The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel

The Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of North Korea tells the story of Pak Jun Do, a young man who moves up in Kim Jong-il's power structure and then becomes a rival of the dictator. A riveting portrait of a world heretofore hidden from view: a North Korea rife with hunger, corruption, and casual cruelty but also camaraderie, stolen moments of beauty, ...show more

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442 pages

Average rating: 7.36

85 RATINGS

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6 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Mar 24, 2024
10/10 stars
One of the best books I've read in a very long time.
Reba, the ESM
Feb 25, 2024
9/10 stars
An intense novel with several underlying tones of tragedy, irony, satire, and love. “If a man and his story are in conflict …it is the man who must change.”
Rose McGowan
Feb 16, 2024
Excellent
Anonymous
Dec 27, 2023
10/10 stars
It's hard to try to separate the reality from the imaginary in this book about the mysterious country of North Korea. This is a complex and fantastic look into a strange and scary world. It's comic, frightening, romantic and fantasy all rolled up into one very good book! I'd be interested to know what someone who has actually traveled into N.Korea would think about it.
Diane_Aloha
Feb 03, 2023
7/10 stars
Confusing at times

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