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adam75241's review against another edition
3.0
With such an interesting and complex subject matter, I was really disappointment to leave this book with so much apathy. Boynton’s historical research is vast and comprehensive, but I feel mislead by the book’s title. Maybe I’m a cynic, but I wanted more kidnappings, I wanted more grit, I wanted to follow victims and survivors from start to finish with enough detail to feel I was there. Never once was I on the edge of my seat reading this book, and instead of hearing heart-wrenching stories or learning more than is already common knowledge about mass-abductions, I simply have a better understanding of Japan and North Korean’s political relationship of the twentieth century. That’s not the excitement I was hoping for.
itsgg's review against another edition
4.0
For people who are weirdly obsessed with North Korea, as I am, this is a fascinating account of one of the DPRK's stranger chapters: Its complicated plan to abduct foreigners, many from the shores of Japan.
marinazala's review against another edition
3.0
** Books 90 - 2018 **
This books to accomplish Tsundoku Books Challenge 2018
3 of 5 stars!
This books is kinda too much repetition and i just wanna know what happen with Japanese couple that being abducted in North Korea and what happen when they back to Japan again.. For the other stories is not appealing much for me
Thankyou Jakarta Big Bad Wolf 2018!
This books to accomplish Tsundoku Books Challenge 2018
3 of 5 stars!
This books is kinda too much repetition and i just wanna know what happen with Japanese couple that being abducted in North Korea and what happen when they back to Japan again.. For the other stories is not appealing much for me
Thankyou Jakarta Big Bad Wolf 2018!
hnagle15's review against another edition
3.0
Not entirely what I was expecting. I think I thought this was about something different, but it was an interesting read. I've read quite a few memoirs this year from North Korean defectors, so it was interesting to read something a little different.
kentcryptid's review
4.0
This is a fascinating but slightly jumbled and over-ambitious book, in which Robert Boynton throws in the individual stories of people abducted by North Korea, the journalistic and political quest to uncover what had happened to them, the history of Japan since the Meiji era, the situation of Zainichi Koreans in Japan and the narrative of Japan-Korea relations throughout the twentieth century into a rich but slightly confusing soup.
There are lots of individually interesting elements in its tumultuous 238 pages and I recommend it for anyone interested in North Korea. However, the author himself notes in the epilogue, 'reporting on a series of events spanning several decades, in three countries, in two languages I don't speak, sometimes struck me as foolish, if not insane.' Overall, I tend to agree.
There are lots of individually interesting elements in its tumultuous 238 pages and I recommend it for anyone interested in North Korea. However, the author himself notes in the epilogue, 'reporting on a series of events spanning several decades, in three countries, in two languages I don't speak, sometimes struck me as foolish, if not insane.' Overall, I tend to agree.
literatureeverafter's review against another edition
4.0
A stunning portrayal of such horrific events. Told through the eyes of those with different parts to play, this book truly gives you a three dimensional view of a somewhat harrowing and taboo topic.
Perfect for those looking to increase their knowledge on North Korean and Japanese relations.
Perfect for those looking to increase their knowledge on North Korean and Japanese relations.
jenhart's review against another edition
4.0
I already knew (very generally)about the abductions from media reporting, and this book didn't add a great deal of factual information to that previous knowledge. However, this book made the abstract knowledge feel real and human and filled in details that news reports tend to skim over. The relationship these abductions had to broader Japanese - Korean relations (North and South) was intriguing and has definitely sparked my interest to read more about imperial Japan.
This book was eminently readable and I finished it in less than 24 hours.
This book was eminently readable and I finished it in less than 24 hours.