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This one grabs you and holds you right from the start. Demick tells the back story of a half-dozen people who fled horrendous living conditions in the north for a better life in South Korea. It's hard to believe that such wretched living conditions can exist on the planet: while progressive nations are exploring space, people in North Korea seldom have electricity or food. Imagine stealing the neighbour's dog to have a bit of food to put on the table!
I'm happy for the people who managed to get o ...more
I'm happy for the people who managed to get o ...more

Feb 27, 2011
Jen
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
non-fiction,
twisted,
history,
lives-of-people,
other-realms,
dystopia,
sociology,
scary,
z-2013-read,
asia-other
A fascinating, harrowing, and compelling read. You'd think you were reading a retelling of Orwell's 1984, but this is non-fiction. What's most effective about this book is the author tells the stories of everyday citizens of North Korea; well, ex-citizens since Demick interviewed them after they'd defected to South Korea, the only way she could get open communication about life in North Korea. We see via their day-to-day lives what it's like to live in an extreme totalitarian state, and as a cit
...more

Thorough, engaging narrative of the life of several North Koreans during the 80s and 90s. I really enjoyed the depiction of everyday life and relationships. It would have been nice to have a broader context (for instance, noting the role of international sanctions and more information about the Communist bloc falling apart), but I also recognize that the author was intentionally focusing on individuals' day-to-day experience. I wish there was an update for what has happened since the book was pu
...more

Jan 27, 2019
Kimberly
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
land-of-the-morning-calm-the-two
This book was very readable and it was a great introduction to North Korean history and culture. It has a personal feel since it is structured around the stories of a number of North Korea defectors. This book helped shape my understanding of the lives of ordinary North Koreans, although it does not cover much about North Korea after the death of Kim Jong-Il.

Aug 28, 2011
mstan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
src-winter-2011-12
This non-fiction book about the lives of some ordinary North Koreans - who are able to tell their stories only after they have defected from North Korea and moved to South Korea - is easy to read but difficult to stomach.
North Korea is rather physically close to Singapore, and is the other half/neighbour of the country - South Korea - which many Singaporean teenagers are obsessed with, in terms of soft culture. Our school even had to cancel an immersion trip to Korea last year because North Kore ...more
North Korea is rather physically close to Singapore, and is the other half/neighbour of the country - South Korea - which many Singaporean teenagers are obsessed with, in terms of soft culture. Our school even had to cancel an immersion trip to Korea last year because North Kore ...more

A really good account of what life is like for many in North Korea. Much of it was so horrific, I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. It seemed more like a dystopian novel, as Becky said. I would recommend it, although parts were quite depressing.
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Jan 07, 2010
Jen
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Jan 02, 2014
Vesra (When She Reads)
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Apr 26, 2014
Kristen Iworsky
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Scott Flicker
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Nov 17, 2019
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