Reviews

The Aquariums Of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan, Pierre Rigoulot

admiralette's review against another edition

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dark informative tense fast-paced

4.25

book_dragon_julia's review against another edition

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5.0

this book really opened my eyes. I still can't quite believe that these events still happen and that concentration camps still exist. I take my hat off to him for surviving as I think if I was in that situation I wouldn't have.

kelsie17's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

mogreig's review against another edition

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3.0

A shocking story of a family that spent 10 years in a gulag in North Korea. This should not be happening in the 21st century. I will never understand what turns human beings in to monsters that can inflict such violence on another human being.

alidottie's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was not shocking to me since I have already read two more recent books about North Korea, but I just feel like we can't be aware enough about how bad it is in this country! It infuriates me that the world is unable/willing to get these nuts out of power.

andrew_j_r's review against another edition

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4.0

A shocking true story, its almost unbelievable that the kind of massive human rights violations shown in this book are still going on today.
The book is well written and you do end up caring for the central characters, especially during their time of incarceration at Yodok concentration camp. The stuff the author had to witness and indeed deal with as a kid just boggles the mind.
Everyone should read this book, and understand that this is still happening now.

hayleedragon's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.75

morvan's review against another edition

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3.0

Η ιστορία του συγγραφέα είναι απίστευτη.
Όμως τελικά έτσι όπως είναι στημένο το βιβλίο σε μεταφέρει μεν πολύ ικανοποιητικά στο κλίμα της Β. Κορέας κατά την περίοδο της ιστορίας, χωρίς όμως να έχει να προσθέσει τίποτα άλλο από όσα ήδη γνωρίζουμε.
Όταν δε, ξεκινάς το βιβλίο με μια εισαγωγή ύμνο στον Bush, που εκστασιασμένος ο συγγραφέας, γνώρισε μετά την εμπορική επιτυχία του βιβλίου του, διαβάζεις το βιβλίο με φίλτρο ενός χωρίς αμφιβολία ταλαιπωρημένου, πλην όμως "περιορισμένου" συγγραφέα. Το επίπεδο συγγραφής γυμνασιακό, χωρίς να ενοχλεί όμως. Πάντως η ιστορία επαναλαμβάνω είναι απίθανη και αν κάποιος δεν ξέρει τι (ΑΠΊΣΤΕΥΤΟ) συμβαίνει στη Β.Κορέα, είναι μια καλή αφορμή να μάθει.

minisversion's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

sophietica's review against another edition

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3.0

The story itself is interesting (and grim) but I found the writing style a bit jarring, quite childlike almost.