The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea by Bandi

The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea by Bandi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The South Korean publication of this piece of fiction, which sharply criticizes and satirizes the North Korean regime, and which is written by a man who still lives and works under that same system, is a historical first - [...] No work denouncing the oppressive, antidemocratic regime of North Korea, by a writer still living in North Korea, has ever before been published." (From the Afterword)

The stories are depressing and oppressing. They felt rather claustrophobic and suffocating to me, and I guess that means they're written well. It brings home what it is like to live in a regime like North Korea's, and it isn't pretty. Almost equally amazing and interesting is the story of how the manuscript was finally smuggled out of North Korea, as described in the Afterword.

Regardless, this is a very important and unique book.


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