Publisher's Weekly Review
Novelist and art critic Jeppesen uses a 2016 study tour of Pyongyang and environs as a jumping-off point for a breezy overview of North Korea's political history, various musings on its culture, and a speculative recreation of a typical day in the life of his North Korean travel agent. Perched uncomfortably among journalism, memoir, and pop history, this account is more an impersonal recitation of details than an evocation of inner experience; even a recounting of witnessing police brutality in broad daylight feels oddly detached, and Jeppesen mentions hiding his sexual orientation from his hosts almost as an afterthought. The few moments of feeling are concentrated at the end, leaching urgency and emotional connection from the rest of the narrative. There is some thoughtful interrogation of American journalism on and foreign policy toward the country, but condescension surfaces periodically: Jeppesen repetitively dismisses the public art he encounters as "kitsch" or "unintentional comedic atrocity," sums up a Chinese-inspired interior design as "monkey see, monkey do," and daydreams about someday persuading his tour guide he understands North Korea better than she does. It never becomes clear what has drawn him there except for curiosity about the forbidden. Though this book may appeal to readers seeking a big-picture introduction to the country, those seeking a sense of North Korean life will be disappointed. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
In 2016, journalist Jeppesen attended a month-long course in North Korea that taught Korean language and culture to foreigners. His experiences and travels, carefully managed by a Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) tour company, gave him the opportunity to meet a number of ordinary citizens as well as expats doing business in the country. His experiences somewhat contradict the general narrative about North Korea being dangerous and terrifying; he describes an extremely Stalinist society, overlain with a hereditary elite and subject to constant surveillance. All art, cinema, music, and business stems directly from the pronouncements of the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Un. Status and privilege generally relate to one's family history, not the individual; propaganda is pervasive. Much of the government's efforts go toward acquiring, by legal and covert methods, foreign currency, and any business is, in the end, government. The author effectively conveys the complex atmosphere of pervasive hypocrisy, struggle, and empty patriotic display. The largely cultural approach, mostly absent international politics, will attract students of the peninsula. Verdict With a specialized scope, this book will be of limited appeal to academic Korean studies.-Edwin Burgess, Kansas City, KS © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
