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josepht61's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
3.0
The writing is not very complex, but the plot and main character is portrayed well. It is clearly very well written and interesting. A bit rushed at some points and the ending feels swift, but overall a thought provoking and good read.
carter84's review
3.5
3.5 stars, if not for the writing style that is serviceable but not particularly exciting.
I did find the story very interesting though and if you have even a passing interest in North Korea you’ll definitely find something you like here.
I did find the story very interesting though and if you have even a passing interest in North Korea you’ll definitely find something you like here.
jstanley030's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea that this was based upon a true story until the end… oops.
An intriguing read about life in North Korea, well-researched by the author.
I’m happy that Jun-su and Su-ok were able to find themselves - and one another. I hope their hard times are behind them, and they’re looking to a happy future together.
An intriguing read about life in North Korea, well-researched by the author.
I’m happy that Jun-su and Su-ok were able to find themselves - and one another. I hope their hard times are behind them, and they’re looking to a happy future together.
kristinebraley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Even though fiction, this book was another layer of the onion that is North Korea, peeled away to show the cruelty that is the most thorough dictatorship in the world. I found this book heartbreaking, and shows also the correlations of N Korea’s ally, the dictatorship that is China. North Korea is a country rule by one man full of cruelty, lies, thirst for power, and an abomination of love. Another Mao Tse Tung.
esdeecarlson's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
A compulsively readable novel about a young man coming of age in North Korea, with the help of a tourist’s forgotten Dungeons & Dragons handbook, The Sorcerer of Pyongyang is the kind of story you can read in a day and think about for months.
The novel nicely balances its conceit as a nonfiction account, written by Theroux as biographer, with the aims of the fictive narrative. Through Jun-su, our protagonist, the reader is able to glimpse various angles and strata of North Korean life—provincial and urban, ordinary and privileged, imprisoned and international. Theroux writes Jun-su with a rich interiority that makes his early devotion to the North Korean state and its Dear Leader comprehensible and idealistic, rather than the butt of a joke.
I think this text would be well suited for a classroom as a thoughtful work of literary fiction. Personally, I found some of Jun-su’s observations about the methods by which Kim’s regime keeps ordinary North Koreans in line strikingly relevant even as a citizen of the capitalist, democratic US. One of my big take-aways from the story was the essential need for nuance, for acknowledging and grappling with the complexity of ideas and of people.
I would recommend this novel to literary fiction readers but would also say that, due to its simple (but lovely) language and brisk pace, to any readers of fiction interested in the story of a boy with a big imagination—and the consequences that imagination has for him.
Content warnings: state/police violence, non-graphic pedophilia, public execution, animal abandonment
[This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. However, I am a Bad Reviewer and did not get around to downloading it in time, so I read a published copy from my local library]
A compulsively readable novel about a young man coming of age in North Korea, with the help of a tourist’s forgotten Dungeons & Dragons handbook, The Sorcerer of Pyongyang is the kind of story you can read in a day and think about for months.
The novel nicely balances its conceit as a nonfiction account, written by Theroux as biographer, with the aims of the fictive narrative. Through Jun-su, our protagonist, the reader is able to glimpse various angles and strata of North Korean life—provincial and urban, ordinary and privileged, imprisoned and international. Theroux writes Jun-su with a rich interiority that makes his early devotion to the North Korean state and its Dear Leader comprehensible and idealistic, rather than the butt of a joke.
I think this text would be well suited for a classroom as a thoughtful work of literary fiction. Personally, I found some of Jun-su’s observations about the methods by which Kim’s regime keeps ordinary North Koreans in line strikingly relevant even as a citizen of the capitalist, democratic US. One of my big take-aways from the story was the essential need for nuance, for acknowledging and grappling with the complexity of ideas and of people.
I would recommend this novel to literary fiction readers but would also say that, due to its simple (but lovely) language and brisk pace, to any readers of fiction interested in the story of a boy with a big imagination—and the consequences that imagination has for him.
Content warnings: state/police violence, non-graphic pedophilia, public execution, animal abandonment
[This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. However, I am a Bad Reviewer and did not get around to downloading it in time, so I read a published copy from my local library]
montigneyrules's review against another edition
3.0
#readingchallenge2023 (my book with a city/country in the title)
Mixed feelings review, as the novel wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though it wasn’t bad-
I highly anticipated reading about the impact Dungeons & Dragons, as it provides such a unique form of escapism from everyday humdrum- however while D&D was a driving factor within the novel, it wasn’t as present as I hoped- I wish there was more about the D&D aspects, though the novel was centrally focused on North Korea culture.
Mixed feelings review, as the novel wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though it wasn’t bad.
I highly anticipated reading about the impact of Dungeons & Dragons, as I know first hand the unique form of escapism it can provide from everyday humdrum life. However, while D&D was the driving antagonist throughout the story, it wasn’t as present as I hoped- the novel more centrally depicted North Korean culture; enlightening on the realities of everyday humdrum life.
The novel is not about D&D, it is about fragmented Korean life, and D&D is just a mere conflict premise among the bigger cultural aspects- not a bad story- I learned a lot within the building of the characters & their development, but this shouldn’t be marketed based on D&D- less fantasy more historical fiction.
Mixed feelings review, as the novel wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though it wasn’t bad-
I highly anticipated reading about the impact Dungeons & Dragons, as it provides such a unique form of escapism from everyday humdrum- however while D&D was a driving factor within the novel, it wasn’t as present as I hoped- I wish there was more about the D&D aspects, though the novel was centrally focused on North Korea culture.
Mixed feelings review, as the novel wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though it wasn’t bad.
I highly anticipated reading about the impact of Dungeons & Dragons, as I know first hand the unique form of escapism it can provide from everyday humdrum life. However, while D&D was the driving antagonist throughout the story, it wasn’t as present as I hoped- the novel more centrally depicted North Korean culture; enlightening on the realities of everyday humdrum life.
The novel is not about D&D, it is about fragmented Korean life, and D&D is just a mere conflict premise among the bigger cultural aspects- not a bad story- I learned a lot within the building of the characters & their development, but this shouldn’t be marketed based on D&D- less fantasy more historical fiction.
kittypaws82's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0