3.5 stars. Set in the 1970's in South Korea outside an U.S. Army base. CID Sgts Sueno & Bascom begin investigating a horrific murder of a South Korean3.5 stars. Set in the 1970's in South Korea outside an U.S. Army base. CID Sgts Sueno & Bascom begin investigating a horrific murder of a South Korean prostitute when her GI boyfriend is charged with her murder. A gritty crime novel that reveals the seamier side of life near the base; bars, prostitution, & black-market activities along with the corruption that surrounds the Korean businesses who seek contracts with the U.S. government. Limon brings the area and people to life. No one is all good or bad, some interesting reveals that make you question your own biases and/or stereotypes. ...more
I'm not sure how to review this 2012 Pulitzer Prize winning novel set in North Korea. Contemporary literary fiction is one of my least favorite genresI'm not sure how to review this 2012 Pulitzer Prize winning novel set in North Korea. Contemporary literary fiction is one of my least favorite genres, make your own conclusions about me from that as you will. Yet I am always happy when I find one that truly pulls me in like this one did. The author said he based alot of his descriptions of the culture on readings from those who have defected to the West. If that is what life is like in N. Korea, it is more frightening than I had realized. It makes me want to read those memoirs from those who have escaped that authoritarian rule, poverty, hunger and potential of torture, imprisonment or death.
This is the story of a man who was trying to find out who he really was, what he was willing to do to survive and how much he could endure and still be true to himself. Were his actions that of a coward or heroic? He reinvents himself multiple times and in his final transformation he impacts others in a way he could not have imagined and orchestrates his last act in defiance and love.
There are a few other major characters that have interesting story arcs, and one that is only known as the interrogator. There is another narrator that is not human, which was actually very chilling to me as it spewed forth misinformation and fabricated an alternative history of events. Too familiar to things that some media is doing in the U.S.
One has to really pay attention when reading as the timeline jumps around as well changes in narration. There were times when it was quite confusing until I figured out what was happening. Well worth the investment in time and concentration. ...more
My first fiction set in Korea. This is a story loosely based on the author's mother's life in Korea during the Japanese occupation from the early 20thMy first fiction set in Korea. This is a story loosely based on the author's mother's life in Korea during the Japanese occupation from the early 20th C through 1945. I knew little of this time in Korean history. A reminder of the typical result of "conquerors", enacting policies in an effort to obliterate a culture to assert their own and gain power. The dichotomy was although the regime could be brutal, it did begin to bring a modernization to the country. What a horrible way to be forced to change. Najin Han is born into an aristocratic family whose own household has it's own divide. The physical gender divide of the household both in tasks and structure, and the social and religious divide between Najin's Mother & Father. Her mother is more forward thinking despite her adherence to the traditional ways, and her father is resistant to change whether cultural or religious. Najin's mother is the heart of this family and a devout Christian, her father although converted to Christianity still holds firmly to Confucian ways and values. As a girl, it wasn't even important enough to her father to give her a name. Our heroine's story unfolds as so many who try to straddle two ways of life- the traditional and the modern; she wants to LEARN. Her mother supports that effort and convinces her husband to allow Najin to go to the missionary school; and that begins Najin's journey in a new life. It will be filled with achievements and obstacles as she tries to navigate her family's expectations, her Christian faith & the minefield of Japanese policies; all are at odds with her growing aspirations. As I came to the end of this story, I wondered if Najin could symbolize Korea's own changes from a ancient traditional kingdom to a modern independent nation....more