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on December 30, 2016
I really didn't know much about North Korea after the Korean War so I was attracted to this book just satisfy my curiosity. I must say I was shock at how hard just simple life is in NK, even compare with other Communist countries. The economy is shot (though there are some signs of growth); people are starving; food aid seldom gets to the people; travel is restricted and there is a definite class system in place. This book recounts the lives of six North Koreans who defected to South Korea and their struggles and their losses. One thing I found interesting is that many former North Koreans long, not for the starvation and restrictions that they fled, but for the order and certainty that life under Communism brought. I highly recommend this book.
on September 15, 2015
I am new to the individual stories of people who come from that part of the world. I usually keep up to date with the current events of the country and the politics as a whole. I finally got around to zeroing in on details of people's stories and lives, this book was the perfect start. It weaves history and these peoples lives perfectly, it's not just a political/history book or tmi about just one specific person without knowing what's going on there.
There's multiple stories that are well balanced and incorporate enough background information to get the full picture of the country, regime, and the people that have to live there and what they deal with on a day to day basis.
There are no extravagant chapters on torture and grisly details about the horrible camps, this is not that type of book, it's more of an in depth look of the overall atmosphere in this country, which really gives a better and more realistic view of the situation and how these families, individuals, and the masses dealt with it and are still dealing with it; extreme poverty, hunger, death, total government control, executions, gulags, and overworked. I did not want to read about the tortures that happen at the gulag, we already know, it's horrible, but more about the people, life there, and how much is the government really intertwined in the people's lives. And this book does it all.
I definitely recommend reading it if you are interest in history, current events, and auto/biography. It is very well written, engaging, and informative, it's puts the final pieces together along with what you already know about this country and government. It puts humans stories and faces to every thing you know and makes it more human instead of just news, by the time you're done reading it, you will have an overall better understanding of the whole situation and North Koreans. Thank you for writing this book and for how well you put it together, it's awesome.
There's multiple stories that are well balanced and incorporate enough background information to get the full picture of the country, regime, and the people that have to live there and what they deal with on a day to day basis.
There are no extravagant chapters on torture and grisly details about the horrible camps, this is not that type of book, it's more of an in depth look of the overall atmosphere in this country, which really gives a better and more realistic view of the situation and how these families, individuals, and the masses dealt with it and are still dealing with it; extreme poverty, hunger, death, total government control, executions, gulags, and overworked. I did not want to read about the tortures that happen at the gulag, we already know, it's horrible, but more about the people, life there, and how much is the government really intertwined in the people's lives. And this book does it all.
I definitely recommend reading it if you are interest in history, current events, and auto/biography. It is very well written, engaging, and informative, it's puts the final pieces together along with what you already know about this country and government. It puts humans stories and faces to every thing you know and makes it more human instead of just news, by the time you're done reading it, you will have an overall better understanding of the whole situation and North Koreans. Thank you for writing this book and for how well you put it together, it's awesome.
on February 19, 2017
Been fascinated by North Korean life for some time.
This book is an eye opener to what most North Koreans face on a daily basis.
This book is an eye opener to what most North Koreans face on a daily basis.
on April 28, 2012
First, the things that were missing:
1. An index would have been useful.
2. A family tree chart would have been nice. It was hard to keep track of who was related to whom, and a family tree (with the dates of deaths of the characters) would have been nice. The book is good, but it can't be read in one sitting and the relationships start to blur on successive pickings up.
3. The author only told us how she came to know these characters at the end of the book. I don't get the impression that she spoke to them in their language (she is the Beijing Bureau chief), and that does make a bit of a difference in how she saw/ heard/ perceived them.
This book offers an alternative perspective to BR Myers (The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters (Melville House Publishing)). Namely, she seems to disagree with him on the points that: 1. Korea really *was* a nation before the Japanese came and made it one; 2. Communism and Juche are, in some way, taken seriously by the ruling dynasty. (I am not sure how well supported her arguments are, since I don't know how well she can read and how many primary sources she has read about it.) She also concurs that the government is an ethno-nationalist one and Kim Jong-Il just happened to get there by accident.
Demick's descriptive ability is astonishing. She seems to do all of it without bombast and she goes more about the business of *showing* the evils of Communism than moralizing about them.
After reading this, I can't believe that these things happened, or that a country exists in this way. Or that anyone anywhere is still trying to mount a defense of Communism.
In terms of reading time, this book is about 3 afternoons' worth of reading. I bought the book secondhand, but I think it would be worth a new purchase and it is worth a reread.
1. An index would have been useful.
2. A family tree chart would have been nice. It was hard to keep track of who was related to whom, and a family tree (with the dates of deaths of the characters) would have been nice. The book is good, but it can't be read in one sitting and the relationships start to blur on successive pickings up.
3. The author only told us how she came to know these characters at the end of the book. I don't get the impression that she spoke to them in their language (she is the Beijing Bureau chief), and that does make a bit of a difference in how she saw/ heard/ perceived them.
