Η καταγγελία

by Bandi, Βασίλης Κιμούλης (Translator)

Μια οικογένεια εξορίζεται από την πρωτεύουσα Πιονγιάνγκ εξαιτίας του γιου της, ο οποίος παθαίνει νευρικές κρίσεις όποτε βλέπει πορτρέτα του Καρλ Μαρξ ή του Κιμ Ιλ-σουνγκ. Ένας γιος αγωνίζεται να βγάλει άδεια ταξιδιού για να επισκεφθεί την ετοιμοθάνατη μητέρα του, που ζει στο γειτονικό χωριό. Ένας άντρας αποφασίζει να αυτομολήσει, απογοητευμένος από το κληρονομικό ταξικό σύστημα της Λαοκρατικής Δημοκρατίας της Κορέας. Μια γιαγιά, όταν συναντάει τον Κιμ Ιλ-σουνγκ στο δρόμο, τον προσφωνεί με τρυφερότητα "Πατέρα και Μεγάλο Ηγέτη" - περιστατικό που θα εκμεταλλευτεί η επίσημη προπαγάνδα.
Φυγαδευμένες παράνομα από τη Βόρεια Κορέα, γραμμένες "με δάκρυα από αίμα", οι ιστορίες αυτές έχουν προκαλέσει μεγάλη αίσθηση στη Δύση, καθώς αποτελούν μια σπαρακτική ανθρώπινη ματιά στη ζωή κάτω από το τελευταίο απόλυτα ολοκληρωτικό καθεστώς του πλανήτη. Πέρα από τη λογοτεχνική τους αξία, η δημοσίευσή τους θέτει σε κίνδυνο την ίδια τη ζωή του συγγραφέα, αν ποτέ η πραγματική του ταυτότητα γίνει γνωστή.
Η συλλογή διηγημάτων Η καταγγελία είναι η λογοτεχνική μαρτυρία ενός συγγραφέα που, ζώντας σε συνθήκες πραγματικής κόλασης, κατόρθωσε να διαφυλάξει τη δημιουργική του ευαισθησία και την ακεραιότητά του.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Asia, Historical Fiction, Politics, Contemporary, Asian Literature

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Bandi (반디, Korean for "Firefly"; born 1950) is the pseudonym used by a North Korean writer.

Bandi was born in 1950 in China to Korean parents who had moved there fleeing the Korean War. Bandi grew up in China before the family moved back to North Korea. In the 1970s, Bandi managed to publish some of his early writing in North Korean publications.

After the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994 and the hardship that followed, Bandi lost several people close to him to famine and defections. These developments made Bandi disillusioned with the North Korean system and he started to write dissident literature. The opportunity to publish his dissident writing presented itself when Bandi's friend from Hamhung defected to China. Although the friend could not risk taking the manuscripts with her, she promised that she would find a way to bring them abroad. Several months later, a man previously unknown to Bandi came to see him and passed him a note from the friend, asking Bandi to give the man his manuscripts. With the help of this messenger, Bandi's work made its way to South Korea, where it was published.

In North Korea, Bandi is a member of the country's Korean Writers' Alliance and writes for its publications. Bandi still lives in North Korea. Although he has expressed willingness to defect, he could not do so because he has family in the country.

Bandi's collection of political poems, The Red Years (Korean: 붉은세월; Hanja: 붉은歲月), was published in South Korea in January 2018. The English version, translated by Heinz Insu Fenkl, was published by Zed Books in August 2019.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Why Orwell Matters (2005), Christopher Hitchens made the following prediction about North Korea: “...there will turn out to have been individual Koreans who always kept a scrap of culture alive.” The fulfillment of that prediction is this book, first published in 2017.

An afterward tells the story of how the manuscript escaped from the North, how it was smuggled out—due to the efforts of a female relative—sandwiched between the pages of The Selected Works of Kim il-Sung. Its author, Bandi (a pseudonym, meaning “firefly”) remains in North Korea. Although he chooses not to defect (he has a wife and children) the stories of this “firefly” illuminate the bleak lives of the men and women of his homeland, and I for one feel privileged to share in his light.

Bandi once was—perhaps still is—a member of North Korea’s official writer’s group, contributing articles to government magazines. But in his private moments, during the latter days of Kim il-Sung and the first few years of Kim Jong-il (1989 to 1997), he wrote these stories of the everyday struggles of the North Korean people against the relentless mechanisms of its totalitarian state.

Bandi is an artist, and, although the reader feels, roiling beneath the surface, the great wells of rage and compassion which generate these stories, the artist is careful to keep his canvas small, to find—in typical, common frustrations—sufficient evidence to condemn an entire system of government.

The people of The Accusation are all regular people with ordinary problems: in “Reason for a Defection” a man’s life is blighted because his father once failed—years ago—to care properly for a new type of seed; in “City of Specters” a privileged couple is alarmed because their toddler screams in terror at a poster of Karl Marx, putting the whole family in peril; in “Life of the Swift Steed,” an old hero of the revolution earns the ire of government forces by defending his precious “revolutionary” elm tree; in “So Near, Yet so Far,” a simple miner defies a travel ban to see his dying mother; in “Pandemonium” a family is caught in a railway station panic precipitated by a visit of “The Great Leader”; in “On Stage” a thoughtful young man’s improvisation during an acting class enrages his conservative father; and, finally, in “The Red Mushroom,” we see how an out-of-favor bean-paste factory manager is blamed by the bureaucracy—and eventually destroyed—because of an unnecessary task they have assigned him.

The stories are grim, but not entirely without humor: my favorites--”City of Specters,” “Pandemonium” (featuring an appearance by “The Great Leader” himself), and “On Stage” each have a touch of humor. Above all, though, they are tributes to a writer, who, under the worst of conditions, has maintained a sense of balance and a touch of poetry, and produced, not only a testimony against totalitarianism, but a tribute to humanity itself.

[Luís · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a North Korean book, in other words, a rare pearl. The author successfully passed his pages to the South with infinite precautions, and this fact could distribute it. Bandi, which means "Firefly," is a pseudonym for those who have chosen to remain with their compatriots.
These are seven stories whose themes revolve around the North Korean people's suffering and the regime's absurdity.
In bulk, a journalist is obliged to announce the good news and the dominant part of the party in the collective happiness. A family is "blacklisted" because of a word uttered 50 years ago by a grandfather. All communications are blocked because the supreme leader must take this axis. He prevented his son from seeing his dying mother a few kilometers away. He sentenced the family to exile (i.e., leaving Pyongyang) for having closed the curtains on a photo by Kim Sun Il.
Through nervous, precise accounts, the author, who fears rebuke for the act not in conformity with collectivism, leans on facts to explain to the whole world the system's absurdity. Based on fear and repression, it shows the daily suffering of a people who only ask for a bit of freedom.
This Manichean system, in which the good is the party's prerogative and the errors of the "deviant," would be a caricature if not unfortunately accurate.
That's the most exciting reading, where the interest doesn't stop at the content and its unusual aspect. The author tells stories there with natural talent.
Great respect for this writer.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. The Accusation is a collection of seven short stories about life in North Korea. The manuscript was smuggled out of the country. It's the first time a book critical of the North Korean government written by someone who still lives there has been published.

