"Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea" by Guy Delisle

French-Canadian cartoonist Guy Delisle’s graphic novel account of his time in Pyongyang, North Korea is mired by a staggering sense of isolation.  Delisle’s pages are composed of hollow spaces, populated by cartoon characters meandering through vacant hotel hallways.  He renders his two-month stay as an animation supervisor in pencil washes, creating a world perpetually, beautifully out of focus. 

Beside his ever-present guide and translator, Delisle rarely interacts with any North Koreans.  Outside of his hotel, he is chaperoned through the capital city’s most tourist-friendly landmarks, inundated by tedious Communist propaganda.  Delisle maintains a sharp sense of humor and skepticism, challenging jingoistic outpourings and exaggerated histories.  Though he renders his anecdotes in clean cartoon lines, he does not belie the horrors inherent to life spent under a dictatorship.  For every imposing monument and smiling volunteer, there are stories of food shortages and citizens informing on one another.  Every citizen he encounters is a beaming patriot, and so they often seem like caricatures rather than individuals.  This may be a failing on Delisle’s part to better connect with those around him, but I suspect that it instead reinforces the book’s theme of loneliness amidst artifice.

I sought out this graphic novel after the death of former Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Il.  I only had a cursory knowledge of the man and his country—both mysterious and inaccessible— and I felt a travelogue would be a good introduction.  Delisle makes no claims to be an expert, nor is the book designed as a comprehensive travel guide.  Instead, the book reflects his changing temperaments in a very alien place: introspective, mistrustful, bewildered, humbled, etc.  His visit is as much fascinatingly exotic as it is alienating.  Delisle’s story is often distant and ambiguous, as gray as the buildings disappearing into the horizon. 

Pyongyang by Guy Delisle

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Recently a boy came to the desk asking for Babylon's Ark by Lawrence Anthony. After helping him find the book, I looked at the subtitle: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo, and thought it sounded interesting. Having recently read Diane Ackerman's The Zookeeper's Wife, about the Warsaw zoo during WWII, I thought this would be an interesting comparison. All I can say is: thanks kid. This was an incredible story that I'm glad I took the time to read. The author, a white South African, is a conservationist and environmentalist, and lives on a game reserve in Zululand. He says:

"I knew nothing about Iraq and the politics of war. But what I did know was that in all human hostilities animals have suffered horrifically and often anonymously. Unable to flee or defend themselves, they either were slaughtered wholesale in the initial assaults or died agonizingly from thirst and hunger later, locked and desperate in their cages. Or worse, they were callously shot by blood-crazed soldiers just for the hell of it."

So, Anthony decides to go to Iraq to help save whatever is left of the zoo's animals. Shortly after Baghdad was invaded, Anthony flies to Kuwait and begins badgering anyone who will listen, until they let him into Iraq. After a very dangerous journey, he finally arrives at the zoo and discovers appalling conditions. Only the animals that were too dangerous to steal (such as the bears, lions and tigers) were left. Because of the horrible looting, most of the animals had been taken, either for food or for sale on the black market. The animals were in worse condition than Anthony expected and he actually considered whether shooting them would be the most humane option. Working in an extremely dangerous environment, battling relentless looters, with little help and very little supplies, medicine, food and water, Anthony begins the slow and difficult task of nursing the animals back to health and saving the zoo. What impressed me was the help Anthony received from the American soldiers. One might think that when a soldier is in the middle of a war, with bombs and bullets a constant threat, he might be more concerned with staying alive than with helping a few animals. But this was not the case. All the soldiers that Anthony encountered were more than willing to help whenever they could. They gave the animals their shares of MREs, got a generator for the zoo, provided protection and help when Anthony shut down a private zoo holding animals in appalling conditions, and helped to recover some of Saddam's herd of priceless Arabian horses from a very dangerous neighborhood.

Although it seems odd to be using the words "great story" when talking about the Iraq war, this really was. Without focusing on politics and whether the war is right or wrong, Anthony takes us into the heart of Iraq, shows us the everyday realities of war, and how the bravery and compassion of a few good men can create hope.

