The Girl With Seven Names: Escape from North Korea by Hyeonseo Lee and David John
Genre: Non-Fiction
What a fascinating tale, and it's incredible to think that in this day and age, a nation of 25.5 million people could be so isolated from the rest of the world and that its leader could have such total control over people's lives from conception to death.
If you appreciate reading about different cultures and traditions, this excellent book gives you a great insight into one young woman's fight for independence. Hyeonseo Lee is undoubtedly a lady with a lot of guts. I've seen a few youtube videos of this woman speaking, and she is undoubtedly an impressive and fascinating person. Her book provides a fascinating look into life under one of the world's most vicious and covert dictatorships.
There were parts of the story where I struggled with the author's decisions and wondered why she made some of the crazy choices she did, but as I gave it more thought, I realized that she wasn't raised in the same way that I was, where having the freedom to make decisions is something I take for granted. In her world, life is dictated to you, and you don't get to forge your own path, so decisions and choices must be difficult to make when it's never been part of your upbringing.
The book doesn't need to be written in this format because the tale is so fascinating on its own, but it's only a tiny thing and doesn't detract from the book. Each chapter ends with a type of cliffhanger, which I felt to be a little useless. The one thing this novel truly brought to light was how complicated and confusing life can be for those who travel to the free world, as well as the guilt and anxiety for the family left behind.
A quick and enlightening read. I believe this would be an excellent selection for book clubs seeking something a little different.
Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Genre: Fiction
Such a revelation was Abdulrazak Gurnah's first book, which I read. I first became interested in the title because it is about a conflict between the Germans and the British for control of the lives and cultural traditions of the inhabitants of East Africa in the early 20th century. Ilyas, Afiya, and Hamza's interconnected lives and how they managed to survive amid war were to be covered in detail. This promise was undoubtedly met by the book, in addition to many others. Readers are drawn into the world of the characters by masterful storytelling, which reveals stories inside stories and delicately teases us so that our perception of the characters and their circumstances is constantly changing and surprising us. This marvelously engaging story full of humanity, irony, empathy, and complexity are all at play. The text flows so effortlessly that it creates a detailed portrait of regular people's lives and loves set against trying circumstances.
Genre: Fiction
Dan Brown returned to his origins with Origin, which is lovely. His latter two Robert Langdon books were, at most, passable. Most of his readers felt they could have been done better because they were left with a bad taste in their mouths. I know that I cannot speak for all series fans; instead, I only share my personal experiences.
On the initiative of millionaire scientist Edmond Kirsch, Robert Langdon has been invited to a gathering. Kirsch is a former pupil of Langdon's who has accomplished some genuinely amazing feats. He is both an atheist and a futurist. He asserts to have discovered the beginning of existence. This declaration is quite audacious. And one that will have some significant effects.
Where do we come from? Where are we going?
This keeps coming up repeatedly throughout the book. A shot rings out during the presentation, taking the bright scientist's life. There is no mention of the discovery of life's fundamental meaning. Langdon, of course, escapes as anarchy reigns.
We continue on. The transaction is known to you folks. Langdon and a lovely lady. Her name is Ambra this time. She is Edmond Kirsch's close friend and the royal family of Spain's fiancée. She was the sole planner of this event and the curator of the museum where it took place. They embark on a fruitless search to honor Edmond's legacy and share his finding with the world.
There are criminals with weapons. There are one or two shootouts. Every television set in the world is broadcasting a global narrative that blames Robert Langdon. A science talk is taking place. There is an age-old conflict between science and faith. And, I must say, there is a darn good and gratifying finale.
It was resolved by me. I kind of playfully stated that in my brain, but I was right, which was a bummer. But crap does happen. And it had no negative impact on how much I enjoyed the book. I was accurate regarding who, but I was mistaken regarding how. It was good to see Dan Brown return to producing books readers will like. Even if the details aren't quite correct, they are entertaining and thrilling.
Beautifully written!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see great books ❤️
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to read
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