Bandi, Korean for firefly, is the pseudonym the author uses; he states that he's "fated to shine only in a world of darkness." The translation is by Deborah Smith, translator for Han Kang's Human Acts and The Vegetarian. Bandi wrote the stories between 1989 and 1995. They take place during the rule of Kim Il-sung, grandfather of North Korea's current leader Kim Jong-un. The stories are fictional but based on real-life accounts. Every story is great! They had all of the features I appreciate most: completeness, rich symbolism, thoughtful characters with strong family relationships, and haunting endings. It was even more impressive that these stories were written in such a closed environment. I was reminded of all the dystopian fiction I've read and it's jarring to think that it's unlikely Bandi ever experienced any of that work--though he is living it firsthand.

There's a classic quality to the stories, perhaps due to the lack of technology or the author's restricted sphere of inspiration. The presentation of the stories is reminiscent of Kazuo Ishiguro's work, because Bandi tends to introduce an event and fill in the gaps later. Many of the relevant details are revealed through an intimate conversation ("Life of a Swift Steed," "So Near Yet So Far") or via a document ("Record of Defection"). It features both the privileged and those who are marked by an ancestor's "crimes" against the state. Status is never guaranteed and a perceived misstep can alter the course of a life. There's a constant fear that the actions of a relative will become a lifelong burden. Fear and obedience are necessary tools for survival. All negative emotions must be suppressed. Anyone could be watching, waiting to find someone committing even the most minor offense. In each of these stories, characters find themselves in an absurd situation that makes them see the contradictions of their homeland. Sometimes realizing the disconnect between long-held beliefs and the reality of their situation has tragic consequences.

The first five stories were my favorites, but each story has staying power:

Record of a Defection - A man discovers that his wife has been taking birth control in secret. Her other strange behavior makes him assume the worst, but there's another explanation. The sacrifices we make for those we love and the cruelty of multi-generational punishments.

People write books and sing songs claiming that love is this or that. But to me, love was indistinguishable from sympathy. That intolerable fretfulness at your inability to take any of the suffering on yourself, that irrepressible impulse to offer up your own flesh as a sacrifice, anything to bring some measure of relief.

City of Specters - A two-year-old boy cries every time he sees the giant portrait of Karl Marx across from his apartment, causing huge problems for his parents. This story shows the extreme paranoia of the state and the power of fear.

Life of a Swift Steed - Decorated war veteran Seol Young-su refuses to let the military police cut a branch off of his treasured elm tree. When Jeon Yeong-il is questioned by the military police's chief on the matter, he his mystified by his "uncle's" insubordination. This story is about a man "torn apart by contradictions" when he realizes his entire life has been dedicated to a lie. He experiences the rage, sorrow, and shame of an illusion being shattered.

So Near, Yet So Far - Yeong-sam risks his life to visit his dying mother after the government refuses to issue him a travel permit to his home village. Rigid obsession with regulations and how even the smallest symbols can evoke fear.

“They must have trained you well in that village of yours, eh? Properly broken you in. In this society, I tell you, people are like sheep!”
“Are you any different?” Yeong-sam countered. “If you hadn’t been ‘broken in,’ as you put it, would you have managed to live so long?”

Pandemonium - A woman accidentally becomes part of a propaganda video. The government's report of "happy laughter" is a stark contrast to the chaos that occurred near the filming location. I loved the use of fairy tales in this one.

Hahaha and hohoho, all year round—because of the laughing magic which the old demon used on his slaves. “Why did he use such magic on them? To conceal his evil mistreatment of them, of course, and also to create a deception, saying, ‘This is how happy the people in our garden are.’ And that’s also why he put the fences up, so that the people in other gardens couldn’t see over or come in.

On Stage - The country is still grieving three months after the death of Kim Il-sung. Outlandish displays of emotion are expected at the hundreds of altars scattered around the city. Comrade Inspector Yeong-pyo's son is in trouble for a second time, this time for being disrespectful during a time of mourning. In a dramatic confrontation, his son compares living in North Korea to a lifetime at drama school. Everyone is forced to live a lie and put on a false front in order to survive. This story also shows why authoritarian regimes are so quick to ban art and quash dissent. Once an idea is planted, it's impossible to eradicate.

“A sincere, genuine life is only possible for those who have freedom. Where emotions are suppressed and actions monitored, acting only becomes ubiquitous, and so convincing that we even trick ourselves."

The Red Mushroom - A man implores a journalist to help clear his uncle's name. A good man who sacrificed his entire life in service to the state has become a scapegoat. In this story, we see how bizarre accusations can be and the futility of fighting the party officials. It was my least favorite, but I still really liked it. (It's me, not the author! I have a negative Pavlovian response to farming stories thanks to Anna Karenina.)

"In all of creation, the rule is that the more toxic something is, the more pretty and friendly it’s made to look.”

"Afterword: How The Accusation Came Out of North Korea" and "A Note from Do Hee-Yun" give background on the author and reveal how the manuscript was snuck out of North Korea. Some of the biographical details were changed to protect Bandi's identity. The supplementary material is fascinating! I'm tempted to round up to five stars because I'm so blown away by the story behind the book! Bandi's stories gave me a more well-rounded view of what it's like to live day-to-day in North Korea, replacing the caricature that previously existed in my mind. Many of the stories end with a quiet resignation, but the "lightbulb" moments for the characters and the fact this book exists at all gave me hope. A government can restrict people from the outside world, scare them into submission, and suppress dissent, but they can't crush all imagination and independent thought.

Risking one's life to resist a system of oppression can be interpreted as having a premonition of that system's end. In this sense, the writing produced by resistance writers who live within North Korea, exposing the face of the nation to the world, is in itself the beginning of an epoch-making upheaval, showing that cracks are now appearing in the hereditary dictatorship, which has seemed until now an impregnable fortress. - Kim Seong-dong

Further reading:
Do North and South Korea speak the same language? Yes, but not quite by Deborah Smith - A glimpse into Smith's translation process. It's interesting that the original manuscript includes 200 words that the average South Korean would be unfamiliar with.
Goodreads review by Gustavo  - Interesting analysis of The Accusation's authenticity.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Grove Atlantic/Grove Press. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The publication date is March 7, 2017.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

North Korea, a closed society, books and news have been filtering out in the last several years. In these seven stories, based on experiences and thoughts of the people as told to the author, we learn some of the harsh realities of living under this type of dictatorship, cut off from the rest of the world. They are as enlightening and harsh as one could imagine. The way the book made it out of North Korea, or that it even did, is amazing as is the way these stories are told. This information and more, some of the author's background is chronicled in the afterword.