Only What We Could Carry

On this day in 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, ultimately killing 2, 390 Americans and wounding 1,178. Shortly after, the United States entered WWII and thousands of Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camps throughout the country. Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese Internment Experience (edited by Lawson Fusao Inada) is a fascinating compilation of narratives, poetry, diary entries, letters, news accounts, and declarations that illustrates what life was like for these American citizens during their imprisonment. It shames me to say that I wasn't even aware that this had taken place until about 5 years ago. This was not something I was taught in school, or even in college, and while I read these narratives, I had to remind myself that I wasn't reading fiction. This happened, in my country-the land of the free, not so very long ago. Although all of the stories are touching, one that particularly affected me was the story of an all-Japanese American battalion that was one of the first to liberate the prisoners of Dachau, and many years later, a Japanese American soldier was reunited with one of the men he rescued from Dachau. A truly touching, frightening, eye-opening look at a part of history that we don't often hear about.

The Amateur Gourmet

Several well known blogs have resulted in popular books and Adam Roberts' The Amateur Gourmet: How to Shop, Chop and Table-Hop Like a Pro (Almost) is one of them. The book was born from his well known blog at http://www.amateurgourmet.com/. In the book, Roberts recounts how his family ate out more often than eating in, which instilled in him an appreciation of homemade meals and the desire to create easy but delicious food. The book is more of a narrative, rather than instructional, as the title led me to believe. I thought there might be diagrams on proper cutting techniques, but he simply describes how to cut an onion, which does nothing for me without the pictures. But his point on the importance of using a sharp knife in the chapter Fear Not the Knife, is well taken. In the chapter Master the Market, he talks about how to shop for fresh foods at the local farmers market, which we've all been hearing about lately. The chapter Expand Your Palate seems a little out of place-I guess his point is to try new things, but it really seems to be stories about him trying to get his friends to try foods they hate. He then talks about cooking for a date and cooking for your family. Again, these are more personal stories of his experiences, rather than how-to's, although he does include a few recipes (which come from well known chefs, not his own). I did really like his chapter Fine Dine Like a Professional where he had lunch with food critic Ruth Reichl and got tips for making the most of your dining experience. Reichl suggests picking a few restaurants that you enjoy and becoming a regular; asking the chef what is especially good that day; order what you want; share your food and eat only until you are full-although these seem like common sense tips to me. He ends the book with a chapter on how to do dishes. Seriously. If you don't know how to do dishes, you've got bigger problems than not knowing how to cook. I suppose this would be a good book for a young person who is out on their own for the first time and has never even made spaghetti for themselves. Even so, there are better cookbooks for first-timers. And Julie Powell's Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen : how one girl risked her marriage, her job and her sanity to master the art of living is a much better read if you are interested in a cooking narrative. For the most part, if you've been reading the popular cookbooks, watching the Food Network, and can manage the basics, there really isn't anything new here.

The Zookeeper's Wife

Sometimes I feel like I read more non-fiction than fiction. But there are just so many great non-fiction books to read! The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman is one of them. Ackerman tells the story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski. Jan was the director of the Warsaw zoo before WWII and the Zabinskis lived on the grounds of the zoo. When Warsaw was invaded, the Nazis took the animals they wanted and shot the rest for fun. Although the zoo was no longer operating, the Zabinskis stayed put, first under the guise of running a pig farm to supply the soldiers with pork, then as a fur farm to provide the soldiers with fur for warmth. But the Zabinskis were secretly helping the Polish resistance. Jan brought food to many of the Jews in the ghetto. They also helped many Jews to escape, sheltering them in their home and in the empty animal cages. Amazingly, they were never caught.

This is a fascinating story of a very brave family. Ackerman gets much of her information from Antonina's diaries, which provide incredible details of their activities in the resistance, as well as day to day life in occupied Warsaw. A great read!

