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A River in Darkness
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A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea - Masai Ishikawa - 4 stars
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You've spotted many "trends" of North Korean defector stories. -Amazing story, but not the best writing.
-Doubting validity
Most NK defector's stories I have read also have these flaws.
This is on my TBR, have it from the free world book day.
Will get to it eventually.
Joi wrote: "You've spotted many "trends" of North Korean defector stories. -Amazing story, but not the best writing.
-Doubting validity
Most NK defector's stories I have read also have these flaws.
This is ..."
That is where I received this book also. I have trouble deciding if these trend adds or takes away the validity. This is the first books I've ever read about North Korea.
Masaji was born in Japan to an abusive Korean father and Japanese mother. He had a hard time in Japan, being looked down on due to having a Korean father. So his father takes them to North Korean in the 60s to have a better life. There, they are looked down upon for being returnees and also having a Japanese mother. But that is the least of their worries. North Korea is hell. Especially during the 80s and 90s when the nation, outside of the favored, is literally starving to death in the streets, including Masaji and his family.
The book is not well written but the story is just heart breaking. Something that I don't think we can fully comprehend.
That said, I somewhat doubt the validity of this story (not the circumstances) Some of the story seems too fantastical but I understand that atrocities in the world are stranger and more horrible than fiction. But there is no information on Masaji and events after this book. It makes me skeptical about the authenticity of this book. Try to find further information. You can't. The ending is quite sudden and without finality, which is fine as the only finality in life is death. However, it seems as Masaji does not exist. From what I read, this was originally published under another name, then under Masaji Ishikawa and his picture is on the book, yet there is nothing about what happens after the end of the book (you will be asking what happened after the book) nor any interviews or anything. So I took a star away because of this.