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Kyle said:
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I'm stalled about 100 pages into this. It's about North Korea, approached from the perspective of several North Koreans living in a specific North Korean city. The best one is about a love story, forbidden by class and circumstance. It's a tough bookI'm stalled about 100 pages into this. It's about North Korea, approached from the perspective of several North Koreans living in a specific North Korean city. The best one is about a love story, forbidden by class and circumstance. It's a tough book for me to read, because my tolerance/ability to read about difficult human circumstances is limited. It's the same reason why I can't really watch scary movies. I get too affected, and then become sad/shaken.
Things I'm vaguely sympathetic towards, but don't actually want to read about:
people living under dictators people with traumatic childhood experiences people who are writing a book as they die Africa North Korea (in progress) Precious The Holocaust Other sad things
I'm certainly aware that life for billions of individual people is incredibly difficult, violent, destructive, and crushingly sad with no easy way out. It's just that reading is a voluntary thing, and I prefer to spend my time engaging things that are interesting more than things that are sad.
Is this prematurely calloused? Yes Does it signal a deeper character flaw? Quite possibly
But putting a face to grim societal situations far removed from my life and becoming attached or engaged in even a small way is tough for me. And I think it is tough for most people, which is why those very few people who do open themselves up to these topics, truly care, and are actually doing meaningful things to help are so valuable.
Me, I'll massage my numb guilt with an occasional Goodwill trip, Kiva donation, CNN article, or Mother Jones slideshow, while continuing to read whatever's clever.
And I'm guessing you'll probably do the same......more
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