I know a dog and his name is Merle

With a $40+ billion pet industry, it's clear we are a nation of animal lovers. As such, there is a huge market for books about animals. Jon Katz is well known for his books about dogs, and John Grogan's Marley and Me has been a huge hit. Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote, just out this summer, has been described as a Marley-like memoir, and since I'm a sucker for those four-legged people with fur, I immediately put it on hold at the library. Now, don't get me wrong-I enjoyed reading Marley and Me, but I loved, loved, loved this book. Not just a memoir of a man and his dog, Kerasote also provides a fascinating and well researched discussion of canine evolution, psychology and behavior. Merle is the exact opposite of Marley. Extremely intelligent and well-mannered, you'd think this dog is too good to be true. While Marley's antics made us laugh, Merle's ability to learn and think for himself shocked me.

Kerasote takes an uncommon, although interesting, approach to "raising" Merle. He believes that domestic dogs are responsible and show good behavior when they are not confined but given their freedom. Whereas dogs that are crated, leashed and kept in fenced yards to not mature, are permanently halted in the puppy stage and need direction from humans their entire lives. On page 257, he makes an interesting, although strange, point that most dogs are suffering from a version of Stockholm Syndrome.

"our control of...food, water, elimination and fun-we reduce dogs to a state of quiet capitulation, a softened version of the Stockholm Syndrome...virtually all dogs remain captives. Indeed, the activities they enjoy-roaming, seeing other dogs, and exploring interesting odors-are constantly thwarted by the demands of modern civilization and training methods that have been designed to bring about what one dog trainer...has called 'the reversal of millions of years of evolution and genetic propensity.' Is the loyalty people then receive from their dogs true devotion, or the numbed reaction of captives to captors?"

This is an interesting concept that I had never considered before, but now I feel like a terrible dog-mom. Kerasote rarely leashes Merle and installs a dog door so he can come and go as he pleases. Merle makes the rounds of their small town in Wyoming, and has lots of dog friends. He is very independent, but also very devoted to Kerasote and very well-behaved. Some critics have complained that Kerasote anthropomorphized too much with Merle, interpreting what Merle must be thinking. It is a little strange at first, but I think it helps us get to know Merle's personality. My only criticism is the practicality in this. Yes, I would love it if my dog could live this way, but for people that live in a city with traffic, dogs cannot roam free. Kerasote mentions that many animal organizations are proponents for looser leash laws and designated off-leash areas. According to the San Francisco SPCA: "limiting dog play results in under-socialized, under-exercised, under-stimulated dogs and often leads to behavior problems." So maybe that's a place to start.

WARNING: The last 100 or so pages of this book is a sob-fest. Obviously with a dog book, we know what's coming. It's inevitable. But that doesn't make it any easier to read. Kerasote journals Merle's aging and his declining health. When Merle can no longer make the rounds of their town, it is heartbreaking. Kerasote considers the idea of euthanizing Merle, but decides to let Merle die on his own time. He mentions how humans are sometimes too quick to euthanize animals because we are uncomfortable with watching them die. Kerasote is by Merle's side the entire time, caring for him and calming him. (Oh, I'm getting a little weepy just thinking about it.) Dog lovers will have a hard time with the last 100 pages. Although the end is extremely sad, it is a funny and touching story of the relationship between a man and his dog, as well as a fascinating look at canine behavior and a different way to think about raising dogs. Highly, highly recommended.

The World is Flat....and Scary

I'd been meaning to read The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman for quite a while. But I kind of felt like it was one of those books I should read, but would be about as enjoyable as reading a David McCullough book (I know, I know, but his stuff puts me to sleep). But last week he was on the Colbert Report and was talking about how when you send your Toshiba laptop out to be repaired, it's actually a UPS person that fixes it. I was intrigued, so I thought I'd give it a try. I ended up getting the "updated and expanded" version, which is about 565 pages. Now, for me to read 565 pages of anything, it had better be entertaining, enlightening and life changing. I would say that this book was entertaining and enlightening, but not life changing, so I read the first couple hundred of pages and skimmed the rest.

Friedman basically says that many factors, including the web, outsourcing, insourcing and offshoring, have leveled the world's playing field. In order for us to compete in a flat world, we must become "untouchables," meaning we need to find jobs that cannot be outsourced, automated or digitized. Most of what he discussed was not news to me, but he has an interesting chapter called The Quiet Crisis, which talks about how our country is starting to lag behind in terms of producing people who can compete in this flat world. Compared to other countries, we have a lack of highly skilled scientists and engineers. He believes this is because young people are more interested in TV and video games than math and science. American children also lack ambition and creativity that is necessary to compete in a flat world.

