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katherynsimp18's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful collection, but it’s only 80 pages (dunno why it says online this book is 200)
helenlp's review against another edition
3.0
This is a collection of poems written by a North Korean dissident and smuggled out by family and friends. That is what makes them so interesting to western readers such as me. And reading them is heartbreaking and fascinating- they provide such an intriguing insight into the nature of opposition to the North Korean regime in that country.
So why only 3 stars? Because all the poems are very similar in tone and content and what I would really wish for is something broader, a collection that tells me more about life, society and opposition in North Korea. Perhaps I’m being unfair, given the huge risks taken in smuggling these poems out of the country, but I wanted to give an honest review of the poetry.
So why only 3 stars? Because all the poems are very similar in tone and content and what I would really wish for is something broader, a collection that tells me more about life, society and opposition in North Korea. Perhaps I’m being unfair, given the huge risks taken in smuggling these poems out of the country, but I wanted to give an honest review of the poetry.
jessywhale's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
mirr_f's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
thomasdj's review
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
lizisfine's review against another edition
5.0
An incredibly emotional and powerful account of pain and suffering in North Korea. I found myself rereading each piece before I could turn the page, to make sure that I didn't miss anything. The poems in this collection tell the story of a man who has suffered more than any human being should, but still holds hope that the future will be better. Perhaps the most heartbreaking part is that Bandi is still in North Korea with his family. I will absolutely recommend this book to everyone in my life, so that they can better understand what life in like in the DPRK.
poojakishinani's review against another edition
4.0
Took me less than an hour to finish this collection of poems. Bandi writes about a range of human emotions, from loneliness and longing to political resistance and surviving an oppressive regime. Definitely worth a read.
miayukino's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I know there’s an urge to see anything published from behind North Korea’s curtain and immediately flock to it and laud it as imminent or necessary and I think people need to take a longer look at Bandi’s writing. I get it, hot take. I’m just a radical asking you to stick with them for a second.
Bandi consistently idealizes capitalism and Western society and ostensibly leans centrist with his politics. What makes him radical is his opposition to his environment.
This is absolutely not to say that he doesn’t deserve the right to want capitalist privileges or that his writing isn’t important- he deserves those privileges and his work is still important. What I fundamentally disagree with is that his takes are nuanced. The poems which resonate with me are his least political, and I believe that’s because they have the space for nuance and metaphors beyond fusing totalitarianism and communism (even though they are distinctly separate and less people have the nerve to call out American/Western totalitarianism unless an outright fascist is running the show).
I have the distinct privilege of living in a place where word can easily get around (even if we absolutely censor things but pretend we don’t because we’re capitalists) so I have no say in debating the validity of his experience. I think the nuance lies in the collection of rage and positivity, not in the poems themselves. There is credible reporting on the financial opportunity provided to defectors for twisting their stories and becoming career defectors as a result. North Korea absolutely violates human rights laws, and that doesn’t mean the defector NGOs and South Korean government don’t have a hand in hyperbolizing specific accounts in exchange for payment. This book, to me, has that energy: the important momentum to take down the regime, indifferent to the exact truth so long as the big picture is accurate.
Ultimately, if Bandi’s poetry wasn’t from behind this curtain, behind our outer view of this totalitarian nation, I’m not sure it would garner the same literary acclaim. The writing and translation are good, and I can think of writers I value more when it comes to speaking truth to power- in full nuanced and radical tradition. Pointing out this aspect of quality feels pertinent to me, not out of dislike, but to speak to the absolute necessity of free speech of all North Koreans. There is a revolution to be waged, and at the end of it, I want to hear the all the radicals, especially those whom aren’t appeasing to the neoliberal palette.
Bandi consistently idealizes capitalism and Western society and ostensibly leans centrist with his politics. What makes him radical is his opposition to his environment.
This is absolutely not to say that he doesn’t deserve the right to want capitalist privileges or that his writing isn’t important- he deserves those privileges and his work is still important. What I fundamentally disagree with is that his takes are nuanced. The poems which resonate with me are his least political, and I believe that’s because they have the space for nuance and metaphors beyond fusing totalitarianism and communism (even though they are distinctly separate and less people have the nerve to call out American/Western totalitarianism unless an outright fascist is running the show).
I have the distinct privilege of living in a place where word can easily get around (even if we absolutely censor things but pretend we don’t because we’re capitalists) so I have no say in debating the validity of his experience. I think the nuance lies in the collection of rage and positivity, not in the poems themselves. There is credible reporting on the financial opportunity provided to defectors for twisting their stories and becoming career defectors as a result. North Korea absolutely violates human rights laws, and that doesn’t mean the defector NGOs and South Korean government don’t have a hand in hyperbolizing specific accounts in exchange for payment. This book, to me, has that energy: the important momentum to take down the regime, indifferent to the exact truth so long as the big picture is accurate.
Ultimately, if Bandi’s poetry wasn’t from behind this curtain, behind our outer view of this totalitarian nation, I’m not sure it would garner the same literary acclaim. The writing and translation are good, and I can think of writers I value more when it comes to speaking truth to power- in full nuanced and radical tradition. Pointing out this aspect of quality feels pertinent to me, not out of dislike, but to speak to the absolute necessity of free speech of all North Koreans. There is a revolution to be waged, and at the end of it, I want to hear the all the radicals, especially those whom aren’t appeasing to the neoliberal palette.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Violence, and War