The Killing Fields

by Christopher Hudson

Novelas de Cine nº 01, edicion 1987,271 paginas, tapa dura sin sobrecubierta, buen estado general

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Asia, Biography, Travel, Military Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[BeeQuiet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gripped by this book from start to finish. This is not a great book to give you an overview of the whole political situation surrounding the conflict in Cambodia but that is simply not its purpose.

This is a book centred on an American journalist and his Cambodian friend who is working with him, detailing the actual events which happened to these two men. I found myself aching with desperation to know what would happen next many times primarily due to the thoughtful characterisation and brilliant scene setting. Seeing the conflict through the eyes of a journalist was a powerful experience well facilitated by Hudson.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think people should know this is basically the "novelization" of the popular film. The film's script by Bruce Robinson was based on the book "THE DEATH & LIFE OF DITH PRAN" by the NY Times journalist Sydney Schanberg (who Sam Waterson plays in the movie.) So that's the book you should read if you want to learn more about this tragic time in Cambodia's history. Haing S. Gnor who is in the film as Pran (and won an Oscar) also wrote a book about his own experiences surviving the Khmer Rouge regime, SURVIVAL IN THE KILLING FIELDS. It is a great read & truly harrowing. And by all means, see the film (if you can take it - it is a brutal, unflinching look at this horrible chapter in history).

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's scarier than ever in a world of 'no privacy' and 'unlimited online sharing' to revisit the whole notion of people being executed in their millions for having smooth hands, an education or wearing glasses (all tell-tale signs of the educated background which condemned them.) It shocks me all over again that such a regime could exist within living memory. The notion of declaring 'Year Zero' is beyond chilling, with the enormity of the individual lives, culture and history that were wiped out its wake. Although I expected this to be graphic in some parts, it still shocked me. Be aware that there are some absolutely graphic, stomach-turning scenes depicted towards the end of the book. It should still be compulsory reading for anyone born in the 70s-80s, especially in Australia, where you are likely to know people directly affected by historical events in South East Asia.

[Thomas Murch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt story of friendship and courage in the mist of one the worst acts in the history of mankind upon its own citizens, when the communist Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia.
“Angola overseers with bamboo staves patrol the endless line of laborers. When one of them collapses under his burden and cannot rise, he is dragged away and not seen again. In a slave society, sickness is inefficiency, and inefficiency is punished by death” pg 214
.. the first Khmer Rouge checkpoint. “Tell us who you are.. no one will be punished”, They believed … civil servants, teachers , lawyers, military men -did tell the truth and were never to be seen again.”
A reminder to not forget history or take lightly the tyranny that Communism brings and to not take for granted the freedoms we have in our wonderful Republic

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone interested in the Khmer Rouge and their atrocities in Cambodia.

[Alan Wightman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oddity in that it is a book of the movie, based on the screenplay and Sydney Schonberg's writing in the New York Times. Told simply and well, the tale of the Khmer Rouge's takeover of Phnom Penh in 1975 and Dith Pran's subsequent bid for freedom. Found the political stuff prior to the KR takeover most interesting.

[Grant Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

NB: I don't know why this is labelled 'non-fiction' here. It's quite clearly a novelisation, i.e. fiction.

Starts off as a chummy colonialist knees-up reminiscent of Wilbur Smith, ends with stuff like people getting tied to trees and having their liver cut out and eaten while they're still alive. That's quite a 180-degree turn.

I found this in a box at my parents' house and had zero expectations when I opened it - the only reason I even gave it a go was because I flipped through the pages beforehand and saw the writing was concise and clipped, almost like Graham Greene meets Robert Mason. Also, I've read maybe ten books on the Vietnam War and none on Cambodia, so this is the first small step toward redressing the balance. The first third is a bit of a struggle precisely because of the colonial tone, but once Phnom Penh is abandoned by the Americans (classic history-repeats-itself move) and the journalists are left to fend for themselves in a city overrun by the Khmer Rouge out for blood, it kicks into gear big time and elicits genuine emotion - especially as the novel is based on the experiences of real people.

I guess I'll watch the film if it ever appears on Criterion - the screenplay was written by Bruce Robinson, the genius behind Withnail & I. And I'll work up the courage to read The Death and Life of Dith Pran.

Bonus fact: I found it interesting that the author studied under Saul Bellow. Some people get all the luck.

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A father carried his wounded baby son over his shoulder in a blood-soaked plastic bag; another had wrapped his child in a sheet and tied it around his neck in a sling. Schanberg saw one weeping couple, probably Chinese, carrying both their children in a stretcherbed: one still alive, the other infant parceled in brown paper and stowed at the foot of the bed. A few, not many, raised their eyes to the footbridge with a flicker of hope that quickly died. What came up mostly to the newsmen was the speechlessness of this vast caravan of misery and the persistent sound, like rain, of children crying."

This book is about the friendship and power-dynamics between two men.
This book is about the horrors of war and the systemic destruction of a people perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge.
This book is about a survivor.

This was the second book I've read this year about the Khmer Rouge (the first was "First
They Killed my Father") and I'm still speechless, thinking about the horrors which the Cambodian people had to endure.

[Mu'az · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Killing field

The title itself has its semantic meaning.For me it is a metaphor. Overall i enjoyed reading the book. In spite of new information about Kampuchea, I have also learned the value of sadism in one of most ruthless regime in the world. I have heard before about people who wear glasses were being caught and killed. This book talks about it.

The third part of the book touch my heart. The hardship faced by the main character , Dith Pran in order to survive is unthinkable. People are being forced as a "slave" to a so called Liberation troops or nationalist. But actually the country is being led by an organization called "Angka". I have learnt that corruption that occurred in the highest part of country hierarchy led to the country grave.

