Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
by Guy Delisle
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Book Summary Information
Author: Guy DelisleEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-05-01
ISBN: 1897299214
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
Book Reviews of Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Book Review: A Sad, Empathetic Take on North Korea
Summary: 5 Stars
In recent years, North Korea has held a prominent place in our collective imaginations as a tiny, isolated Asian country that shares membership in the "axis of evil" and yet is a country of which little is known. French Canadian cartoonist Guy Delisle travels to this enigmatic country for a two month business trip and attempts to unravel some of the mystery and inconsistencies of life in Communist Korea. His experiences are depicted with simplicity and grace in the graphic novel memoir/travelogue, Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea.
Delisle is sent to North Korea as an animator whose expertise as an animator is valued by the North Koreans. In the process, he learns how things work or don't work in this stark country. He sees and subtly critiques a country where massive buildings go unfinished, highways are without exit ramps, and airports and restaurants are without lights. Delisle's wry humor emerges throughout the story, including telling jokes that are above the heads of his humorless "Comrade Guide" and "Comrade Translator" and his habit of throwing paper airplanes out of his 15th floor hotel window. He shows the grim reality of decades of extreme Communism by depicting the monotony of having only one radio station to listen to, being surrounded by ubiquitous statues and images of dictators Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, and choosing from a rather bland selection of restaurants and food.
In an ironic motif throughout the story, he carries around a copy of Orwell's 1984 that he brought with him and eventually gives to his unsuspecting guide. The reader is constantly reminded of connections between the society Orwell describes in his dystopian classic and the realities of life in present day North Korea. It makes the reader wonder if Delisle's reflections are a foreshadowing of the future (as predicted in 1984) or a window into a dying outpost of Communist totalitarian rule.
Even when Delisle questions the inconsistencies of his host country, he maintains not only a sense of humor but he also shows compassion to the local citizens with whom he comes in contact: his guides, the other animators, the restaurant workers, his translator. One gets the feeling that his purpose in telling this story about such a misunderstood country is to expand our understanding of it. He does this with quirky details that give it credibility and he does it by placing himself in the center of the narrative so that he can capture the range of emotions of a confused Westerner living in Pyongyang.
Delisle's balance of critique and empathy make Pyonyang a compelling and memorable read. It complements nicely his other two graphic novels: Burma Chronicles and Shenzen: A Travelogue from China.
Summary of Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Famously referred to as an 'Axis-of-Evil' country, North Korea remains one of the most secretive and mysterious nations in the world today. A series of manmade and natural catastrophes have also left it one of the poorest. When the fortress-like country recently opened the door a crack to foreign investment, cartoonist Guy Delisle found himself in its capital Pyongyang on a work visa for a French film animation company, becoming one of the few Westerners to witness current conditions in the surreal showcase city. Armed with a smuggled radio and a copy of 1984, Delisle could only explore Pyongyang and its countryside while chaperoned by his translator and a guide. But among the statues, portraits and propaganda of leaders Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il - the world's only Communist dynasty - Delisle was able to observe more than was intended of the culture and lives of the few North Koreans he encountered. His astute and wry musings on life in the austere and grim regime form the basis of this remarkable graphic novel. "Pyongyang" is an informative, personal and accessible look at an enigmatic country.Memoirs Books
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