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299th out of 935 books
—
3,322 voters
Survival in the Killing Fields
Nothing has shaped my life as much as surviving the Pol Pot regime. I am a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust. That's who I am," says Haing Ngor. And in his memoir, Survival in the Killing Fields, he tells the gripping and frequently terrifying story of his term in the hell created by the communist Khmer Rouge. Like Dith Pran, the Cambodian doctor and interpreter whom Ngo...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
December 26th 2003
by Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc.
(first published 1988)
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Aug 16, 2011
Mariel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Ruby, don't take your love to town
Recommended to Mariel by:
one of the classic blunders
Kum. Kum is a Cambodian word for a particularly Cambodian mentality of revenge- to be precise, a long-standing grudge leading to revenge much more damaging than the original injury. If I hit you with my fist and you wait five years and then shoot me in the back one dark night, that is kum.
Kum-monuss. Ngor took the word for revenge and paired it with the word for people, monuss. "Revenge people." That's what they are, communist at the top and kum-monuss at the bottom.
Why did the Cambodian people...more
Kum-monuss. Ngor took the word for revenge and paired it with the word for people, monuss. "Revenge people." That's what they are, communist at the top and kum-monuss at the bottom.
Why did the Cambodian people...more
I think I can sum up the lessons of this book with a Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal cartoon.
For the first half or so, I thought I had a handle on it. I've read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, which details what the Chinese suffered through under Mao and the Cultural Revolution; since the Khmer Rouge borrowed a lot of ideas from Mao, this was a story I was familiar with.
Then it got bad.
When you've just read 200 pages of people being harnessed like oxen to ploughs and whipped on until the...more
For the first half or so, I thought I had a handle on it. I've read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, which details what the Chinese suffered through under Mao and the Cultural Revolution; since the Khmer Rouge borrowed a lot of ideas from Mao, this was a story I was familiar with.
Then it got bad.
When you've just read 200 pages of people being harnessed like oxen to ploughs and whipped on until the...more
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A tragic but ultimately very human story. In many ways Ngor's story is even more horrific than that of Dith Pran, who Ngor played in the movie "The Killing Fields." That Ngor was able to survive not only the depredations that every Cambodian faced during that terrible time, but three separate imprisonments during which he was brutally tortured speaks to his sheer force of will and desire to live. But it's more than just his personal story. Ngor was a keen observer of Cambodian culture and the po...more
The hardest book I have ever read, not because of the concepts or language (Roger Warner arranged Haing Ngor's halting English into a narrative that flows), but because of what happens. That includes a handful of Holocaust memoirs. Ngor survived three sessions in Khmer Rouge jails, and before the book recounts each of them it warns sensitive readers to skip what follows--and that is after the harrowing accounts of excruciating work, starvation and the casual execution of Ngor's relatives. The Kh...more
I read this book a long time ago, so this is not going to be an in depth review, instead it's a reflection on the impact it had on me.
I remember aged 21 working in an office and coming across this book, in tattered form. No one else in the office claimed it as theirs, but one guy had read it and recommended it to me. It wasn't the kind of book I would normally have been attracted to at that age. I was not shallow, but not the deepest of people either.
This book opened my eyes and made me mature...more
I remember aged 21 working in an office and coming across this book, in tattered form. No one else in the office claimed it as theirs, but one guy had read it and recommended it to me. It wasn't the kind of book I would normally have been attracted to at that age. I was not shallow, but not the deepest of people either.
This book opened my eyes and made me mature...more
Survival in the Killing Fields is my book from Cambodia for the Read The World challenge. Haing Ngor was a doctor in pre-revolutionary Phnom Penh. That alone was enough to make him a target for the Khmer Rouge, but he managed to survive their regime through lies, determination, judgement and blind luck. Later he made it to America, was cast in the film
The Killing Fields
, and won an Oscar for best supporting actor.
Which is a remarkable story, and superficially one of the triumph of the human sp...more
Which is a remarkable story, and superficially one of the triumph of the human sp...more
Searing. Powerful. Unforgettable.
