This is Paradise! is a shocking and moving portrayal of scenes of every day life in North Korea, a secretive and brutal nation. Hyok Kang writes of the public executions, the labor camps and mines, the punishment for "anti-social behavior," the secret watching of Beijing television, and the spies everywhere who help enforce the regime. When the famine comes, so does death by starvation of friends and close ones, cannibalism, and political purge. All this is normal for Hyok Kang. After all, the propaganda North Koreans are fed by their government insists that compared to the rest of the world, this is paradise! Woven into this portrayal is the individual story of a young boy and his migration to China as an asylum seeker. This is his story of suffering and survival, and is a rare glimpse of a nation closed to the outside world.
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Hyok Kang's story of a childhood spent in North Korea during the repressive regime of Kim Jong Il provides a rare window into the "most closed state in the world." Thirteen when he and his parents escaped to China in 1998, Hyok paints a mind-boggling picture of long school days followed by hours of farmwork, routine executions viewed by hundreds, and the "nocturnal disappearances" of friends and neighbors--the "unfaithful" who were sent away to penal colonies. It was only when faced with death by starvation that the family ultimately made the decision to escape. Since UN rations were siphoned off by party members, and leaves, grass, bark, and grasshoppers became the only available food for the masses, Hyok recalls that all but 8 or 9 of his 35 classmates had starved to death before he and his family fled. They lived like "hunted animals" for four years in China, always fearing deportation, until finally reaching South Korea, where Hyok was able to share, in both words and drawings, his remarkable saga. Deborah Donovan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
An engrossing picture of a nation that remains closed to the world, aptly described as the "Jurasic Park of communism" SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY This is an extraordinary story: a simple, yet luminous, account of what it means to grow up in one of the world's little known and most oppressive dictatorships. This North Korean Harry Potter has the evils of tyranny to contend with and escape is the ha Lisa Appignanesi This is a rare and precious insight into the most obscure regime on earth through the startled and observant eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy who not only escaped but survived to tell this harrowing yet intriguing tale. The most penetrating account of life in North Korea I have ever read Jon Snow Kang recounts his life with the kind of deadpan detail that is all the more powerful for its quiet understatement ... His capacity as a storyteller turns out to be masterly ... The result is a small jewel of a book, one that moves you with compassion MAIL ON SUNDAY
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73 of 75 people found the following review helpful
By Jennie
Format:Paperback
Kang grew up in the last 80s and 90s in North Korea. Originally, his family was relatively well off because they had chosen to stay in North Korea instead of being repatriated to Japan. In addition to receiving funds from Japanese relatives, they were favored by the North Korean leadership for their patriotism in staying.
The book starts covering general day to day life. By Western standards, the rich Kang family is poor. Kang talks about day to day life-- how he often slept at his grandparents house, what he thought of his teachers, what he learned in school. You learn about the rigid hierarchy imposed on the students and their uniforms and what the different badges mean, both officially and unofficially in the school yard.
Then, the famine starts. Kang's family's wealth is slowly drained away. His disillusionment grows-- he starts writing alternate lyrics to patriotic songs. Lyrics that, if found out, would get him and his family killed. School stops being about learning and starts being about farming government fields with food that they will never see unless the steal it in the dead of night (which Kang does). They hunt rats and eat tree bark and grass. Hanging out with your friends involves going to their house to say your final goodbyes as they slowly and horribly starve to death. (Kang estimates around 75% of his classmates died during these years.)
Executions are common place. Bodies are padded so the blood doesn't spray the crowd. During the winter, the bodies steam. People are eating the dead in order to survive-- people are killing each other in order to eat them.
In 1998, the family escapes to China. You know things are bad when China is a rich paradise. Kang couldn't believe that, in China, people at rice every day. Being in China doesn't help-- they constantly fear the police who will deport them back to North Korea where they will all face execution.
They eventually escape to South Korea, where the full effect of the lies Kang had been fed came to the surface. His anger at being brainwashed, his not wanting to believe the South Korean truth, even though he knew it was right, is the most striking part of this book.
I can hear you say right now: What?! It's his anger that moved you? Not the cannibalism? All I can say is that I am a student of twentieth-century Chinese history. Kang's experiences during the famine didn't surprise me. They were tragic and awful and turned my stomach, but they weren't new. It was the horror I was expecting. The difficulties of coming to grips with the lies you believed and fitting in with a "modern" culture was shocking and heartbreaking.
I was struck by an odd sense of detachment Kang seemed to have throughout this book. It could be that it was his story as told to someone. It could be the translation either from Kang's Korean to Grangereau's French or from the French to the English. What I think though is it's because that this was his life and he didn't know anything different or he can't emotionally involve himself for the sake of mental health-- this boy lived through Hell.
What really brings this book alive, however, is Kang's illustrations. He's an extraordinarily gifted artist and his drawings of his life bring the story to life in a very real way.