This book offers an alternative perspective to BR Myers (The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters (Melville House Publishing)). Namely, she seems to disagree with him on the points that: 1. Korea really *was* a nation before the Japanese came and made it one; 2. Communism and Juche are, in some way, taken seriously by the ruling dynasty. (I am not sure how well supported her arguments are, since I don't know how well she can read and how many primary sources she has read about it.) She also concurs that the government is an ethno-nationalist one and Kim Jong-Il just happened to get there by accident.
Demick's descriptive ability is astonishing. She seems to do all of it without bombast and she goes more about the business of *showing* the evils of Communism than moralizing about them.
After reading this, I can't believe that these things happened, or that a country exists in this way. Or that anyone anywhere is still trying to mount a defense of Communism.
In terms of reading time, this book is about 3 afternoons' worth of reading. I bought the book secondhand, but I think it would be worth a new purchase and it is worth a reread.
on July 14, 2015
An extremely interesting view of a country that is almost completely dark at night when seen from space, a country held hostage by a family who demands worship of their every deed and pronouncement. Very little is known about the people within the country, their daily living conditions, their hopes and disappointments, and how little power they have over their fate. It is horrifying in places and uplifting in the few moments when an average person comes out on top. What I thought astounding was the measures taken to make sure the people of North Korea know so very little about the achievements of the modern world, how people in other countries live, work, and move through the world. It was amazing to me to realize that the family in power could actually convince an entire nation of people who have nothing that they were/are the luckiest and best cared for people on the planet. So interesting in every way! A book that opens your eyes.
on May 15, 2017
The author weaves personal stories of escapees into the larger story of brutal oppressions of millions of North Korean citizens. It is sobering to realize how effective state-controlled media and constant propaganda are in shaping the psyches of a captive people.
on October 29, 2012
Ms. Demick's book is enlightening, sad, sobering, and unforgettable. Its main problem is that towards the end it becomes too repetitive; a good editor could have helped with this defect. The chronology is a little confusing as well. At that being said, I think it is an important book that should be read by anyone doubting that the North Korean government is beyond repressive and cruel--it is barbaric to its own people, Since not many people ever get to travel inside that bitter country, Ms. Demick's perceptions and analyses are invaluable. Her many interviews with people who have managed to flee North Korea are also interesting and surprising, especially when it becomes so clear that many of these refugees find it so difficult to get beyond the brainwashing propaganda they have been fed all their lives about South Korea and the rest of the world!
A must read!
A must read!
on March 11, 2016
This is an incredibly compelling look at the lives of six North Koreans who defected to South Korea. Barbara Demick has a very engaging writing style that absorbed me into the story and kept me reading even when I did not want to continue, as the lives of these people are filled with tragedy, anguish, and unbearable sorrow. Imagine living in a world where you are constantly monitored by your neighbors, where the most innocent slip of the tongue can land you in a labor camp, and in which you are forced to watch friends and family slowly succumb to starvation. I was particularly touched by the moment when one of the defectors, having made it to China and spying a bowl of rice and meat, realizes that a dog in China eats better than the average person in North Korea. Reading this book has impacted me in such a way that, whenever I feel the need to complain about something minor, I think "at least I'm not in North Korea."
on May 16, 2015
Scary insight into a world and a culture that mimics cult civilizations from a thousand years ago. An emperor who is god like and can do no wrong. A cult that requires worship of Korean leader as the source of everything , yet a cultural leader that has no real compassion for his people. A culture that holds families up to three generations accountable for the acts of the individuals and can without remorse condemn women, children and aged grandparents to labor camps for the actions of one person. How long can such a cult survive? Well with absolute controls over communications, education, food supplies perhaps a long time. The emperor is part figure head; but also an absolute ruler who can have his enemies shot by artillery guns.
Originally propped up by China and Russia as a communist stalking horse to challenge the west North Korea 's economy collapsed when these giants tired of subsidizing their little brother. But the governments hold is so strong and their ruthless exploitation of the commoners shows no cracks. The regime is prepared to do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Bloodbaths that resulted in overthrow of tyrants only occur when the news can be circulated and when there are brave internal voices who speak out. Mao's cultural revolution and Tiananmen square may look like tiny police actions before this cult government falls. Even if North Korea finally opened to the world with such a large military and such a poor country the result would be disruptive to world stability. South Korea is torn between a desire to see one Korea and no appetite to pay the price to bring this anachronistic remnant of a forgotten time into civilization.
Originally propped up by China and Russia as a communist stalking horse to challenge the west North Korea 's economy collapsed when these giants tired of subsidizing their little brother. But the governments hold is so strong and their ruthless exploitation of the commoners shows no cracks. The regime is prepared to do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Bloodbaths that resulted in overthrow of tyrants only occur when the news can be circulated and when there are brave internal voices who speak out. Mao's cultural revolution and Tiananmen square may look like tiny police actions before this cult government falls. Even if North Korea finally opened to the world with such a large military and such a poor country the result would be disruptive to world stability. South Korea is torn between a desire to see one Korea and no appetite to pay the price to bring this anachronistic remnant of a forgotten time into civilization.