All of these stories serve to highlight the huge disconnect between outward emotion, thoughts, actions and internal feelings. Of being constantly watched for loyalty and love to the great leader, any independent action suspect, even those with valid reasons. Family reputation everything, of not being looked on favorably if a family member had done something, no matter how small, considered against the regime, never being able to rise above this status, for any family member, not ever. Of praising the regime for its generosity while not having enough to eat, fuel to stay warm nor even to gain permission to stay home with a sick child, visit a dying mother. Banishment to the far outreaches, internment in a work camp and even death the penalties. Horrifically unbelievable, yet it happens again and again, happens still and not just in North Korea.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otra lectura inolvidable para el #marzoasiatico que se lee con sorprendente facilidad y rapidez aún a pesar del tema que trata.
Reconozco que al principio este libro me chocó, y tardé un par de relatos en entrar en la manera de narrar de Bandi.
Esperaba más drama y emoción, pero realmente lo grande de estos cuentos es que logran despegarse de todo el melodrama esperado, siendo en cambio satíricos, irónicos y desgarradores.
Mostrándonos la vida cotidiana de personas comunes en la Corea del Norte de los años 90 entendemos que lo cotidiano allí es sinónimo de absurdo, ridículo y sinsentido.
Todas las historias estás narradas con cierta fialdrad que ha hecho, creo, que me resulte todo aún más escalofriante y verídico.
Me recuerda muchísimo a todo lo que se vivió en la China de Mao, la diferencia es que sigue ocurriendo ahora mismo, y es tal inconcebible todo lo que cuenta la novela que no hay manera de asimilarlo.

[Kostas Papadatos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το απόλυτο δυστοπικό βιβλίο. Βόρεια Κορέα φίλε μου… εκεί που η πραγματικότητα ξεπερνά τη πιο νοσηρή φαντασία. Ναι … και οι πρόγονοι του Κιμ Γιονγκ Ουν το ίδιο καθυστερημένοι ήταν.
Εφτά συγκλονιστικά διηγήματα που είναι αδύνατον να μη σε «ταρακουνήσουν». Πραγματικά, κάτι πάει λάθος σ΄αυτόν το κόσμο. Το ανθρώπινο είδος, νομίζω πως το παραέχεσε.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first work of fiction to come out of North Korea - smuggled and written under the pseudonym Bandi which means firefly in Korean. It's translated by the Korean translator du jour Deborah Smith, she of The Vegetarian and Human Acts.

This is a collection of grim short stories and while it flies under the banner of fiction and certainly reads like some absurdist dystopia, you get the sense it is more lightly fictionalized reportage than imaginary fiction. It's a bleak portrayal of North Korea that shows how it breaks the strong, the proud and loyal. How it tears at families and sets citizens against each other while insisting on keeping up appearances at all costs.

There isn't a lot of nuance to these stories - they're more blunt instruments bludgeoning their points home. But maybe nuance is a luxury that has no place for the people living in North Korea.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I beg you to read my words. - Bandi

This is an important book, one that needs to be read and it was highly enlightening for me. Bandi is the pseudonym of a writer living in North Korea and this collection of short stories was smuggled out of the country and has been published in South Korea. As such it is unusual - normally the stories we can read about North Korea are written by people who have fled the country - and not by somebody who is still very much a part of it. While reading it, I first thought that the stories reminded me of dystopian books I have read - and that scared me because Bandi's stories while fictional still are true, they show the authentic lives that people are living, every day - but more than that they remind me of the literature written in and about Nazi Germany. The regime in North Korea is scary in scope and Bandi really succeeds in showing what that does to the people living in it.

But even beyond the political importance of this book, the stories are very well written. Short stories are difficult to pull off, but these worked brilliantly for me. The characters felt honest and real and flawed and just believable - even if their situation in life is hard to grasp for me. While the stories follow similar themes - the difficulty of living in a dictatorship, the realization that the world the protagonists inhabit is unreal, and the danger that comes with having the 'wrong' thoughts - they all still work on their own as well. At the core of this work is not the political message but the human relationships depicted. Bandi shows that even in times of hardship, relationships are what makes people people. I loved the different types of relationships depicted and I loved how this is what I ultimately can take from this. Even though the collection is relentlessly bleak there is this kernel of optimism: this idea that individual people are better than the country they live in and that human connection cannot be regulated.

___
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!

[Mohammad Hrabal · Rating 4 out of 5]