I recently decided that I wanted to learn about Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge, and the killing fields, especially because I plan on traveling there later on in life. I borrowed about 10 books from my library, and made it halfway through about 3 of them before I read this one. While those previous books were powerful, I found them to either be too hands-off, more interested in politics or explanations rooted in the nature of man, rather than the humanity and tragedy...more
I recently decided that I wanted to learn about Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge, and the killing fields, especially because I plan on traveling there later on in life. I borrowed about 10 books from my library, and made it halfway through about 3 of them before I read this one. While those previous books were powerful, I found them to either be too hands-off, more interested in politics or explanations rooted in the nature of man, rather than the humanity and tragedy...more
In his memoir Survival in the Killing Fields, Haing Ngor recounts his harrowing tale of survival under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. After his forced evacuation from Phnom Penh to the countryside, Ngor must conceal his identity as a doctor and work for the Khmer Rouge on various ill conceived projects aimed at revolutionizing Cambodia into an agricultural society. Throughout his four years under the cruel thumb of the Khmer Rouge, Ngor endures starvation, disease, imprisonment and torture, and...more
A nightmarish account by physician Haing Ngor of living in Cambodia as it succumbed to the Pol Pot regime. This reminded me very much of Schindler's List - the arbitrary cruelty and killing of the kmer rouge is absolutely terrifying. I was particularly touched by Ngor's love for his wife who died giving birth while they were both imprisoned in a concentration camp. Ngor escaped to the US and was eventually cast in film The Killing Fields, playing a character whose experience is very close to his...more
This is one of those books that stays with you long after you read it. I finished it this past week and have thought about it several times a day since. Very well-written and incredibly thought provoking. I was blown away by this autobiography and the resiliency of the human spirit. A great read for anyone who doesn't know much about the genocide in Cambodia. I am going there in the next month for a visit and I have a greater appreciation for the culture and the events that have shaped the count...more
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Ngor's story of his experiences in Cambodia before, during, and after the Khmer Rouge takeover in the late 1970's. Absolutely gripping and often emotionally trying. I usually do my best to avoid violent scenes in books and movies because they just play over and over in my head, but I found myself feeling awful skipping the gory parts (he warns you when they're coming). How can I claim discomfort at just reading about them when millions actually suffered through those horrendous crimes. I didn't...more
Having already visited Cambodia and The Killing Fields (and the S21 prison) gave me some idea as to what to expect from the book.
It is very well written (translated) and deals with some very emotional scenes well. The author does give you the chance to skip difficult (in terms of torture scenes etc) sections, but then what's the point in reading the book without actually reading about the levels that humans can go to?
One section describes him (the main character, a doctor) picking up a very ill...more
It is very well written (translated) and deals with some very emotional scenes well. The author does give you the chance to skip difficult (in terms of torture scenes etc) sections, but then what's the point in reading the book without actually reading about the levels that humans can go to?
One section describes him (the main character, a doctor) picking up a very ill...more
Feb 28, 2011
Anthony
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
seriously....everyone
Recommended to Anthony by:
internet
Powerful! I can not even describe the emotional journey this book will take you on.
I believe everyone should take some time to read this amazing story because it will put life into perspective for you. The amount of suffering Haing Ngor and the Cambodian people had to endure is a testament to the power of the human spirit. The challanges he faced strips life down to the necessities and the reader really examines what is important in life. It is not always material goods, but relationships betwe...more
I believe everyone should take some time to read this amazing story because it will put life into perspective for you. The amount of suffering Haing Ngor and the Cambodian people had to endure is a testament to the power of the human spirit. The challanges he faced strips life down to the necessities and the reader really examines what is important in life. It is not always material goods, but relationships betwe...more
If you read Night by Elie Wiesel and thought that it was rough, this book goes WAY beyond that one. It was so gruesome and terrible that I couldn't put it down, knowing that if I stopped reading before it was over, I would have some really aweful, twisted nightmares (even without added imagination). I read it in one sitting, and skipped an entire night's sleep to do so.