This is not an easy, nor pleasant read, but there are very few first-hand accounts coming out of North Korea, and I think this is an important book that should be read by anyone who can stomach it. It's real life, so hopefully you will all make the effort.
The book starts covering general day to day life. By Western standards, the rich Kang family is poor. Kang talks about day to day life-- how he often slept at his grandparents house, what he thought of his teachers, what he learned in school. You learn about the rigid hierarchy imposed on the students and their uniforms and what the different badges mean, both officially and unofficially in the school yard.
Then, the famine starts. Kang's family's wealth is slowly drained away. His disillusionment grows-- he starts writing alternate lyrics to patriotic songs. Lyrics that, if found out, would get him and his family killed. School stops being about learning and starts being about farming government fields with food that they will never see unless the steal it in the dead of night (which Kang does). They hunt rats and eat tree bark and grass. Hanging out with your friends involves going to their house to say your final goodbyes as they slowly and horribly starve to death. (Kang estimates around 75% of his classmates died during these years.)
Executions are common place. Bodies are padded so the blood doesn't spray the crowd. During the winter, the bodies steam. People are eating the dead in order to survive-- people are killing each other in order to eat them.
In 1998, the family escapes to China. You know things are bad when China is a rich paradise. Kang couldn't believe that, in China, people at rice every day. Being in China doesn't help-- they constantly fear the police who will deport them back to North Korea where they will all face execution.
They eventually escape to South Korea, where the full effect of the lies Kang had been fed came to the surface. His anger at being brainwashed, his not wanting to believe the South Korean truth, even though he knew it was right, is the most striking part of this book.
I can hear you say right now: What?! It's his anger that moved you? Not the cannibalism? All I can say is that I am a student of twentieth-century Chinese history. Kang's experiences during the famine didn't surprise me. They were tragic and awful and turned my stomach, but they weren't new. It was the horror I was expecting. The difficulties of coming to grips with the lies you believed and fitting in with a "modern" culture was shocking and heartbreaking.
I was struck by an odd sense of detachment Kang seemed to have throughout this book. It could be that it was his story as told to someone. It could be the translation either from Kang's Korean to Grangereau's French or from the French to the English. What I think though is it's because that this was his life and he didn't know anything different or he can't emotionally involve himself for the sake of mental health-- this boy lived through Hell.
What really brings this book alive, however, is Kang's illustrations. He's an extraordinarily gifted artist and his drawings of his life bring the story to life in a very real way.
This is not an easy, nor pleasant read, but there are very few first-hand accounts coming out of North Korea, and I think this is an important book that should be read by anyone who can stomach it. It's real life, so hopefully you will all make the effort.
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By Caleb Pick
Format:Paperback
"This Is Paradise!" is the riveting account of Hyok Kang's childhood in North Korea and his escape to China and , eventually, South Korea. What makes this book unique is that it provides a glimpse into the North Korea of the 1990s from a child's perspective. Moreover, Kang is quite an artist, and his sketches of select scenes from his North Korean childhood and his escape add considerably to this book.
Hyok Kang's "This Is Paradise!" comes following the success of Kang Chul Hwan's best-seller, "The Aquariums of Pyongyang", the first book written by a North Korean refugee about life in North Korea and escape from the communist country. Hyok Kang's account is shorter than Kang Chul Hwan's, and it does not provide the same detailed historical background of North Korea or the opinionated analysis found in "The Aquariums of Pyongyang." This is understandable considering that Kang Chul Hwan is significantly older than Hyok Kang (who was only born in 1986). Kang Chul Hwan had also spent significantly more time in South Korea before writing his book, giving him more of a chance to learn about communism worldwide and the recent history on the Korean peninsula.
While there are many parallels between this book and "Aquariums of Pyongyang," Hyok Kang's situation was notably different from that of Kang Chul Hwan. Whereas Kang Chul Hwan living in North Korea during the 1970s and 80s, when Kim Il Sung was president, Hyok Kang experienced North Korea under the rule of Kim Jong Il in the 1990s, when there was a severe shortage of food and a reported 3 million people died of starvation. While Kang Chul Hwan came from a privileged family living in Pyongyang, Hyok Kang hails from the Northeastern city of Onsong, far removed from the capital. Unlike Kang Chul Hwan, Hyok Kang never spent time in a North Korean gulag, although the harshness of the circumstances he lived through was reminiscent of Kang Chul Hwan's experience. Their escapes from North Korea also differed considerably. Whereas Kang Chul Hwan escaped along with a friend, Hyok Kang escaped together with his family.
While Kang Chul Hwan was able to go directly from China to South Korea, Hyok Kang and his family reached South Korea via a circuitous route through Southeast Asia.