تصمیمم را گرفته‌ام. از این سرزمین دروغ و فریب، جایی‌ که حتی وفاداری و سخت‌کوشی برای شکوفایی زندگی کافی نیست، جایی‌ که استبداد و تحقیر نفسش را بند آورده، خواهیم گریخت. صفحه ۴۲ کتاب
ترس، چیزی که اگر می‌خواهید در این کشور جان سالم به‌ در ببرید باید از لحظه تولد به شما تزریق شده باشد. صفحه ۶۸ کتاب
بسته به شرایط، حتی گریستن هم ممکن است شورش و اغتشاش تلقی شود که در این کشور تنها یک نتیجه دارد - مرگی سریع و بی‌رحمانه. و قانون این سرزمین همین بود، لبخند زدن حتی وقتی مالامال از دردی، و قورت دادن هر آنچه گلویت را می‌سوزاند. صفحه ۱۰۴ کتاب
«روزی روزگاری باغی بود که دور تا دورش حصار بزرگ و بلندی کشیده بودن. توی اون باغ، اهریمنی پیر به هزاران برده حکومت می‌کرد. اما در کمال تعجب، تنها صدایی که از میون اون دیوارهای بلند شنیده می‌شد صدای خنده‌های شادمانه بود. تمام سال، ها ها ها ها ها و هو هو هو هو هو، که به‌ خاطر جادوی خنده‌ای بود که اهریمن پیر علیه برده‌هاش به‌ کار بسته بود.» «چرا همچی جادویی علیه‌شون استفاده کرد؟ برای پنهون کردن بدرفتاری‌های شیطانیش با برده‌ها، و همین‌ طور برای ساختن فریبی که بگه "مردم باغ ما این‌قدر شادن." و اصلاً به‌ همین دلیل بود که ارتفاع حصار زیاد بود، برای‌ اینکه مردم باغ‌های دیگه نتونن از بالا سرک بکشن یا این‌ که داخل بشن. خب، پس، به‌ش فکر کن. کجای دنیا ممکنه همچی باغی پیدا کنی؟ همچنین لونه‌ای برای جادوی شیطانی، جایی‌ که فریادهای درد و اندوه رو از دهن مردمش می‌کندن و بعد از تحریف به شکل خنده درمی‌آوردن.» صفحه‌ی ۱۵۰ کتاب
زندگی اصیل و بدون ریا فقط برای اون‌هایی امکان‌ پذیره که آزادی دارن. توی جایی‌ که احساسات سرکوب می‌شن و اعمال زیر نظرن، نقش بازی کردن فراگیر و اون‌ قدر متقاعد کننده می‌شه که حتی خودمون رو هم گول می‌زنیم. صفحه ۱۷۳ کتاب
... در شصت سالی که از تقسیم شبه جزیره‌ی کره می‌گذرد، هیچ اثری شبیه به آن منتشر نشده است. اگرچه هر از گاهی خاطرات و آثار داستانی پناهندگان اهل کره‌ی شمالی با لحن انتقادی مشابه منتشر شده‌اند، نگارش تمامی آنها پس‌ از فرار نویسندگانشان به جهان آزاد صورت گرفته است. هرگز از نویسنده‌ای که هنوز در کره‌ی شمالی زندگی می‌کند اثری در محکومیت رژیم ضد دموکراتیک و سرکوب‌گر کره شمالی منتشر نشده است. … این اثر مجموعه‌ای از داستان‌های کوتاه، در مجموع هفت داستان، است. اگر چه هر داستان به واقعه‌ای متفاوت با شخصیت‌هایی مجزا می‌پردازد، این کتاب را می‌توان یک مجموعه آثار در نظر گرفت، داستان‌هایی که درون‌مایه‌ای مشترک دارند - نقد دوره کیم ایل سونگ. مؤخره. صفحات ۲۲۳-۲۲۴ کتاب
[شعری بدون نام که در نسخه‌ی دست‌ نوشته‌ی اتهام قرار داشت]
پنجاه سال برآمد که در این سرزمین شمالی
زندگانی کنیم چون ماشین‌های سخن‌گو
زندگانی کنیم چون بردگان زیر یوغ
بسی ناتوان و زبون
لیک با خشم لبریز درون
مکتوب گشت این کلمات نه با قلم و مرکب
که با استخوان غرق در اشک، آغشته به خون
هر چند به خشکی بیابانی بایر
و به‌ سختی هامون
نزار همچون دردمندی فتاده و نگون
و به‌ سان ابزارهای سنگی، بدوی
تمنا می‌کنم تو را
که بر گیرشان و بخوان!. به‌ جای سپاسگزاری. صفحه ۲۳۹ کتاب
۱۴۰۴/۰۸/۲۰

[Entre Libros (Rocío) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bandi con una pluma mordaz alcanza el equilibrio entre la calidad literaria y la denuncia a la dictadura comunista que sufre Corea del Norte. Un valiente.

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η Καταγγελία αποτελείται από μία συλλογή με εφτά διηγήματα.
Τα διηγήματα είναι συγκινητικά, ευαίσθητα, εσωτερικά, με πολύ όμορφη αφήγηση γεμάτη αλληγορίες.
Αυτά τα διηγήματα πραγματικά παιδεύτηκαν πολύ για να έρθουν στα χέρια μας, καθώς δραπέτευσαν από μία χώρα της οποίας το κράτος έτσι και ήξερε, έτσι και ανακάλυπτε αυτή την συλλογή ή τον συγγραφέα του, τα πράγματα θα εξελίσσονταν πολύ δυσάρεστα για τον ίδιο και πιθανόν την οικογένεια του.
Με άγγιξαν αυτές οι ιστορίες που διάβασα; Πολύ, αυτό που έκανα είναι να προσποιούμαι, ότι δεν είναι αλήθεια, ότι πουθενά δεν υπάρχει τέτοια κοινωνία, προσποιούμουν ότι διαβάζω ένα δυστοπικό βιβλίο φαντασίας, η αλήθεια όμως έρχεται κ με παρενοχλεί όσο και να την κρύψω, τελικά η ζωή γράφει τα χειρότερα σενάρια.

«Ο Μάιονγκ- τσέολ ήθελε να πλαντάξει στο κλάμα και να ριχτεί στο έδαφος γρονθοκοπώντας το χώμα. Αλλά δεν του επιτρεπόταν τέτοια συμπεριφορά κάποιες φόρες ακόμα και τα αναφιλητά θεωρούνταν πράξη εξέγερσης και μπορεί να κόστιζαν την ζωή σου.»
σελ. 73- 74.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A sincere, genuine life is possible only for those who have freedom. Where emotions are suppressed and actions monitored, acting only becomes ubiquitous, and so convincing that we even trick ourselves. Look at all these people sobbing over a death that happened three months ago, starving because they haven't been able to draw their rations all the while. What about the mother of the child bitten by a snake while he was out gathering flowers forKim Il-sung's altar? Perhaps she finds her private grief useful for shedding public tears. Isn't it frightening, this society which teaches us all to be great actors, able to turn on the waterworks at the drop of a hat?"

What a powerful book! The only one of its kind written by someone currently living in North Korea since the peninsula was divided, some sixty-eight years ago. In these profound, unsettling stories, "Bandi" manages to shed light on what life is like in North Korea, and not just for those in good graces with the Communist party. It's acerbically satirical, but beautifully rendered. Set during the dictatorships of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, the brutal and nonsensical administration is painted as a pariah amidst worldly governments. Something that one can only laugh at to keep from crying. Definitely a must read!

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many have written fictional or non-fictional books about their or others' life in North Korea, but few have written such - and got them published outside their country - while remaining in this country (the author is aware that the collection has been published in many countries, sources say). He uses a pseudonym, Bandi (firefly), and is in an official author's group with a long career, but no way could any of these stories be pubished in his own country.

The stories here were smuggled out of country, and were written between December 1989 - December 1995. At the end is a biography with altered details, and how the writings came over-story.

The stories have many similarities and yet also variety, in talking about various situations, in country towns and bigger cities. In each the main characters face a crisis where they can't live a 'normal' life any more, and suffering is inevitable (meaning, bigger suffering is added to daily sufferings).
Wanting to escape, how younger generations suffer from older generations' 'crimes' (or the older ones suffer from younger one's bad behavior-consequences), how something precious to someone can be threatened with destruction, how traveling is difficult, how Class One events make it worse (that is, the Great Leader is traveling in that part of a country), and how doing your best can be not good enough and 'deserves' punishment.

Reading these stories, and their similar downward-going stories, can be heartbreaking, but you learn what life is like in this country. Even so, I think my favorite ones were "The City Of Spectres" and "So Near, Yet So Far", and perhaps "Pandemonium" for the surprise appearance of Kim Il-Sung within the story, even though it was his fault that ordinary people had to suffer so much at the station - all those injuries....
One interesting (newish) view of North Korea.