At intervals, he warns you that its going to get bad. Don't even try to guess what happens. Chances are, you're not even close....more
At intervals, he warns you that its going to get bad. Don't even try to guess what happens. Chances are, you're not even close....more
The real life story of the actor who played Dith Pran in the film "The Killing Fields". Himself a killing fields survivor (in body at least, do not know if he ever got over it mentally). Very readable. I was hardly able to put it down. The theme though was horrific. Cannot believe that with the horrors of the holocaust in the '40's, similar things happened thirty years later (and are still happening now in other parts of the world). On as positive note though, despite the horror going on in the...more
This book helped me understand the recent history of Cambodia through the eyes of one man that survived. I knew nothing about Cambodias history before reading it, and I think the author did a great job of explaining it in the most condensed way he could. The story is extremely sad, and yet inspiring. I read it right before traveling to Cambodia, which definitely helped me understand their culture and the people better. it also helped me have many conversations with Cambodians that I otherwise wo...more
An insightful first-hand account from a survivor of 'Angka'. This is a very-bottom up, personal view of life under the Khmer Rouge, including time spent delving into his childhood and the acclaim that followed his portrayal of Dith Pran in The Killing Fields. The author's voice is generally enjoyable, though it does wear at times and the book may be lengthier than it needs to be. The afterward is a highly interesting read as it explores Haing's life following the publishing of the book and his s...more
Nothing has shaped my life as much as surviving the Pol Pot regime. I am a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust. That's who I am," says Haing Ngor. And in his memoir, Survival in the Killing Fields, he tells the gripping and frequently terrifying story of his term in the hell created by the communist Khmer Rouge. Like Dith Pran, the Cambodian doctor and interpreter whom Ngor played in an Oscar-winning performance in The Killing Fields, Ngor lived through the atrocities that the 1984 film portraye...more
Someone recently asked the last time I cried and I realize it was while reading this book. I dont know if there is a more interesting autobiography that has been lived. The author is as beautiful as he is brutal. Definitely in the top ten lives lived of this century. Although it is an autobiography it is incredible honest in the stupid mistakes, the ideology and inner workings of Khmer Rouge's own political tautology, and yet inspires you with such an overwhelming brutal perseverance and overloo...more
This was a wonderful book. It taught me so much about the Cambodian Culture and about the horrible genocide that occurred during the Pol Pot Regime of the mid to late 1970's. I am very thankful to my sister in law Natalie for helping me to learn more about a new culture and a new country. It also provided me with a new found respect for her sister who today works in Cambodia as a nurse trying to teach the Cambodians how to better care for themselves and providing health care in rural areas where...more
A riveting read...'a must'. It's exceptionally well written account of the realities of life under the Khmer Rouge. Whilst the reading material may be hard for some, for anyone familiar with the atrocities that go along with brutal occupation and genocide the content is, sadly, not surprising. The book is also underpinned by love, hope and the human ability (or super ability in Haing's case) to survive - making this book a 'journey' that will stay with you.
Unbelievable! The author paints such a vivid picture of the atrocities he endured under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Though emotionally difficult to read at times, it is worth the 500 page read to learn about one of the worst genocides in human history. This book exceeded my expectations because it's not just about death and dying, but of love, courage, and survival.
A chilling first hand account of the Khmer Rouge and the atrocities committed during the Cambodian revolution. Haing Ngor tells his personal story of the deprivation and torture he lived through. This is a difficult book to read in some sections. He has warnings before a few sections so sensitive readers can skip the times he was tortured and other unimaginable brutalities he witnesses happening to other villagers in the torture areas.
This book is another example of the depths that man can sink...more
This book is another example of the depths that man can sink...more
This book is just terrifyingly sad, but necessary. Note that when Ngor gives one of his caveats that he is about to tell you something really, really terrible, he is NOT FIDDLE FUCKING AROUND. He means it. He's about to lay some seriously terrible shit on you. And it will haunt you.
I read this book years ago. It haunted me for months.
Ngor's story is harrowing, inspirational, and moving.
It is hard to believe the terror that the Khmer Rouge placed upon the whole nation of Cambodia.
Ngor's story is harrowing, inspirational, and moving.
It is hard to believe the terror that the Khmer Rouge placed upon the whole nation of Cambodia.
This book is sooo crazy and takes you into a very depressed state of mind all through out it but such a good description of what was happening then. This is an AMAZING and heart wrenching book
By turn moving, thrilling, amazing, heartbreaking, violent autobiography of a physician who went through unspeakable horrors to make his way out of the nightmare that was Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge took power.
Amazingly powerful book about a doctor during the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia. The images of this book have stayed with me a long time, even though I read it sometime ago.
The helicopter scene was filmed just down the road from my hotel in Cha-am.
Another one of those that cannot be graded by stars.
Another one of those that cannot be graded by stars.
Jan 31, 2013
Adele McVay
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
currently-rereading
Re reading this 15 years after it's first outing and it's no less grim or relevant. Haing Ngor does not come across well, he's a ob gyn who takes advantage of his patients the same way every other person in positions of power in Cambodia does/did. He was part of the problem, he has been conditioned by his society to behave this way. Respect where it's due that he didn't sugar coat his personality flaws to make him come across as the bigger person and this I believe is what ultimately gives the b...more
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and e...more
Aug 18, 2011 08:28am
Pol Pot was like the prom queen!
Aug 18, 2011 11:34am