Hyok Kang has an amazing story to tell, and his impressive illustrations allow the reader to visualize life in North Korea. While Hyok Kang's tale corroborates with Kang Chul Hwan's account, his experience differs significantly enough to make this book another essential reading for anyone interested in the human rights situation in North Korea. In fact, "This Is Paradise!" is such a remarkable story that it can be read and appreciated by anyone.
Hyok Kang's "This Is Paradise!" comes following the success of Kang Chul Hwan's best-seller, "The Aquariums of Pyongyang", the first book written by a North Korean refugee about life in North Korea and escape from the communist country. Hyok Kang's account is shorter than Kang Chul Hwan's, and it does not provide the same detailed historical background of North Korea or the opinionated analysis found in "The Aquariums of Pyongyang." This is understandable considering that Kang Chul Hwan is significantly older than Hyok Kang (who was only born in 1986). Kang Chul Hwan had also spent significantly more time in South Korea before writing his book, giving him more of a chance to learn about communism worldwide and the recent history on the Korean peninsula.
While there are many parallels between this book and "Aquariums of Pyongyang," Hyok Kang's situation was notably different from that of Kang Chul Hwan. Whereas Kang Chul Hwan living in North Korea during the 1970s and 80s, when Kim Il Sung was president, Hyok Kang experienced North Korea under the rule of Kim Jong Il in the 1990s, when there was a severe shortage of food and a reported 3 million people died of starvation. While Kang Chul Hwan came from a privileged family living in Pyongyang, Hyok Kang hails from the Northeastern city of Onsong, far removed from the capital. Unlike Kang Chul Hwan, Hyok Kang never spent time in a North Korean gulag, although the harshness of the circumstances he lived through was reminiscent of Kang Chul Hwan's experience. Their escapes from North Korea also differed considerably. Whereas Kang Chul Hwan escaped along with a friend, Hyok Kang escaped together with his family.
While Kang Chul Hwan was able to go directly from China to South Korea, Hyok Kang and his family reached South Korea via a circuitous route through Southeast Asia.
Hyok Kang has an amazing story to tell, and his impressive illustrations allow the reader to visualize life in North Korea. While Hyok Kang's tale corroborates with Kang Chul Hwan's account, his experience differs significantly enough to make this book another essential reading for anyone interested in the human rights situation in North Korea. In fact, "This Is Paradise!" is such a remarkable story that it can be read and appreciated by anyone.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By A. N. Slack
Format:Paperback
This is an extremely frank account of the lies and duplicities that corrupt every aspect of North Korean life. The famine (which is ongoing and where overseas aid is just siphoned off by the party cadres) has been devastating to both the poplution and the environment - which in turn creates more problems for future food production. The harsh regime and brutality of life is appalling. An excellent book to read to gain an insight into the most insular nation on the planet.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
This book is informative about life in North Korea, a country I know very little about. The story the author tells is virtually identical with the account in another book I... Read more
Published 16 hours ago by Lorin G. Ransom
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful to NK
Dry at times, but insightful. The descriptions are lacking more adjatives or words to paint a picture. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Joy Ball
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning
This is a gripping read from start to finish. Shocking, empathetic and yet not depressing. While writing about his experience growing up in North Korea, Kang illustrates the impact... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mae G
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Disjointed, but Fascinating Overall
I probably would have prefered a more biographical chronology since the book jumped around a bit, covering issues and experiences more topically than chronologically at least in... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mike
5.0 out of 5 stars
nice resource to got to know what's going on in North Korea
This is a real life story of a North Korean refugee to which is hard to listen. Through this book you will be able to get a glimpse of the situation of North Korea; starvation,... Read more
Published 18 months ago by southkorean
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful, relevant to all Asian immigrants
Thank you, Hyok Kang.
The straightforward and forthcoming narration of this memoir makes it beautiful and poignant in its own right. Read more
The straightforward and forthcoming narration of this memoir makes it beautiful and poignant in its own right. Read more
Published on March 31, 2011 by Sundari-Nari
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's pretty good.
The condition of the book was perfect. The book itself came in about 3-4 work days, which is pretty good considering the fact that I literally live in the middle of nowhere. Read more
Published on March 17, 2011 by Dirtymonster
4.0 out of 5 stars
Most certainly NOT paradise
If there is any question in your mind about the state of day to day life in North Korea you should read this book, a memoir of a boy growing up under the Stalinist regime prior to... Read more
Published on February 16, 2011 by Gregory Hope
5.0 out of 5 stars
13-year-old hero who suffered in Hell is also a class artist
By the time he was thirteen years old, Hyok Kang had spent the second half of his life in the worst imaginable misery. Read more
Published on February 3, 2011 by Craig Rowland
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Essence of Evil
This book is absolutely fascinating, brilliantly informative and desperately depressing, I couldn't put it down! Read more
Published on August 23, 2010 by Stephanie Noble
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