Readers Place

For such a fascinating country, with so much scope for human drama, there’s a surprising dearth of fiction about North Korea. Not much is known about what goes on beyond the DMZ, and that makes it all the more intriguing. The Orphan Master’s Son does a great job of satisfying people like me who have devoured everything they could get their hands on about the regime, and also those who know little about the stranger-than-fiction life under the Kims. He is particularly effective in showing just how an entire nation can believe the crazy lies promulgated by its leaders.

I do agree that this was a hard book to get into: the pacing, different voices, the narrative jumps, and some of the casual violence and horror were difficult, and I found that none of the characters really ‘stuck’ for me in a way that made me want to spend time with them. But I’m glad I carried on reading because there was so much to love: the simply brilliant prose, the wonderful juxtaposition of bleakness and beauty, and the elements that could have come straight from a bestselling thriller or romance.

This is definitely not a beach read. It’s hard reading at times. An obsession with the subject will certainly help – I think that’s why I liked it more than I would have done if it had been set in Russia for example. Certainly not for everyone, but a very rewarding read.

Posted by Hayley from The American Book Center, Amsterdam on 2011-11-25

I agree with Linda that it started out quite slow and I feel that you need to read this book almost in one go to not get confused with the different stories. The parts that captivated me were the ones where Johnson describes the horrific life in North Korea but for some reason I didn’t really feel any empathy with the characters. I also expected to read more about these tunnel fights because of what’s written on the back of the proof. Anyway at some point I did get into the story and wanted to know what happens at the end and I would recommend it to people who’re interested in knowing more about North Korea.

Posted by Julia on 2011-11-25

This was a brilliant book. Really enjoyed reading the second part of the tudor books. Was a great insight to the life Katherine of Aragon led after Arthur died and before her marriage to Henry

Posted by Claire on 2011-08-25

This novel is indeed a feast for all senses and drew me in right away from the very first sentence. Morgenstern’s imagination is unlimited and her magical descriptions are beautiful and very vivid. Of all the characters Poppet, Widget and Bailey are my favourites. Can’t wait to see this made into a movie. Highly recommended!

Posted by Jane, Waterstone’s Amsterdam on 2011-08-19

This book is wonderful, in every sense of the word. An exquisitely imagined, multi-sensory delight with vivid and fantast images on every page. One of those rare books that you pick up whenever you can just so you can immerse yourself in the world within its page.

Morgenstern makes it very easy to disappear into her book – every sight, sound, smell, taste, texture and sensation is perfectly rendered; from the velvet curtains, to the caramel apples, to the crispness of the autumn air. For this alone it deserves four stars.

Where it didn’t quite work was in the story, which was rather slight. The ends are tied up a bit too neatly, how the game works is never explained, what Marco and Celia actually really do as moves in the game is never clear, how the whole idea of the challenge oringinally started is not explained in a sasisfying way, and I felt that overall, this part of the novel felt thin and insubstantial.

But, perhaps that was the author’s intention – she says as much in the closing chapters. I don’t think it really matters. I regretted having to turn the last page of The Night Circus, and that is always the sign of a great book.

Posted by Hayley Wakenshaw, American Book Center Amsterdam on 2011-08-18

What an enjoyable read! Every chapter a gem. I would have liked more in-depth characterisation, the characters, and even the challenge itsef, are sketched out only very briefly and sometimes the characters come across perhaps more coldly than the author intended. And what became of Isobel? But the world of the circus is beautifully realised, this is definitely a book that I would love to see as a film, purely to see the circus brought to life. Very entertaining!

Posted by Linda on 2011-08-17