The Sorcerer of Pyongyang
March 1, 2023 1:56 PM - Subscribe
Ten-year-old Jun-su is a bright and obedient boy whose only desire is to be a credit to his family, his nation, and most importantly, his Dear Leader. However, when he discovers a copy of The Dungeon Master's Guide, left behind in a hotel room by a rare foreign visitor, a new and colorful world opens up to him.
"Theroux's deliberately flat, investigative-reporter tone clarifies the crisis — Jun-su is in a society stripped of anything decadent, and Theroux lets the twists of Jun-su's adventure, not the prose, sell the story." -- Kirkus Reviews
"It's frustrating that Theroux never resolves this underlying tension, though continued references to the game shed light on Jun-su and his friends' understanding of the world: 'We are not real, but what we do to each other is real.'" -- Publishers Weekly
"The lively, page-turning narrative sometimes falters into thinly disguised nonfiction that overshadows the characters and the development of their relationships." -- Krys Lee, The Guardian
"Theroux's deliberately flat, investigative-reporter tone clarifies the crisis — Jun-su is in a society stripped of anything decadent, and Theroux lets the twists of Jun-su's adventure, not the prose, sell the story." -- Kirkus Reviews
"It's frustrating that Theroux never resolves this underlying tension, though continued references to the game shed light on Jun-su and his friends' understanding of the world: 'We are not real, but what we do to each other is real.'" -- Publishers Weekly
"The lively, page-turning narrative sometimes falters into thinly disguised nonfiction that overshadows the characters and the development of their relationships." -- Krys Lee, The Guardian
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by epj at 2:36 PM on March 1, 2023