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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I am fairly confident I would never have read this novel had a friend not said it was a favorite. It was a taxing read, as it fictionalized the shocking sensationalism practices of North Korea and illustrated the dangerous reality that whatever is documented and presented as truth by the government in power soon becomes truth to the citizens beneath that government. At its core it is a story about sacrifice and resilience, and I think there is something very special to be found in its pages.
Haunting. Raw. Painful. Yet a beautifully-written story of resilience and love. Amazing work of literature.
Great book about life in North Korea. I just wonder how much of it is the author's use of Anti-Korean propaganda? After propaganda works both ways.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such a uniquely odd story. Definitely creative although occasionally a bit hard to follow. The kind of book that you can’t put down though
I don't get the fuss over this book. I want a book to either prompt a change (in my behaviour, perspective, etc.) or be entertaining, and this was neither. It felt like a prank or perhaps a writing challenge.
3 or 4 stars. Not sure what I think of this one. Humor, but not funny. Convoluted, difficult to follow on audio because of the back and forth with time and characters - careful attention is necessary, especially when one character "replaces" another. I didn't find their voices clear enough. Having said that, the story was at once funny and frightful, and makes me want to read more by the author.
The book was both a gruesome read and gruesome to read.
The author explores the lives of individuals living in North Korea without pulling back any punches. There were times when I physically flinched while reading and times when I had to close the book, sit back and just absorb what the fuck just happened.
But while it had its moments I found that most of the time it was a chore to read through. I found myself skimming through long passages and counting how many pages there were till the end. This had more to do with the writing style than the actual storyline. With exception to the main character Pak Jun Do, all other characters lacked depth. Even the unnamed interrogator, who was introduced in the second half of the book and whose story was written in first person, had a narrative that was written in a way that felt so detached. Perhaps it was the author’s purpose to have everyone but the main character be stale, regardless it made the book a drag to get through.
All in all, I think this book is important to read if you want to have insight into North Korea but you’ll need a lot of patience to actually get through the novel.
The author explores the lives of individuals living in North Korea without pulling back any punches. There were times when I physically flinched while reading and times when I had to close the book, sit back and just absorb what the fuck just happened.
But while it had its moments I found that most of the time it was a chore to read through. I found myself skimming through long passages and counting how many pages there were till the end. This had more to do with the writing style than the actual storyline. With exception to the main character Pak Jun Do, all other characters lacked depth. Even the unnamed interrogator, who was introduced in the second half of the book and whose story was written in first person, had a narrative that was written in a way that felt so detached. Perhaps it was the author’s purpose to have everyone but the main character be stale, regardless it made the book a drag to get through.
All in all, I think this book is important to read if you want to have insight into North Korea but you’ll need a lot of patience to actually get through the novel.