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bgudmundr 's review for:
The Sorcerer of Pyongyang: A Novel
by Marcel Theroux
Absolutely loved this book and give it a glowing 4.5 stars. It only just barely falls short of 5 stars because there are some abrupt changes from Jun-su's POV to the author's own internal thoughts without warning. There are also some parts of the story I would have liked explained or at least hinted at sooner than the last chapter of the book because when they occur, you're left scratching your head.
I'm left with a dread fascination of North Korena culture and their way of life under such a horrifying "government". In media and pop culture, North Korea is painted as "everyone is so starving and so brainwashed that they don't have time for family, romance, or leisure". While there are definitely shades of that as you will see in very real detail much to your own dismay, they are human. Perhaps my biggest take away from this novel is that propaganda combined with nationalism can easily become normal. When I was a young kid in school, I thought nothing of the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America done every single morning. Now? It rouses an unbearable anger inside me that we even dare to toe the line of nationalism that as evidenced here, leads to hell on earth.
I'm grateful for Theroux's telling of this story and Jun-su, and everyone else who has had the iron will and strength to escape NK. Even for those who haven't, I keep them in my thoughts and hope better days find them.
I'm left with a dread fascination of North Korena culture and their way of life under such a horrifying "government". In media and pop culture, North Korea is painted as "everyone is so starving and so brainwashed that they don't have time for family, romance, or leisure". While there are definitely shades of that as you will see in very real detail much to your own dismay, they are human. Perhaps my biggest take away from this novel is that propaganda combined with nationalism can easily become normal. When I was a young kid in school, I thought nothing of the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America done every single morning. Now? It rouses an unbearable anger inside me that we even dare to toe the line of nationalism that as evidenced here, leads to hell on earth.
I'm grateful for Theroux's telling of this story and Jun-su, and everyone else who has had the iron will and strength to escape NK. Even for those who haven't, I keep them in my thoughts and hope better days find them.