It's an interesting book, and his writing and anecdotes are enjoyable which makes it less painful to read (or skim) 565 pages.

They Poured Fire On Us From the Sky

Last month, I wrote about my attempt at reading Dave Eggers' What is the What. Since I couldn't get through it, I picked up They Poured Fire On Us From the Sky by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng and Benjamin Ajak. This is a true story of three Lost Boys from Sudan, who lived through terrible ordeals and were finally relocated to America. In the late 1980's, when Arabs from northern Sudan began attacking villages in the south, thousands of people were killed or displaced from their homes. Brothers Benson and Alepho and their cousin Benjamin were just 5-7 years old at the time. Separated from each other and the rest of their families, the boys started walking, along with many other displaced boys. Overall they walked almost 1,000 miles to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. Along the way they almost died from thirst, starvation, wild animal attacks, bombings, sickness and injuries. Alternating chapters between the boys, each one tells of their experiences and how they managed to survive and reunite with each other.

I enjoyed the beginning when they talked of their lives before the fighting broke out, and even though Americans might view their way of life as simple, they were happy, safe and well fed. I also liked the little bit about their adjustment to life in America: their first time using a soda machine, their first trip to Wal-Mart, etc. Most of all though, their stories just stunned me. I kept reminding myself how young these boys were when they endured this, and I just cannot believe they made it. This is a heart wrenching story about the effects of war on children, and an inspiring tale of their determination to survive.

Bitter is the New Black

The best way to sell a non-fiction book? A great title. I picked up Jen Lancaster’s memoir Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office because of the title. How could you not be intrigued? I loved it so much, I eagerly picked up her next book, Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door To Me?

Her first book, Bitter, is described as "the story of how a former sorority girl went from having a household income of almost a quarter-million dollars to being evicted from a ghetto apartment." This really sums it up. Lancaster is working in corporate America, making great money and suddenly looses her job. Her fiance is also downsized, so they leave their beautiful Chicago penthouse apartment, and she must learn to do without the designer clothes and bags, expensive martinis, manicures and haircuts. She braves the unemployment office carrying her Prada bag, and can't find a job because she is overqualified for everything. With all of her free time, Jen spends a lot of time online and develops her own blog, Jennslyvania, which leads to a book deal. Her second book, Bright Lights, picks up after Jen has sold her first book and is working on the second. Jen decided to continue writing, but she finds that being a writer isn't like Carrie Bradshaw's Sex in the City lifestyle. To pay the bills, she has to take temp jobs. She now shops at Target instead of on the Magnificent Mile and struggles with finding an affordable apartment in Chicago without living in the ghetto.

Lancaster reminds me of the character Karen from the TV show Will & Grace: funny, clever, crass, selfish, stuck up and sarcastic. To me, Karen was the best part of that show. I feel the same about Lancaster. Although her story is not uncommon, her personality, reactions to life and the way she tells her story is just hilarious. I made a spectacle of myself laughing uncontrollably while reading her books in public. These books are great fun! I believe she is working on her third book, which I am anxiously awaiting!

Sin in the Second City

Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott is about the world famous Everleigh Club, a brothel that operated in Chicago in the early 1900's. Sisters Ada and Minna Everleigh, wanted to elevate the "profession" and run an upscale club. Unlike other pimps and madams of the time, the sisters did not beat their girls or hold them against their will, but fed, clothed and paid them well, had them checked regularly by doctors, refused to employ girls under 18, and did not tolerate drugs or theft. There was actually a waiting list of girls interested in working at the Everleigh Club. The club only welcomed the wealthiest of men. Visitors had to provide references and proof of income. The elaborate decor, sumptuous feasts and beautiful women attracted patrons such as John Barrymore, Theodore Dreiser, Marshall Field Jr., and Prince Henry of Prussia. The success of the Everleigh Club made the sisters targets of rival madams as well as reformers. A rival madam tried to implicate the sisters in the death of Marshall Field Jr., and several ministers continuously worked to shut them down.

