war in Korea. It is there, where he collides with the stubborn orphan June and the reckless missionary wife Sylvie. Hector is a man of perpetual pain. His character is passive but ill-fated therefore does not have much control over the course of his life. June is bullheaded and responds to adversity by shaping her own future, no matter how victims she leaves behind. And Sylvie masks her emotional scars and flaws through her missionary work. However, what they all have in common is that no matter how they channel their efforts, there is always a feeling of never-ending emptiness and loss. As described in the feeling of hunger by June’s character throughout the book.
Lee shows us the ugliness of war and how it impacts the course of many lives. His focus is not so much on the War in Korea but how the main characters are witnesses to each other’s lives affected by war. My feeling about the book is that even though the characters anticipate the tragic path to their demise, they do nothing to change the course, until it is too late. However, I feel this is the meaning to Surrendered. In June’s case, she watches her son cry himself to sleep and know that she should reach out to comfort him but does not. Hector, who drinks himself to waste know that this will be the end of him but does not stop. And Sylvie, indulges in an addiction that she know will ruin her marriage and the life she worked so hard to build, but does not stop. To surrender to a supposed unfavorable force. Lee tells us the true story of the Korean War and the invasion of China by Japan, and it is not what we learn in a history class, but the story of lives that were impacted by war.
This is the first Chang Rae Lee book that I’ve read. His storytelling is honest, raw, and inspires one to care deeply about the characters. I look forward to reading more of his work. Beautiful novel.