(One detail: why use Boy Scout for youths in certain organisation, when (I think) Pioneer would be more suitable, in my opinion?)

[Helene Jeppesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was impressive! “The Accusation” is a collection of short stories written by an anonymous person from North Korea who risked his life publishing this book in order to make the world aware of the brutal conditions of his country. In other words, Bandi is a pseudonym, but the stories - even though they are fiction - are real!
Basically, these short stories depict a North Korea whose dictatorship is built on fear and hereditary hierarchy. No one is allowed to speak against the dictators; everyone has to act and appear supportive of their Great Leaders.
Needless to say, this book is an eye-opener because it speaks the truth and allows for us to get a unique insight into what it’s like to live in North Korea. So who am I to judge this book and rate it according to my liking?
There’s no doubt that based on its importance and relevance alone, this book deserves 5 stars. But I can’t help but also judge based on my enjoyment of the fiction and the way it gets its points across, and on that note the stories are heavy with symbolism that is explicitly told for every single story (and I wasn’t a huge fan of that). I would have preferred for the symbolism to have been a bit more covert and for the characters to tell their story and let us understand it in our own way.
The first stories were a bit messy, but gradually I got familiar with Bandi’s style and grew to really appreciate some of the later stories. So all in all, this is an important piece of work that you must read - especially because a man endangered his and his family’s life in order to let us know the truth!

[EMMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

اتهام
شامل هفت داستان راجع به كره شمالي است،كه هر كدوم از داستان ها براي زمان هاي متفاوتي و ادماي متفاوتي هستند.

يه نكته ايي كه جالبه واسم اينه،اكثر كتابايي كه واسه كره شماليه واسه ده هاي نود ايناست،تو سالاي اخير كسي نتونسته فرار كنه يا ترجمه نشده كتابا؟

[Kavita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a number of memoirs and non-fiction books written by North Koreans, especially those who escaped. The thing that is intriguing about The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea is that the author is still living in North Korea, and that it is fiction. So this is genuine North Korean fiction, of the style that we don't really get to see in the bookshelves often. I think this is the reason most people have given it a high rating.

As for the book itself, I found it slightly below average. There are seven short stories, each one talking about the harsh life in North Korea. The setting is in the late 80es and through the 90es. Even Kim Sung Il makes an appearance in one of the stories. There is a lot of interest to be found in these stories, especially if you do not know much about the local culture. The plots of the stories were mildly interesting.

But the negative aspects far outweighed the positives. There was nothing subtle about this book. There was no sense of lives being depicted from all aspects. The only purpose of the stories was to depict the Kim dynasty regime as horrible, which indeed it has been for decades. But it makes for poor fiction. Another negative of the stories was the constant chest beating and weeping. It just made for melodrama and I was constantly feeling like I was watching some old regressive Bollywood film, where the poor people are always crying because the rich feudal lord is harassing them. Yeah, that story can be told without the melodrama.

I would say this is worth a read merely because it is an unique kind of work. You just have to disregard the quality.

[Repellent Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5. En 2013, Bandi consigue sacar de Corea del Norte un conjunto de manuscritos que ha ido escribiendo en secreto, y con gran riesgo, durante las últimas décadas. Varios de estos relatos acaban publicándose en Corea del Sur en la colección que hoy conocemos como “La acusación”. A día de hoy, Bandi es el único autor publicado que expone la barbarie que viven las personas en Corea del Norte, mientras aún vive allí. Bandi es un pseudónimo, ya que si se conocieran sus verdaderos datos, lamentablemente, todos sabemos lo que pasaría.

Siempre que leo sobre Corea del Norte acabo emocionalmente afectado, me sobrecoge ver lo que llevan padeciendo sus habitantes durante tantísimos años. Las personas malviven con la ausencia de los mínimos derechos humanos y conviven con la facilidad con la que su vida puede pasar de ser de una cierta manera, a de pronto perder las pocas cosas que tienen o directamente a perder la misma vida. Tratar de imaginar lo que debe ser esa incertidumbre constante, realmente te afecta.

Creo que los relatos de Bandi son espectaculares en ese sentido. Todos muestran diferentes historias, desde diferentes perspectivas, eligiendo a protagonistas colocados en posiciones muy diferentes, algunos con bastantes privilegios, otros con ninguno, pero todos comparten que el origen, la chispa que origina la tragedia, siempre es una detalle absurdo, pero que un régimen tan brutal es capaz de convertirlo en el mayor crimen. Me impactó especialmente el relato del bebé, que refleja muy bien a lo que me refiero con este tipo de detalles nimios. Bandi también nos habla mucho, y de una manera bastante crítica, de la hipocresía del sistema y del líder que lo gobierna.

Me ha sorprendido bastante ver que en todas las historias los personajes no son ignorantes de lo que están viviendo, o al menos no todos, o no durante todo el tiempo. Hasta ahora solo había leído testimonios contados en primera persona de norcoreanos que habían escapado de su país y, a posteriori, contaban lo que habían pasado. Y siempre coincidían en una cosa, mientras vivían allí y pese a las contradicciones del régimen, la facilidad para caer en desgracia y el hambre, no es hasta que ya han escapado y comparado con otros lugares, cuando se dan cuenta de que todo lo que les habían inculcado desde que eran niños, sobre la divinidad de su líder, era todo un engaño muy bien orquestado.

Por eso, me sorprende bastante ver en esta historia de una persona que sigue viviendo allí, que nos narra a través de lo que ve en la vivencia de otras personas, cientos de escenarios donde estas son humilladas, maltratadas o aterrorizadas por cuestiones cada cual más ridícula, que sus personajes tengan de entrada, o acaben teniendo, una visión más realista y crítica sobre el país en el que viven. Esto me da esperanza porque los textos de “La acusación” se orientan en los 90 y si ya en ese momento personas como Bandi eran conscientes y había superado ese lavado de cerebro continuo, puede que el cambio este en marcha. Ojalá vivir para verlo.

Si algún día hiciera una lista tipo “libros que todo el mundo debería leer al menos una vez en la vida”, “La acusación” de Bandi aparecería. Es un libro necesario que educa, que muestra una realidad que, por pillarnos lejos, muchas veces nos parece lejana, casi de mentira. Pero no lo es. Es un libro que crea impotencia, que da rabia y que muestra lo injusto de nacer en un lugar con un régimen semejante, que limitará y poseerá tu vida mientras permanezcas dentro. Y también hay que leerlo, porque la valentía de Bandi no puede quedar en el olvido.