This is a great look at the seedier side of Chicago's history. Aside from the prostitution, the corrupt politicians, wealthy playboys, bribes, scandals, white slave trade, and Chicago underworld make for a very interesting story. It is written like a "non-fiction novel," which makes it very readable. However, that technique made me wonder how much was based on actual documentation and how much was just conjecture. Nonetheless, it's an entertaining story. Those who enjoyed Devil in the White City for the Chicago history, will find interest in this as well.

The $64 Tomato

Recently I reviewed Barbara Kingsolver's new book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. While I enjoyed this book, I found it really hard to see myself being able to create and sustain a garden like she does. Even though it is clear that it was a lot of work, she makes it seem easy. William Alexander paints a more realistic picture (in my opinion) of what maintaining a garden would really be like in The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden. When Alexander decides to turn a portion of his yard into a kitchen garden, he anticipates growing and eating fresh organic fruits and vegetables. The reality, however is the $64 tomato. Alexander finds out there is "No Such Thing As Organic Apples" and battles with weeds, fungus, bugs, deer and groundhogs. My favorite part is the description of his war with "Superchuck," the feisty groundhog that resists even a 10,000 volt shock just to get at his prized tomatoes. He ends up spending thousands on building and maintaining this garden, and finds that the cost of his beautiful Brandywine tomatoes average about $64 each! This book was hilarious and I found myself snorting with laughter-a sure sign of a good book! On the serious side though, he also presents an interesting discussion of the organic versus pesticide argument. Alexander's tales are exactly what I envision would happen to me, if I were to ever try my hand at gardening.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Barbara Kingsolver is well-known for her fiction writing, including The Bean Trees, Prodigal Summer, etc. But her latest book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an account of her family’s experience “eating locally.” Concerned with the consumption of the fossil fuels required to transport out of season fruits and vegetables, Kingsolver and her family leave their home in Phoenix and move to a farm in Appalachia. Here, they decide that for one year, they will eat only items that they grow themselves or that they can buy from local farmers. They create a large garden with every vegetable imaginable and acquire a flock of turkeys and chickens. During the summer, they eat fresh fruits and vegetables, make their own bread and cheese, slaughter their own chickens and turkeys and make their own sausage. They also can copious amounts of tomatoes and other vegetables to sustain them through the winter.

While Kingsolver presents a good argument for eating locally, it’s hard to imagine never eating bananas (since they aren’t grown locally her family did not eat them) and only eating asparagus during the couple of weeks in June when it is in season. It's also hard to imagine keeping up with a garden that size while working a 9 to 5 job, or keeping a flock of chickens when you live in the suburbs. Nevertheless, Kingsolver's passion for her farm and their lifestyle is inspiring. Her tales of her family's experiences planting, weeding, picking, pulling, canning, cooking and eating bring the quiet little farm to life in the reader's mind. She provides interesting information about the food industry and examples of easy changes we can all make to eat food that is healthier for ourselves and the planet. She also includes recipes and an illuminating chapter on turkey mating. Seriously.

Grisham goes to Italy

After taking a break from fiction writing, John Grisham will be releasing his next fiction book in September. The book, Playing for Pizza, is the story of an American quarterback trying his luck in Italy. Like A Painted House and Skipping Christmas, this book will be a departure from his typical legal thriller. His next legal thriller is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2008.

If you can't wait for the next legal thriller, check out his last book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, which came out in October of 2006. This was Grisham's first work of non-fiction. In 1982, a young woman was brutally raped and murdered. For five years, police were unable to solve the crime. Finally, in 1987, Ron Williamson was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death for the crime. He was convicted and sentenced without a shred of evidence. After sitting on death row for several years, DNA evidence finally exonerated Williamson. At times, it's hard to believe that what you are reading actually happened. I know this is not an uncommon occurrence in this country, but I was still outraged at the complete failure of the justice system. Even though this is a work of non-fiction, it reads almost like one of Grisham's legal thrillers. It was fast-paced and captivating and I was hooked from page 1.