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jennrocca's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it! I thought the characters were fascinating. I was distracted by thoughts of whether or not this is an accurate representation of the situation in North Korea. But we just don't know what life is like in North Korea. This was a great read from a world I spend so little tome thinking about.
jr2234's review against another edition
5.0
Man, what a read. Difficult and dense with a structure that felt confusing at times, but well worth the effort.
Johnson tells the story of Pak Jun Do, a North Korean orphan. Pak begins his career as a tunnel soldier in the military and soon finds himself working as a professional kidnapper, a transcriber aboard a fishing vessel, and a translator for the government. Along the way, Pak assumes the identity of Commander Ga, a national hero and husband to Sun Moon, a legendary actress. What follows is a weaving narrative hopping back and forth in time. We learn of Commander Ga/Pak’s current life and are clued into important details in chapters written as North Korean radio broadcasts full of propaganda, half truths, and exaggerated storytelling.
The time jumping isn’t confusing on its own, but the author deliberately withholds important plot information, which takes some getting used to. There were many times where I wasn’t sure what was happening and thought I had missed something, only for it to be resolved shortly after. The book focuses on repressed North Korean characters who have incomplete information and in lacking information as a reader, you feel immersed in the narrative.
The writing is vivid and the depictions of life in North Korea are meticulously researched. There are some parts of the story that feel far fetched, but these felt like artistic choices rather than rushed writing.
Johnson tells the story of Pak Jun Do, a North Korean orphan. Pak begins his career as a tunnel soldier in the military and soon finds himself working as a professional kidnapper, a transcriber aboard a fishing vessel, and a translator for the government. Along the way, Pak assumes the identity of Commander Ga, a national hero and husband to Sun Moon, a legendary actress. What follows is a weaving narrative hopping back and forth in time. We learn of Commander Ga/Pak’s current life and are clued into important details in chapters written as North Korean radio broadcasts full of propaganda, half truths, and exaggerated storytelling.
The time jumping isn’t confusing on its own, but the author deliberately withholds important plot information, which takes some getting used to. There were many times where I wasn’t sure what was happening and thought I had missed something, only for it to be resolved shortly after. The book focuses on repressed North Korean characters who have incomplete information and in lacking information as a reader, you feel immersed in the narrative.
The writing is vivid and the depictions of life in North Korea are meticulously researched. There are some parts of the story that feel far fetched, but these felt like artistic choices rather than rushed writing.
dragon_64's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
leticiasmugala's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Forced institutionalization
jorydotcom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kineticandroid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Can’t believe I haven’t read this sooner. Can’t believe North Korea still exists!
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
This is somewhat of a timely read since Kim Jong Il is a characther in this novel and he recently passed away. If you've ever wondered how crazy it might be to live in North Korea under Kim Jong Il's regime this book will give you a fictionalized glimpse at that. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The central character's name changes several times over the course of his book but he has quite a life-full of experiences. He spends his boyhood in an orphanage and is then sent to the military where he receives pain-training and leads a brigade that fights in dark tunnels...and it only gets crazier and crazier from there. But, I loved it! maybe that's because I am a little bit crazy myself. But not as crazy as Kim Jong Il.
4.5 stars!
4.5 stars!
kineticandroid's review against another edition
Moving onto the hardcover since the Kindle version from the library is going to expire.
trizie81's review against another edition
5.0
Nothing I expected. It is a wild and sad and funny and crazy story about living in a totalitarian country like north korea. A story about change or wanting to change when coming in touch with new choice. I finished 1984 just before and you can see many similarities. This story describes different people in different life circumstances. It made me laugh, cry and hope.