Pyongyang

A pesar de que lo he leido porque me podía la curiosidad de saber cómo es Corea del Norte por la perspectiva de una persona occidental. La obra (autobiográfica) me ha parecido narrada desde la condescendencia y el privilegio de un canadiense capitalista que no solo le incomoda el sistema de manera poco empática y desde su privilegio de libertad y de ser extranjero en un país como este. Solamente merece la pena, filtrando la soberbia del protagonista, como se muestra corea y el dibujo fiel de como se traslada la idea de corea del norte. Lo demás son situaciones de este necio en otra cultura que piensa que por traer el libro de 1984 se puede mantener en una situación de superioridad.

In 2001, cartoonist Guy Delisle went to work in North Korea for two months. One of the few westerners permitted access, he recorded his experiences the way he knew best; through drawings. The result is Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea. I would call it a graphic novel but it’s actually non-fiction. He has to live in a designated hotel for foreigners and is kept watch by his guide and translator. His drawings show some of the day-to-day aspects of the country as well as looking at some of the politics. It’s a really entertaining and fascinating read.

I found this by serendipity at the public library. While the book makes a few generalizations, it is overall a pretty good example of a memoir. If you liked Persepolis, you might like this. By the way, the author was reading 1984 during his travel, which seems quite appropriate given where he is traveling. In fact, if I was still teaching seniors in high school when we had to read 1984, I might use this book as a supplement to the discussions. Pretty good reading overall, with a blend of some humor and some sadness. It can be hard hitting at times, and the sense of loneliness quite strong.