[Elena Papadopol · Rating 4 out of 5]

,,[...] Sa razi oricat de mult ai suferi, sa taci si sa inghiti chiar daca suferinta te arde pe dinauntru: aceasta e legea supravietuirii in tara asta."

[shakespeareandspice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where in the world might you find such a garden, such a den of evil magic, where cries of pain and sadness where wrenched from the mouths of its people and distorted into laughter?

The Accusation is a collection of stories smuggled out of North Korea, the most repressive nation in the world, and published under the pseudonym of Bandi. Bandi shares with us a very diverse collection of voices; we get stories from husbands and wives, daughters and sons, families and friends, each exposing a bleak cultural landscape of North Korea.

The stories are as follows:
‣ Record of a Defection - a husband finds contraceptives his wife hides but fails to grasp the reality behind the situation
‣ City of Specters - a woman attempts to comfort her sick child, with dire consequences
‣ Life of a Swift Steed - the war hero who is ‘deeply disillusioned’ and questions his life achievements
‣ So Near, Yet So Far - a son tries to get permit to see his dying mother but having been denied multiple times, resorts to desperate means
‣ Pandemonium - an elderly grandmother stumbles into the Supreme Leader’s spotlight
‣ On Stage - father and son struggle to understand each other’s ideas of freedom and liberty
‣ The Red Mushroom - a man torn away from his family does everything he can to protect them from afar

While reading though these stories, I had to remark at the similarities between the North Korean regime today and the Communist regime under which Eastern European countries fell post-WWII. The comparisons are not shocking, but the absolute hopelessness in North Korean citizens is a stark contrast to the accounts I read from people who lived under Communism in Eastern Europe. Though Eastern European accounts still showed an understanding of what true democracy is, North Koreans seem to have withdrawn their dreams of liberty. Given that they’ve lived like this for generations, I can understand why freedom is a faraway dream at this point.

The idea that the author has to hide away these stories devastates me but for all the struggles this manuscript faced to see the light of day, I am glad to have been able to read Bandi’s stories from across the world. I knew this book was going to be historically important, but I was very pleased to discover that it holds a lot of literary merit as well. Bandi has a fantastic ability to pen stories that make you care even when you know it’s hopeless to do so. None of the stories felt repetitive or read dully (keeping in mind the collection has a similar theme overall); each offers a uniquely chilling example of shattered humanity. This collection is well-written, poignant, and utterly heartbreaking.

The Accusation was by far one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year, and possibly one of the most remarkable books I might read in my lifetime. I would highly recommend this to everyone, and would also request the you read through the acknowledgements and the story behind the manuscript as well.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated are my own and not influenced by the exchange.

[Video review available later.]

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories which were smuggled out of North Korea. The author is still living within the closed-off country, and they wanted their stories to be shared with the world.

Although the stories are fictional, there is a very deep resonance with the truth and the lives of people who live in North Korea. The stories all talk about the suppression and horrors of living under the Great Leader, and they each focus on some element of family life and the culture of North Korea. From the books I have read about North Korea (all written by people who have since escaped and moved to South Korea or by journalists interviewing these escapees) I would say that this collection is an unsettling but realistic portrayal of everyday life. I would thoroughly recommend this collection, but it's quite an emotional and sombre one so maybe worth breaking it into chunks whilst reading.

Below are my thoughts on the individual stories in the collection:

Record of a Defection - the first story in the collection and it sets up the tone of blunt reality. North Korea is a place of suspicion. People are controlled by the Party hierarchy and they are unable to break away from crimes of their past. This is the story of a husband's suspicion and a wife's love. I really liked it, 4.5*s

City of Specters - recounts the life of a woman with a young child who is scared of the 'Leader'. Whenever the child sees the image of the Leader he cries and eventually the parents suffer for raising a child who is against the Leader. I liked the starkness of this again. 3.5*s

Life of a Swift Seed - This one is the story of a man who is rung up and asked about a dear family friend. The friend is so close he considers him an uncle, but it seems this man has threatened Party members and military men and he's now in trouble. Our main character has to find out what happened...turns out it's all a big fuss over an Elm tree and there's a story behind it. 4*s

So Near Yet So Far - This one was devastating. A tale of a young man whose mother is dying and he tries to apply for travel permits to visit but is denied at all points. Eventually it all gets too much and he's desperate. I think this is tragic, and no doubt rooted in truth. Terrible, but moving 4.5*s

Pandemonium - Story of a horrible train journey which is filled with injuries and devastation, all in the interests of the Great Leader. A grandmother feels intense guilt over the pain of her husband and granddaughter who are abandoned whilst she is accidentally drawn into a car by the Great Leader's request... 4*s

On Stage - this one didn't resonate quite as much with me. It is the story of a father who is disappointed that his son has dragged his name down by disobeying the regime. I gave it 3*s

The Red Mushroom - A tale of the plague that's taking root in the land much like the poisonous red mushrooms from the mountains A man sent to produce bean paste is hardworking until disaster strikes and he's blamed. A reporter finds out the true story but can't report it. 4*s
Afterword was v interesting and informative too, talked about the making of the book and the author who remains in N.Korea still...

Overall I gave this a solid 4*s and would recommend it :)

[Nocturnalux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words to express how important, moving, terrifying and absolutely vital this book is. So instead of saying anything of my own, I will simply leave a poem of Bandi's- a man who risked his life so that the plight of everyday North Koreans could be heard- that was included in the Manuscript of The Accusation:

Fifty years in this northern land
Living as a machine that speaks
Living as a human under a yoke
Without talent
With a pure indignation
Written not with pen and ink
But with bones drenched with blood and tears
Is this writing of mine

Though they be dry as a desert
And rough as a grassland
Shabby as an invalid
And primitive as stone tools
Reader!
I beg you to read my words.
-Bandi

[Ernst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieser Erzählband ist mir kürzlich wieder in die Hände gefallen, weil ich etwas Platz und ein paar Bücher aussortieren wollte. Bin aber gleich wieder dran hängen geblieben und werde es auf jeden Fall behalten.

Es ist eine ziemlich einzigartige Rarität, nämlich das einzige Buch eines nordkoreanischen Autors, das ich jemals gelesen habe. Wer der Autor ist, scheint nicht ganz klar, die Manuskripte der Kurzgeschichten wurden angeblich von einer Hilfsorganisation aus dem Land geschmuggelt. Ob diese Hintergrundinformationen stimmen oder frei erfunden sind, werden wir wahrscheinlich nie erfahren. Deshalb hat es mir beim Lesen geholfen, nicht an der Authentizität zu zweifeln und unter diesem Blickwinkel lesen sich die Geschichten unglaublich eindrucksvoll, wirken auch überaus glaubwürdig und geben so einen völlig unverfälschten Blick auf den Alltag von Menschen in den 1990er Jahren.

