Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Great Literature/2013 Pulitzer Prize/N. Korea

The recent drama in N. Korea lead me to pick up The Orphan Master's Son.
I had heard many say that it was one of the best works of fiction of 2012 and two days ago it was awarded the pulitzer prize.

I am only 1/3 through this novel. But it does what all great literature does for me. It opens doors into places and cultures I will never experience first hand. But more than that, it explores what it means to be human -  mans longing for love and meaning, and in this book, the sad contrast between the evil of a totalitarian regime and its repression of this base human need.

The novel will also give you insight into the total control that the N. Korean government has over their people and their focus on a common enemy, the United States, in order to keep their people focused on something other than their horrible lives.

If you love great literature and you want to gain an understanding of a strange and scary place that exists in our lives today, then pick up this novel.