Book Reviews
Oleg Pavlov’s “Captain of the Steppe”
Pavlov skillfully navigates the razor-thin gap between dark comedy and tragedy, making the novel more humane and serious than many satires.
Amélie Nothomb’s “Life Form”
For her nineteenth book, "Life Form," Nothomb has applied her preternaturally original mind to two favorite subjects—writing and “superhunger”
Yoko Ogawa’s “Revenge”
The experience of reading Revenge is like getting caught in a beautiful, lethal web.
May 2013
Introduction
The mere use of everyday language is a subversive act in the North Korean literary context.
I Want to Call Her Mother Again
After that day, I had no mother.
The Poet Who Asked for Forgiveness
Because his poetry did not exalt Party ideology, his life could only end in tragedy.
Pillow
Nothing to offer but themselves / In Pyongyang’s marketplace
The Arduous March
With rations cut off, people began to starve.
A Rice Story
Food bartered for your sister’s chastity.
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