Eine Bewertung ist hier schwierig. Rein literarisch sind sie nichts besonderes. Sprachlich völlig ok, aber keine Poesie; kompositorisch ganz traditionell lineare Erzählungen. Nur eine Geschichte fällt mit ihrer Brief- und Tagebuchform etwas aus dem Rahmen. Interessant sind alle Geschichten und sie haben alle einen gewissen Sog; ich glaube mich zu erinnern dass ich das ganze Buch in kürzester Zeit ausgelesen hatte

Würden die Erzählungen aus irgendeinem anderen Land stammen, wäre ich wohl bei 3-4🌟 Aber da sie nunmal ein Alleinstellungsmerkmal haben, das beim Leseerlebnis permanent mitschwingt und eine ganz eigene Spannung erzeugt, kann ich fast nicht anders als 5🌟 zu geben. Klar speist sich das Spannungsmoment auch aus einem gewissen Voyeurismus, aber auch aus einem unstillbaren Wunsch mehr zu verstehen, wie ein Alltag, ein „normales“ Leben unter diesen unsäglichen Bedingungen möglich ist.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I struggled a bit with the individual stories, I think that as a whole, it paints an incredibly interesting picture. A very unique book.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an incredible book! I highly recommend it. The stories are hard to read due to the lives these people lived. But the book is like a book of fables or fairy tales in a way. I really enjoyed this.

The author still lives in North Korea and this book was smuggled out. Just incredible. So thankful for my GR friend Anshita for suggesting it!

[George K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Βαθμολογία: 9/10

Το βιβλίο το αγόρασα με το που κυκλοφόρησε πέρυσι τον Οκτώβριο στα ελληνικά, αλλά μετά φαίνεται ότι το ξέχασα. Και τώρα με αφορμή όλες τις φασαρίες που γίνονται στην Κορεατική Χερσόνησο, το ξαναθυμήθηκα και είπα να το διαβάσω επιτέλους. Είναι χαλαρά μιας από τις καλύτερες και πιο ενδιαφέρουσες συλλογές διηγημάτων που έχω διαβάσει τα τελευταία χρόνια.

Όχι, δεν το λέω αυτό επειδή είναι γραμμένη από Βορειοκορεάτη συγγραφέα και κρύβεται ολόκληρη ιστορία πίσω από την κυκλοφορία της, αλλά και επειδή η γραφή είναι πάρα μα πάρα πολύ καλή και τα εφτά διηγήματα παρουσιάζουν με τον πιο έντονο τρόπο την παράνοια που επικρατεί στην Βόρεια Κορέα. Φυσικά οι διάφορες ιστορίες γράφτηκαν αρχές με μέσα της δεκαετίας του '90, αλλά δεν νομίζω ότι έχουν αλλάξει και πάρα πολλά πράγματα από τότε. Οι ιστορίες της παρούσας συλλογής περιγράφουν όλα τα κακώς κείμενα της Βορειοκορεάτικης πραγματικότητας, από τον αυταρχισμό, την γραφειοκρατία και τον απόλυτο έλεγχο των μαζών εκ μέρους της παρανοϊκής δικτατορίας, μέχρι την μοιρολατρία, τον χαφιεδισμό και την απόλυτη υπακοή στο απολυταρχικό κράτος που επικρατεί ανάμεσα στους πολίτες.

Φυσικά ζούμε σε περίεργες εποχές και η προπαγάνδα είναι μέρος της ζωής μας, αλλά πιστεύω όντως επικρατεί αυτού του είδους η παράνοια στην Βόρεια Κορέα. Καθώς διάβαζα το βιβλίο, ήθελα να πιστεύω ότι διάβαζα ιστορίες δυστοπικής επιστημονικής φαντασίας και όχι ιστορίες που περιγράφουν μια πραγματικότητα, ιστορίες όπου οι ζωές εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων είναι μια σκέτη τραγωδία από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος. Η γραφή είναι εξαιρετική, με μια κάποια σατιρική διάθεση σε πολλά σημεία και λεπτή ειρωνεία, με τις περιγραφές να είναι λιτές και περιεκτικές - μεταφέρουν εύκολα τον αναγνώστη στην μαυρίλα και την μουντάδα της Βόρειας Κορέας.

Γενικά πρόκειται για μια πολύ σημαντική, καλογραμμένη και ενδιαφέρουσα συλλογή διηγημάτων, που αξίζει να διαβάσει ο κάθε σκεπτόμενος άνθρωπος, έτσι ώστε να πάρει μια (έντονη) γεύση από την Βόρεια Κορέα του παρελθόντος, αλλά ίσως και του παρόντος.

[Βάιος Παπαδόπουλος · Rating 5 out of 5]

Αριστούργημα!

[Кремена Михайлова · Rating 4 out of 5]

Едно нещо беше най-изненадващо и силно за мен: усетих тези хора точно като хората на Южна Корея. Колкото (не много) познавам южнокорейците предимно от филмите на Kim Ki-duk и една друга корейска книжка - много подобни ми изглеждат „обикновените хора“ на Северна Корея. Не ми се иска да изреждам прилагателни и да обобщавам, но нали сигурно трябва да кажа какви са тези особености - избирам приблизителни думички, всички в положителния им смисъл: семплост, наивност дори, добродушие и при по-груби разговори и шеги, избухливост и бързо стопляне на настроението, може да се каже и източна простота. Сходствата между „двата народа“ по-скоро ме зарадваха (едва ли с надеждата някога да са свободни и отново заедно), а всъщност тази неизкоренима еднаквост подсилва трагедията на разделянето. Използвах думата „народ“, която обикновено избягвам, но в разказите наистина присъстват хората от народа – в онзи смисъл на „обикновени хора“.

Всичко друго за партийните абсурди е ясно. Исках да установя има ли големи разлики между европейския и азиатския „комунизъм“. Не можах много да разбера. Със сигурност някои разлики произтичат от мащаба – това 100 000 души да се съберат за нула време за манифестация е нищо работа в Северна Корея.

„Сто хиляди граждани се събраха на площад „Ким Ир Сен“. Сто хиляди само за четирийсет и пет минути“.

И другото, което плаши дори децата – неведнъж моят гимназист ми е казвал как в международните младежки форуми обсъждат „истериите“ на Северна Корея, която е и близо до „родната“ му Япония.

Разказите според мен не са скучно-документални с цел единствено да покажат всичко ужасно в тази страна, а наистина се вижда какви са самите хора, семейните им отношения, обстановката в градовете и селата.

