He loves the process of attaining, but does not quite like to have attained, and that, of course, is very absurd.
“North Koreans have two stories running in their heads at all times, like trains on parallel tracks. One is what you are taught to believe; the other is what you see with your own eyes. It wasn’t until I escaped to South Korea and read a translation of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four that I found a word for this peculiar condition: doublethink. This is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in your mind at the same time—and somehow not go crazy. This “doublethink” is how you can shout slogans denouncing capitalism in the morning, then browse through the market in the afternoon to buy smuggled South Korean cosmetics.”
―
―
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – for ever.’ He”
― 1984
― 1984
“There were so many desperate people on the streets crying for help that you had to shut off your heart or the pain would be too much. After a while you can’t care anymore. And that is what hell is like. Almost”
― In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
― In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
James’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at James’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by James
Lists liked by James



























