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gadicohen93's review against another edition
2.0
Uch: Like the shark whose fins were sliced off, this novel begins as a ferocious creature, its skin gleaming richly on the surface of the literary ocean – endlessly charming, linguistically succulent – only to slowly sink away into the dead darkness of mediocrity. There are many things that had turned me off this book as I’d reached the last page, and you could find them if you read the other 1-, 2-, 3-star reviews, some of which I'll repeat below.
There were so many broken, interchanging plotlines that I’d begun to break off my connection with the protagonist Jun Do pretty early on. Johnson’s depiction of North Korea, of Kim Jong Il, of Sun Moon – of almost everything, really – feels too hyperbolic, not grounded in what feels real. The language – which had seemed so inspired and interesting in the beginning – loses its luster by the 100th page.
Perhaps all of these are tied to what I think is one of the main strengths of the book: It’s so ridiculous and so ridiculously self-righteous that it’s funny. Jun Do’s ridiculously, epically changing nature is not meant to seem realistic – it’s meant to be laughed at. Those flashing interludes of loudspeaker propaganda – that’s not meant to be good writing: It’s satire. In fact, this entire book read like a satire to me, and in that way, it worked – a bombastic homage to a bombastic nation.
That doesn’t mean that I liked it. In fact, I didn’t. I was frustrated by almost everything about it. It was entertaining, but not to the point where I wanted to continue reading once I put the book down. It made me intensely curious about North Korea, but only so I could actually learn how much of this book was bullshit. The only part I truly loved was the beginning, which opened the novel in an intricate, fascinating way that hooked me onto Jun Do and his story (the kidnappings, the boat... I loved those parts.) Too bad Johnson didn’t propel that kind of writing deeper into the rest of his ridiculous creature-book.
There were so many broken, interchanging plotlines that I’d begun to break off my connection with the protagonist Jun Do pretty early on. Johnson’s depiction of North Korea, of Kim Jong Il, of Sun Moon – of almost everything, really – feels too hyperbolic, not grounded in what feels real. The language – which had seemed so inspired and interesting in the beginning – loses its luster by the 100th page.
Perhaps all of these are tied to what I think is one of the main strengths of the book: It’s so ridiculous and so ridiculously self-righteous that it’s funny. Jun Do’s ridiculously, epically changing nature is not meant to seem realistic – it’s meant to be laughed at. Those flashing interludes of loudspeaker propaganda – that’s not meant to be good writing: It’s satire. In fact, this entire book read like a satire to me, and in that way, it worked – a bombastic homage to a bombastic nation.
That doesn’t mean that I liked it. In fact, I didn’t. I was frustrated by almost everything about it. It was entertaining, but not to the point where I wanted to continue reading once I put the book down. It made me intensely curious about North Korea, but only so I could actually learn how much of this book was bullshit. The only part I truly loved was the beginning, which opened the novel in an intricate, fascinating way that hooked me onto Jun Do and his story (the kidnappings, the boat... I loved those parts.) Too bad Johnson didn’t propel that kind of writing deeper into the rest of his ridiculous creature-book.
leflambeur's review against another edition
3.0
Love hate with this book. Some of the scenes and settings are just so bizarre that is borders on a comedy. Throughout it is hard to tell what is real vs imagined. I took it as a parable about finding self.
In general not my favorite, but appreciate the ambition of the book.
In general not my favorite, but appreciate the ambition of the book.
whoareyouhannah's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good book, but for some reason it didn't work for me the way I hoped it would. Getting through it was a bit of a struggle, which is why I can only give 3,5 stars.
jostafinski's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
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