Банди не бърза да претупа разказа, само за да си направят читателите извода за съответната тема; мисля, че добре изгражда цялостна картина. Наистина естествено донякъде в един вид азиатски стил – леко предраматизиране, малко старомодно или просто различно от западното. Може някои читатели да възприемат разказите като „слаби“ – първо защото вероятно Банди не е „професионален“ писател, второ – в много азиатски книги съм срещала подобна „обикновеност“ (която често ми допада), трето – ами всичко си е тъпо и абсурдно; може да се каже, че във всеки разказ има конкретна тема, но думата тема звучи надуто тук – просто във всеки разказ изпъква конкретна идеологическа идиотщина, и то не толкова назад във времето.

Да, има някои изтъркани изрази като „Потресът сякаш беше накарал Сонг да си изгуби ума.“ /„Тайно избърса сълзите си.“ / „… чувството, което нахлу в душата му…“ Но и аз ще кажа едно клише – гореща вълна ме заля на края на последния разказ (но и в края или средата на някои от другите).

А това ни е познато и на нас.

„… онази грешка, заклеймила го като „антипартиен и антиреволюционен елемент“ – позорно петно, появило се за една нощ, за да преследва всеки от семейството ни поколения наред.“
(ясно е, че грешката е смехория)

„Как с твоя произход си…“ (произход тук не значи „синя кръв“, „богатство“ и т.н., а сямо безупречност спрямо Партията…)

„Ако синът на служител в отдела за агитпропаганда изпадаше в истерия, щом види портрета на Карл Маркс, можеше да се очакват сериозни неприятности.“

„Самото събитие щеше да бъде последвано от детайлно оценяване, така че горко му на онзи участник, който е показал не революционен плам, а нещо по-незначително.“

„Такова донесение е стигнало и до други уши, освен до моите, другарко управител.“

„Навсякъде имат същите завеси, за да изглеждат прозорците на улицата ни хубави и еднакви.“

„… ако случката оставеше и най-малкото черно петно върху Йонсу, подозренията задължително щяха да паднат и върху Йонил.“
(имената не се ли пишат отделно или с тиренце– Йон Су/Йон-Су?)

„Значи Минхьок вече се прегърбваше под тежестта на семейните обстоятелства“
(т.е. ако някой роднина е „враг на революцията“/ М. е малко дете)

„Пропуски във възпитанието на сина им в принципите на истинската революционна преданост, отрицателно влияние върху тържеството за националния празник; в допълнение – груби инсинуации за портрета на Карл Маркс…“
(1 – синът им е на 2 години! 2 – отрицателното влияние: имат различни завеси (и мен ме изгониха на последния ред на манифестация в 3 клас заради синя панделка, а не задължителната бяла).

„…докато погребението на Великия вожд все още се подготвя, тайните ни служители трябва да бъдат нащрек във висша степен, непрекъснато да държат отворени очите и ушите си, да бъдат готови със стиснати юмруци. Вие трябва да им внушите тази необходимост. Само тогава ще избегнем да станем жертви на по-нататъшни дяволски хитрости.“

„… въпросният чист, бял ориз и къщата с керемиден покрив – са само една илюзия, която поради глупост не е забелязал.“

„… старият демон омагьосвал робите си със смях.“

„Той беше наредил да се добави оцветител не само за тухлите, но и за керемидите на покрива, поради което седалището на Комунистическата партия наистина се превърна в червена къща.“

„Получих лично това от един информатор! – каза рязко онзи, а гласът му прозвуча като удар с камшик. – През времето на траура за Великия вожд Ким Ир Сен служителят на Съюза на предприятията Хонг Кньонхун отишъл да бере цветя в подножието на хълма Пекньон, като се държал за ръка със заводската работничка Ким Суки.“

„Когато се разбрало, че зетят на Ко Иншик, за когото се смятало, че е бил убит от бомба по време на хаоса през Корейската война, всъщност е минал границата и е отишъл в Южна Корея, Иншик бил белязан като неблагонадежден, принадлежащ към хората, които „подправят своите автобиографии“, и го изгонили от Пхенян в град, където да му бъдат внушени „истинските революционни идеали“.

„… се очакваше Юнмо да разтръби лъжата, че заводът се връща към нормалното си производство.“

„Но на общинското партийно събрание за критика и самокритика (всеки материал биваше одобряван на няколко равнища, чак до областното равнище на Партията), очеркът беше единодушно отхвърлен.“

[Babywave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Für mich eine absolute Leseempfehlung .

Der erste Kurzgeschichtenband, der mich begeistern konnte.

Der nordkoreanische Schriftsteller, der unter einem Pseudonym schreibt und seine Manuskripte erst nach langer Zeit nach Südkorea schmuggeln konnte, hat mich nicht durch seine poetische Sprache oder durch seine sprachlichen Stilmittel überzeugt. Die Geschichten sind einfach zu lesen.

Mich hat die Thematik sehr interessiert.
Selbst in der ehemaligen DDR geboren, habe ich bis zu meinem 7. Lebensjahr dort gelebt. Als Kind hatte ich jedoch nicht mal den Hauch einer Ahnung, was es für viele Menschen bedeutete unter einem Regime wie diesem zu leben, sich einzuschränken und auf der Hut sein zu müssen. Bandi vermittelt in diesem Band einen klaren Eindruck davon , was es bedeutet in einer Diktatur zu leben. Es ist extrem bedrückend.
Das was bis ins Mark trifft, ist die Tatsache, dass diese Lebensumstände Realität sind. Ein Buch, dass ich nicht vergessen werde.

[Trotalibros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Siento discrepar del océano de excelentes críticas que inunda la página de este libro en Goodreads. Es cierto que como mínimo es de admirar la valentía que demuestra Bandi a la hora de, viviendo él mismo con su familia allí, escribir y publicar sus cuentos acusatorios que señalan directamente a la represión de la dictadura norcoreana. Sin embargo, el problema es que las circunstancias y la historia de la publicación de este libro (explicadas en el epílogo en mi edición catalana) me han transmitido más emoción que los mismos cuentos. Esta obra retrata el infierno del país a través de pequeñas anécdotas, pero está totalmente falta de ritmo y de personajes potentes y complejos que abran la puerta a una mínima empatía por parte del lector. Una obra que, en mi humilde opinión, tiene más relevancia histórica que literaria.

[Vasco Simões · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adoro tudo o que fala desse mundo estranho, hermético e desconhecido que é a Coreia do Norte. Este livro de contos foi contrabandeado para o Sul por uma pessoa a quem o autor passou os seus escritos. Bandi - o pirilampo - pretende trazer luz sobre as pessoas e histórias para que estas não morram no esquecimento. Adorei estes contos, estas personagens, estes cenários mentais de uma nação que vive noutro planeta e pensa de forma muito estranha à nossa. Não é todos os dias que viajamos para outras realidades bem diferentes sentados no conforto do nosso sofá e este foi uma bela viagem. Recomendo esta luz.