DFO Book Korner. Review – The Orphan Master’s Son.

I wanted to create a periodic feature where us nerdy-ass book nerds could congregate, review and discuss books. I thought one idea would be to review something recently read, possibly mention some recent favorites or even give a list of all-time favorite reads.

I’m a book fanatic. I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t read. Wherever I go I have a book in my possession or in my car. I finished the entire works of Edgar Allan Poe before I finished the fifth grade, I also have a fairly large portrait of Poe tattooed in the middle of my upper back. Quick safety tip! Don’t get a large tattoo on the middle of your spine. That motherfucker hurt! As of now I’m reading the new Stephen King “Finders Keepers”. It’s related, in a way, to his previous novel “Mr Mercedes”. It’s not a sequel but one of the major events from that novel also has an impact in “Finders Keepers”.

We are not here to discuss the new King though. We will discuss “The Orphan Master’s Son”, a novel by Adam Johnson that I recently finished.

The story takes place in North Korea during the reign of Dear Leader Kim Jung Il. One of the most fascinating aspects of the story is the location. There is a depth of insight that is brought to the story by the author, Johnson. Adam Johnson was one of the few Americans who were granted a travel visa to visit North Korea so he brings a realism that couldn’t otherwise be achieved.

Broken into two separate but connected segments, the first part deals with our protagonist Pak Jun Do who is the son of an orphan master, the master that oversees the very large population of an orphanage. Due to parents disappearing for any number of reasons, there are a lot of orphans in the country. As he reaches the required age, Pak Jun Do is automatically enlisted in the military. Some of the skills he learns in glorious service to country are kidnapping, tunnel making, tunnel fighting and radioman. At one point he is basically enlisted as a spy. His role is to take a radio receiver onto a fishing boat and monitor radio frequencies to eavesdrop on the South Koreans, the Japanese and any other boats that are traveling in international waters. There is a hilarious bit where he is overhearing conversations coming from the International Space Station and having no idea that there is such thing as space exploration, he assumes the conversation is coming from under the sea.

One of the sailors on the boat decides to defect one day and the remaining crew members create an elaborate story involving being boarded my a US Naval crew along with a shark attack. As a result Pak Jun Do becomes a national hero for fending off the Americans and the shark while trying to protect the defected sailor. After becoming a hero he travels with a couple of other dignitaries to Texas for various reasons that I won’t tell. The Texas segment is one of my favorite parts of the book.

The second part of the book involves a “new” character named Commander Ga. Who is a high ranking member of the North Korean Elite. Ga is “married” to North Korea’s national actress Sun Moon. The narrative during the Commander Ga segment is in third person narrative form.

A new character is introduced who is a member of the top level “Interrogation Team”, who collects the truth from people who the country feels may be a threat to the country’s safety. This characters’ segments are written in first person narrative form.

That’s as much as I want to give away. The ending has strong suspense elements and some surprisingly heartfelt moments as well. Overall the novel has a very dark comedic thread and there were parts that were simply hilarious.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It did win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction after all and was a New York Times best seller. There were a few moments, only a few, where I had to “push through” but the ending was more than worth the effort.

On a readability scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, I give this an 8.5.

You may want to put this on the “to read” list if for no other reason than the insight into the North Korean country and lifestyle. An insight into a country that very few Westerners have a chance to experience.

Make your mind and soul happier places. Read more books.

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laserguru
yeah right is a lifelong Vikings fan. He is into self denial and still harbors hope. Loves to cook, read and drink. But he doesn't plate.
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Cuntler

By some miracle of God, all my kids are asleep and wife feels like reading a book so I have the TV to myself for like two hours. I would read, but this is rarer than a big foot citing at my house. And I have one Incredible Pedal IPA left! Everything is coming up Milhouse!

Cuntler

I watched the last two episodes of True Detective. So. Slow. At least there was a three minute gun fight (Sorry about your cousins, Balls).

ballsofsteelandfury

Huh, what? What about my cousins?
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Old School Zero

Great review. I’m writing up my own book review now. I have a few different books on NK to read at some point, and this one is going on that list.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Ok, I’ll bite. What’s NK?

Old School Zero

North Korea

ballsofsteelandfury

My guess was Not Kindle.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh
montythisseemsstrangetome

Goddammit I need to read more.

King Hippo

The key is giving up any and all social obligations. Frees up a metric fuckton of time.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

That’s very easy to do if – like me – you actively dislike any and all people. Misanthropes make the best readers.

/actually watches too much TV nowadays and does not do enough reading

King Hippo

I like books set in weird places, this shall go on the list.

Also must have a book everywhere I go. I take my backpack with me at all times for that very reason (also good for meds and other essentials, one never knows when the zombie apocalypse will strike).

King Hippo

TWO books for the doctor’s. Just in case they order tests or whatnot.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I like books that are set in very uncomfortable places, like the back seat of a Volkswagen.

Cuntler

Blah, blah, blah, words. Is there fucking or not?

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh
ballsofsteelandfury

Excellent work, yeah right! The book seems intriguing, not so much for the story, but, as you said, for the insights it can provide into this weird ass country.

How many pages and how long did it take to read?

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Not to be a wet blanket, but I have HATED every Pulitzer Prize winning (fiction) book I have ever read. Independence Day most of all.

ballsofsteelandfury

What did you think of the movie?

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Goldfinch got a Pulitzer? Well, shit. I guess I would like to revise my bullshit statement in that case.

montythisseemsstrangetome

RTD is still Waiting for that book that will make him jump up and Godot to the bookstore.

BOOM! KROSSOVER POST JOKE!

WhyEaglesWhy

I’m reading “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” right now, and so far, it is one good-ass Pulitzer Prize winning novel. I don’t even like novels.

King Hippo

I do like Chabon’s stuff, though my favourite by far is “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union”

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Maybe my hatred for “Independence Day” is clouding thing up for me, because I was okay with that Kavalier and Clay. It meandered too much for me but was by no means a bad book.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

GOD I hated Frank Bascombe so much.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

So, so much.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Here are the ones I’ve enjoy; have not read any of the others:

1952 The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
1953 The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
1954 (No Award)
1955 A Fable by William Faulkner
1957 (No Award)
1961 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee at least I liked it when I was nine.
1971 (No Award)
1977 (No Award)
1981 A Confederacy of Dunces by the late John Kennedy Toole (a posthumous publication) This was fucking great!
1988 Beloved by Toni Morrison; OK, not a favorite, but powerful.