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Comments (57)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 57 items
Feb 08, 2023Td_525 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book makes me to think and pray more for the dear people of North Korea. What a horror! It might be a little bit exaggerated (or I need a North Korean to confirm it), but as work of literature it depicts the ugly nature of…
Dec 16, 2022
Kim Jong Il's North Korea
Sep 25, 2022crazycatladyreads rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This was a very thought-provoking book, though could be difficult to read. I do feel like I have a better understanding of North Korean society and life after having read it.
Sep 11, 2022CMatisse rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books of all time. Has a fascinating main character. Who knew North Korea could be so interesting.
Sep 05, 2022martillo rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a brilliant novel that succeeds on every level. As a work of entertainment it has a propulsive plot that leads to an exciting, cinematic crescendo. As a work of literature it uses exhaustive research to bring the reader into an…
Aug 20, 2022nadinecotner rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I tried to read this novel, but it was very disjointed and had no definitive plot or purpose. Very difficult reading. I quit 3/4 of way through after not finding what the plot was.
Jul 06, 2022BARosen1112 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Imaginative novel released in 2012, about a rising star in North Korea in the field of government kidnappers who takes over the life of a hero of the Endless Revolution, a rival of the Dear Leader Kim Jong IL for the affections of the…
Jul 03, 2022
Just finished, and was persuaded by readers' comments here to pursue a story that otherwise sounded too harrowing, which indeed it is, but riveting and moving as well, with wry notes of humor. This account could be set in an imaginary…
Feb 21, 2021rclane rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Intricately plotted. Deliciously dark. Cuttingly tragic. Is there a scent of xenophobia from the American author? Perhaps, but the charm of the writing has masked it.
Jul 05, 2020andreabilyeu rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I've read this book twice and listened to the audio book twice. If you're stuck in the beginning, just keep reading. Keep reading! This is such a powerful and shocking book that was inspired by true stories of defectors from North…
May 11, 2020CareyMacaulay rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I was engrossed in The Orphan Master's Son from the opening broadcast to the citizens of the greatest nation in the world, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, to the ending pages. These broadcasts happen every day and highlight the…
Jan 18, 2020
I no longer want this book. Please erase.
Mar 29, 2019WoodneathKristie rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An emotional tour de force, Pak Jun Do's journey is an amazing revelation of the Byzantine maze of horrors that is modern totalitarianism. That "The Orphan Master's Son" displays some of the most horrendous abuses of the DPRK is almost…
Feb 23, 2019
An emotionally difficult, but rewarding read. While many of the details are from Johnson's imagination, much of his writing is informed by interviews with escapees from North Korea. Combining his research with some artistic liberties,…
Nov 16, 2018SurreyLibraries_Reads rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson was the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction and it doesn’t disappoint. This is the story of Pak Jun Do; the orphan turned kidnapper turned fishing boat signal operator turned diplomat turned…
Jul 27, 2018RogerDeBlanck rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Johnson’s novel The Orphan Master’s Son deserves placement on a list of contemporary masterpieces that may include such memorable works as Morrison’s Beloved, McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, Robinson’s Gilead, and Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life…
Apr 27, 2018
This 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning work of fiction is a riveting read. A masterful story-teller, the author moves between the absurd to the obscene while describing life in North Korea and how much suffering and deprivation humans can…
Apr 10, 2018Lotushead rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Learn something about Korea and read an usual story.
Nov 21, 2017
This is about Pak Jun Do a boy whose father is an illegal child labor enforcer in North Korea. Pak soon takes on his father's role and rises through the ranks but because of impossible demands from his superiors, he soon becomes enemies…
Sep 13, 2017HEFFCO53 rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I recently "tried" to read this book and found it to be poorly written and dreadfully boring not to mention that it was an awful subject. My question is: How did a book like the win the Pulitzer prize? I find that there have been some…
Mar 11, 2016HollyDavis022 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Ironic and thought provoking. Loved it.
Mar 11, 2016
The novel centers on Pak Jun Do, a North Korean noticed for his talents and loyalty who quickly rises through the ranks to increasingly important roles. It could be called a Bildungsroman since Jun Do's education never stops as he develops…
Feb 17, 2016marg_sanderson rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Yes, this book was sometimes confusing. That very fact reflected for me the chaos that was wreaked on individuals by the blind narcissistic policies of the DRNK leaders. Moral struggles, plot twists, character development: this book has…
Feb 16, 2016Persnickety77 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Just absolutely heartbreaking, devastating, depressing, and somehow still beautiful. I've always been fascinated with North Korea, but mostly thought of it as kind of harmless and ridiculous. But because of this book (which Johnson…
annobooks
Dec 03, 2015annobooks rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Several hundred pages in I just had to surrender and give up reading this oppressive novel.