"The Orphan Master’s Son," Adam Johnson, 2012

I found this novel to be simultaneously gripping and grotesque.  Uplifting and depressing.  The source of these dichotomies is clear: the so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka “North Korea”) is a horror.  Its very existence is a blot on all of humanity… with a particular stain upon the honor of those nations who prop up the regime.  

With finesse and amazing skill, the author pulls us into North Korean society.  We see, all too vividly, the degrading existence, the incessant propaganda and the denial of the most basic human needs to which the citizens are subjected.  

Yet, in the midst of all this, we meet the title character — a man who never loses sight of who he is.  He navigates the minefield of the North Korean Surveillance State with grace and even a little bit of wry humor.  And though he seems fully aware that he exists in a society built upon depravity, utter cruelty, and lies, he never despairs.  He never grows despondent.  Somehow, no matter how awful his situation becomes, he figures out how to act, how to assert his will. 

I found it interesting, how one novel can cause such varied reactions on the part of readers.  True, this story is *not* unicorns and rainbows.  It is grim and dark.  And, as is the case with most great art, it holds up a disquieting mirror.  The contrast between our reality and North Korean society is perhaps one of the most shocking aspects of this book.  As I read the book, I continually asked myself, how can this be?  How can such a place exist?  Yes, this book is grim, but it also celebrates a character who is intelligent, clever, and incredibly brave.  He is someone who chooses to act — to strike a blow.  I was fascinated by his story even as I was appalled by the need for such stories to be told.  

The Orphan Master’s Son won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.