A sad and emotional story. A story of struggle and hardship. A story of loyalty and love. A story of corruption and and absolute war. A story of friendship and hate. A story of how people respect others. A story of how people manipulate others.

[Emily Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this is a really good book. I read this book to learn more about what happened in Cambodia in the 1970's. They didn't touch on this at all when I was in High School, so my only knowledge was really from the Dead Kennedy's song.

I learned a lot about this horrible era from this book and it painted a disheartening picture all the atrocities that took place during this time. One of the most horrific eras in recent history and it is almost all but forgotten.

The book focused a bit too much on the American, but overall did not make him the "great white hero" which was good. The last part and ending were extremely rushed, compared to the rest of the book. Overall it is worth reading though.

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The movie this book is based on was brilliant, but vague. I read this in hopes of gaining a better understanding the events surrounding the story. Indeed there was a great deal of explanation (great for someone who wasn't alive during the Vietnam War) yet there was little detail as to how Sydney's coverage was important. And it only spent about 1/5 of the book covering the four year period Dith Pran was held captive. Overall a good read, but the subject matter is too important to focus on the white guy.

[John Meehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Killing Fields is a very compelling and interesting piece of non-fiction that tells the story of two reporters, Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran as they try to survive in Cambodia as it is torn apart by civil war. It shows the horror of the Khmer Rogue through intense descriptions and interesting storytelling. Overall this book tells a very captivating and interesting story and is worth reading for anyone who wants to discover more about Cambodia during this time.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish this book but I kind of gave up and saw the movie. It's really a heartbreaking and disturbing story. However, I had heard that the movie and book are almost exactly the same which is why I gave up on the book, something I very rarely do.

[I-love-reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book

the only disappointment was some events and characters were created to represent what was happening in Cambodia at the time, so it was hard to know which parts are correct

I wish I'd known before that Sydney wrote a book about it himself, it was a bit of an impluse buy.

[Jujuba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw and disturbing.

For some people, I would suggest just watching the movie but for those who like to read on history or have a personal connection, I would suggest reading through the book.

[Virgil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about an American and a Cambodian witnessing the fall of the old regime, and the unlikely survival of the Cambodian man who stayed and lives through the horrors of the Khmer Rouge's murderous rule, Dith Pran. It should be a book about Dith Pran, since the most eye widening, heart-wrenching, memorable parts of the story are about his survival and escape from the most twisted of dystopias, in slave villages surrounded by killing fields.

However the main character is an American journalist, which probably makes the story more relatable to western readers, and helps present the minimal historical and political anecdotes in the book in a digestible way.

It's a fine story with many emotional moments, as you witness the hardships of the victims of the revolution. It doesn't satisfy for a historical account of events or a political synopsis of the Khmer Rouge revolution and rule, but it's fairly vivid telling of a personal story that any reader can immerse themselves in and gain an incredible sympathy for the people of Cambodia.

[Jeff Reiling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough to make me want to watch the film. It gets bogged down for awhile in reporter’s names etc who have zero bearing on the story. The prose are simple aside from all the unfamiliar Cambodian cities etc about which I knew nothing. The heart of the story beats with Dith Pran the Cambodian native who assists the protagonist Sydney Schanberg covering the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia of the 1970’s. Pran is who I cared about and the story did little to get me invested in anyone else. The book could use more backstory related to the war and occupation and less focus on Sydney and his dealings with cohorts. Would have been a 4 star for me if so.

[Shannon Austen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this years ago and, ultimately, put it down. This year I visited Cambodia and on return decided to give it another try. My experience of this book was transformed once I had brushed up on my general knowledge of Cambodia and the events leading to, and throughout the atrocities of the killing fields. This book was enthralling. I could see the sights, smell the smells and hear the noises described and I loved it!

[Daniel Esquivel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book and quite a story (a real one), if you are looking for a book to understand the political conflict in Cambodia, then this book is not the right one... I just bought the "The Pol Pot Regime" and at first glance it does provide a lot of background details of the conflict.

I haven't sen the movie lately but they say it almost identical as this book so if you are not an avid reader then you can go ahead and see the movie instead, although as they say...books are always better than movies.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the story had all come from Pran I would have reviewed this higher, Shanberg just wasn't relatable or interesting to me. 'First They Killed My Father' by Luong Ung is a much more emotionally investing book on the same subject.

[Aaron Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hudson, C. (1984). The killing fields. Dell.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story of a journalist who finds himself in Cambodia and the horror of war as he meets and tries to help the people there.

[Alexia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After visiting Cambodia wanted to read about the war there. Found it interested.

[Huguette Larochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

the atrocity of war.
what humans can do to one another .
are hard to imagine ,the cruelty of humans.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense, depressing, emotional.

[Nicholas Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good sad book. Need to watch the movie and learn more about the conflict.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible story. Sometimes the writing style felt clunky and confusing (the only reason for 4 stars) but overall this is a must read.

[DeeJay Trump · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bigly!
*** 3 Stars.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched the film right before I started the book. A heartbreaking story.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having visited Cambodia, this book was especially meaningful for me. I kept looking at Cambodians over age 40 and wondering what their lives had been like under the Khmer Rouge.
This is essentially a historical novel based very closely on the facts. The story of how the US betrayed Cambodia and enabled the KR to triumph is shocking for its brutality and beggars the imagination. But this is a profoundly human account about individuals' struggles within the greater political context. Schanberger's guilt at abandoning Pran to the KR's vicissitudes is contrasted with the latter's tale of surviving against all odds. Pran's allegiance to the journalistic principles that Sydney now doubts is touching.