Reviews - A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

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A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

A story line that seems fictional, truly dystopian. The entire novel will make you feel nothing but gratitude for even the smallest of conveniences and comforts in your own life. The ending is soul crushing yet truly touches on the importance of family.

stacey_the_chapter_conundrum's review against another edition

4.0

A harrowing memoir about a half Japanese, half Korean man's life and escape from North Korea, A River in Darkness is a very heartbreaking but important read about what life in North Korea was like in the 70s and 80s especially.

I appreciate that this demonstrated what life in North Korea could be like for people back then, especially for returnees. That said, I'm glad I read Yeonmi Park's memoir, In Order To Live, before reading this because she explained a lot of concepts more in depth.

diana7011's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of the most tragic stories I have ever read, When the author's family was repatriated to North Korea from Japan in 1960, when he was but a boy, they were promised education, housing, work, a better life. For the thousands who took the regime's offer they were soon to discover it was all a lie. When the Japanese occupied Korea they took many people for slaves especially for use in labor during WWII, this is how the author's father came to be in Japan, his mother was Japanese. We read page after page of what these people had to endure or die from. There are no human rights, this is not how a communist society is supposed to function. Losing most of his family and with his wife and children dying of starvation the author made a break for freedom, hoping somehow to get them out. Since he was a Japanese citizen he was given some help but not enough. There is no good outcome to this story and having told it we get a clear picture inside of this brutal regime.