Customer Reviews

Cry Korea Cry

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Cry Korea Cry was a wonderful read! To my knowledge, this story is quite unique, as opposed to what a one reviewer has claimed is "old stuff new cover". It is well written and provides interesting insight into post war Korea. I for one, was truly touched by how honest a picture Mr. Pak was willing to paint concerning the ugly side of war and also the wide spread prejudice within a homogenous nation. I especially like how this book resonates with themes of rejection and alienation, a feeling that I and many Korean Americans who were adopted by American families feel toward that country. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about Korea and its culture.

Cry Korea Cry by author Ty Pak is a beautifully crafted thriller about a mixed-blood Korean War orphan, who calls himself Moo Moo..which in Korean means "nothing".TY Pak is an author of great skill who draws you into this story that is hauntingly real.The novel builds around the themes of war, dispersion and people in search of home and substance..For those of us who enjoy a novel with a deep soul Cry Korea Cry is a true treasure.You will not be able to put this thriller down..you will find your self walking the paths of Moo Moo. Self discover is the name of the game but I will not say more..I'm not one to spoil one great read.I cannot say enough about the care and skill poured into this book by my favorite author Ty Pak.

I really wanted to like Cry Korea Cry (especially as a Koreanwhen there are so few Korean American or Korean titles published inthe States) but it was horrible on all levels. Pak constantly shifted his protagonist from one ludicrous situation to another at the drop of a hat...And on top of that he is the epitome of Korean-obsessed Western beauty and has a 200+ IQ. Yes, he can do no wrong. Moo Moo's identity crisis becomes the character's only identity trait midway through the book and the repeated reiteration brings nothing but boredom, not new insight, to the reader. The romance with Nan is completely unfelt and seems more like an add-on by the author. The one plus of the book is that Pak is equally harsh to both South Koreans, Americans, and North Koreans though this does tend to lead to not one likeable character. Pak obviously is very knowledgeable about Korean social and political climes however that cannot make up for the paper thin characters and completely unbelievable plots.

Done before, read it before, it's old stuff with a new cover