- Overview
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This novel shows us the excellent craftmanship of Goryo potters and artistic value of Goryo celadon through a growth story of a girl potter, Sro Ran in the backdrop of Goryeo period.
- Book Intro
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Potter Seo Ran is set in Goryeo during King Hyunjong's reign. The Khitans, who had been eyeing Goryeo, had already crossed the border to invade twice. It was an extremely unstable time. The heroes who saved Goryeo in these difficult times were General Seo Hee and Kang Gamchan, who we've learned about from history books. Seo Hee conquered the ambitions of Khitan by strategically winning a diplomatic negotiation that went down in history, and Kang Gamchan defeated the 100,000 soldiers of Khitan in the battle of Gwijoo, making his mark on history. The author, Son Jeongmi, shows how Goryeo defeated its enemy and maintained the nation's pride through the glorious performances by a potter girl and other heroes.
In addition, the novel contains various cultures, habits and customs of the early period of Goryeo. Reading the novel is like watching a historical drama with the elaborate depiction of the country's customs, such as the national celebration of Palgwanhwe and the hunting and polo game played by nobility. The landscape at the time is vividly recreated through elaborate historical research and literary imagination, including the capital Gaegyung, the main setting of the novel, Byeokrando, where foreign trade took place, the pottery site in Tamjin, and the capital of Yo Dynasty.
The main character, Seo Ran, is a 16-year-old girl who was born and raised in Tamjin (now Gangjin), famous for Goryeo's celadon pottery. Her mother had left home when she was young, so Seo Ran grows up with her dad, who is a potter. As the keeper of a pottery house in Gaegyung that is magnificently decorated with celadon, she faces threats from greedy people. One of them is a court lady, Kim, who is a favorite of the King. Kim, who was fascinated by the mysterious spirit of some celadon pillows, threatens to send Seo off as a "gisaeng" (courtesan) if Seo does not bring the goods to her.
Around the same time, a group of unknown men breaks into the store and robs all of the celadon. Seo Ran obtains and presents another celadon pillow to Kim instead of the stolen ones, but Kim becomes furious with Seo when she knows that pillow does not give off a mysterious energy. Seo Ran is given a final chance before she is dragged off to become a gisaeng. She gets an authentic celadon pillow in Tamjin and takes it to Kim. Kim is extremely satisfied with it and to Seo Ran's surprise, she finds out that it is not her father's work but a celadon made by her mother who left a long time ago.
Seo ran, who barely saves herself from the crisis, is noticed by General Kang Gamchan when he comes to visit Mrs. Kim and is chosen by Kang. Kang recognizes that Seo has the ability of a good potter to make a masterpiece and takes her to a training center in mountains. Seo meets Muae, a Shilla noble, and falls in love but the two cannot escape the troubles of the times. Seo must leave Muae for his own sake and Seo leaves for the Yo Dynasty, which was founded by Khitan, where she nearly reveals the secrets of manufacturing Goryeo celadon but in the end, successfully escapes. Around the same time, the third invasion of Khitan approaches like a dark cloud and upon her return, Seo is called by Kang for a special mission to save Goryeo from crisis.
- About the Author
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Son Jeongmi
Son Jeongmi (F) was born in Seoul and received her B.A in English from Yonsei University. She joined the Chosun Ilbo in 1990 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years, covering cultural, social, political and industrial issues. She reported on various social issues and incident and she was the first female journalist who could access to the ruling and opposition parties.
When she was a literary journalist, the late novelist Park Kyungri recommended that she write novels and she left the medi in 2012 to become a novelist, her dream job since childhood. Two years later, she published her first historical novel, Wang Kyung (王京), which is set in Gyeongju just before the unification of the Three Kingdoms. Later in 2017, she engaged in a thorough research of Gwanggaeto the Great, the great hero of Goguryeo who left a huge legacy on world history, and then published her historical novel Gwanggaeto the Great.
Son, who has been able to vividly portray historical scenes through elaborate historical research and literary imagination, completed this novel as the last installment of her historical trilogy, following the novels on Silla and Goguryeo. - Recommendation
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"The novels of and Son Jeongmi are so detailed and elaborate, it's as if they had been to the scenes of Goryeo and Khitan as journalists working on their reports. From artists to great merchants, artisans, beautiful youth and heroes who save their country from crisis, the subtle and intricate lives of these lively characters, crossing the time and space of Goryeo, are reconstructed like a kaleidoscope." - Sung Seokje, a novelist
