The Sorcerer of Pyongyang
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-22 11:22:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Marcel Theroux
- ISBN：1797148486
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
The acclaimed author of the sublime （The New York Times） Far North， a finalist for the National Book Award， returns with a mesmerizing novel about a North Korean boy whose life is irrevocably changed when he stumbles across a mysterious Western book--a guide to Dungeons & Dragons。Ten-year-old Jun-su is a bright and obedient boy whose only desire is to be a credit to his family， his nation， and most importantly， his Dear Leader。 However， when he discovers a copy of The Dungeon Master's Guide， left behind in a hotel room by a rare foreign visitor， a new and colorful world opens up to him。 With the help of an English-speaking teacher， Jun-su deciphers the rules of the famous role-playing game and his imaginary adventures sweep him away from the harsh reality of a famine-stricken North Korea。 Over time， the game leads Jun-su on a spellbinding and unexpected journey through the hidden layers of his country， toward precocious success， glory， love， betrayal， prison， a spell at the pinnacle of the North Korean elite， and an extraordinary kind of redemption。 A vivid， uplifting， and deeply researched novel， The Sorcerer of Pyongyang is a love story and a tale of survival against the odds。 Inspired by the testimony of North Korean refugees and drawing on the author's personal experience of North Korea， it explores the power of empathy and imagination in a society where they are dangerous liabilities。
Reviews
Ken Richards
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3。5 starsThe combination of Dungeons and Dragons and the alien land of North Korea is an unusual juxtaposition to say the least。 Marcel Theroux novel straddles the line between journalism and fiction， inserting the narrator into the action as a participant and observer， as he relates the tale of a 'friend'。 This 'friend' is teenager Cho Jun-su， who was gifted a book of instructions to Dungeons and Dragons， left in a hotel by a tourist。 These events occur at the time of the famine （aka 'Arduous M 3。5 starsThe combination of Dungeons and Dragons and the alien land of North Korea is an unusual juxtaposition to say the least。 Marcel Theroux novel straddles the line between journalism and fiction， inserting the narrator into the action as a participant and observer， as he relates the tale of a 'friend'。 This 'friend' is teenager Cho Jun-su， who was gifted a book of instructions to Dungeons and Dragons， left in a hotel by a tourist。 These events occur at the time of the famine （aka 'Arduous March'） of the 1990s。 The book， and problematic mentoring by a teacher sustain and challenge Jun-su through privations， illness and hunger。 The secret （and potentially dangerous） knowledge so gained will benefit and damn Jun-su in the course of his life。 The story is engagingly told， and is a short and easy read。 The distant third person narration gives the reader separation from the action and characters。 A helicopter view as it were。 The book is well researched （a son of Kim Jong-il indeed plays in a band， is a fan of Eric Clapton and plays in a band in Pyongyang）。 It uses the well known reports of those who have fled the DPRK （mostly documenting the horrors）， in addition to the experiences of visitors and tourists to fill out the story。 It is possible that the description of the lifestyles of the elite are overegged， but not egregiously so。 A more nuanced view of life in the Hermit Kingdom is provided （though horrors are not avoided or overlooked）。 People do indeed enjoy what pleasures that their life can bring， even though risks that we as observers might not be able to imagine lurk in the shadows。One might complain that the influence of serendipity and coincidence is a little too convenient in advancing the plot， but that would be a minor quibble。 The suspension of disbelief is mostly sustained， and there are some nicely played emotional tiiping points。 Poor Cat， daintily slipping away on a snowy night in Pyongyang。The significance of D&D to the story is not just in the playing of a fantasy game， but in the way in which the artificial characters become real to the players， and they can imagine themselves with more agency in the fantasy world than back in Real Life。 It is true that this might be the case whether you are a follower of Dear Leader， or in mourning for a recently deceased queen。 The world after all， is a stage， and we are but players。。。 。。。more
Alex
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Excellent story for anyone looking for an engaging adventure。。。 I found myself sprinting to the end。 Loved it。 Another gem by Marcel（echoing Louis's comments， I'm certainly biased） Excellent story for anyone looking for an engaging adventure。。。 I found myself sprinting to the end。 Loved it。 Another gem by Marcel（echoing Louis's comments， I'm certainly biased） 。。。more
kaleigh
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I've debated writing a review on this book for so long but in the end， here we are。 I had a really hard time putting this book together。 The plot skidded off track at times and when it did get back on track， it was so confusing。 I don't have anything negative to say about this book besides what I just mentioned。One thing I enjoyed was the overall storyline。 I felt touched by it。 Even if I didn't necessarily like this book， it definitely deserves more hype。 I think there are a lot of people out t I've debated writing a review on this book for so long but in the end， here we are。 I had a really hard time putting this book together。 The plot skidded off track at times and when it did get back on track， it was so confusing。 I don't have anything negative to say about this book besides what I just mentioned。One thing I enjoyed was the overall storyline。 I felt touched by it。 Even if I didn't necessarily like this book， it definitely deserves more hype。 I think there are a lot of people out there who will love this work。 Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the mystery。 This was one of the first books I've read by this author but from reviews on their other books， it certainly seems every book has a mystery。 。。。more
Victoria Ford
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A young North Korean boy finds a means of escape through Dungeons and Dragons， and in doing so considers the question of what it means to be in charge of your destiny: are you a player， or a non-player character？
Bandit
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A young North Korean’s boy life is forever altered when he finds an instruction manual for Dungeons and Dragons。 That would be the simple one-sentence description of this novel， but it’s really so much more than that。 More than a coming-of-age story， too。 This novel encompasses an entire life， a life lived in the strangest most isolated and （possibly） most terrifying country on Earth。The author （son of Paul Theroux and the apple that smartly didn’t roll all that far） utilized his own travels to A young North Korean’s boy life is forever altered when he finds an instruction manual for Dungeons and Dragons。 That would be the simple one-sentence description of this novel， but it’s really so much more than that。 More than a coming-of-age story， too。 This novel encompasses an entire life， a life lived in the strangest most isolated and （possibly） most terrifying country on Earth。The author （son of Paul Theroux and the apple that smartly didn’t roll all that far） utilized his own travels to the area， extensive interviews with North Koreans and equally extensive research to craft a story as immersive as it is heartrending。 Marcel Theroux’s documentary style of writing with the author himself as a character/observer/narrator has a dual effect in the story – it does create a certain remove/an emotional distance from the protagonist which I don’t think I loved but it also makes for a very compelling storytelling experience， something like an exceptional journalistic article that goes on and on to span years。It will work for different readers differently， I’m sure， but either way it WILL work。 It’s such an emotionally engaging story with such a strong likable protagonist trapped in a seeming procession of impossible situations that can only spring from a place that （much like D&D） makes its own rules and is guided by its own （terrifying） logic。Wherein the narrative style detracted something from the internality of the protagonist， it made up epically with the grand picture and utilizing the location as character。Such a clever juxtaposition of a self-mythologized game and a self-mythologized society。 All in all， a terrific book with a sorcery of its own。 Recommended。 Thanks Netgalley。 。。。more
C
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The way that the narrator was also a person in the universe as someone recounting both the story and how they came to know the characters was well done and unique。 The scene was also well set for readers who are less familiar with North Korea or D&D， making it a smooth read。
Kari
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Thank you to Atria Books and Goodreads for the ARC I received from a giveaway。 It was such an interesting book， intriguing premise， and straightforward storytelling。 The subtle compare/contrast drawn throughout between the world of D&D and Jon-su’s experiences in North Korea were smart and lent texture and depth to the story。 I did not see the end coming！ Also。 North Korea is despicable。
Ron Frampton
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A tourist left a copy of D&D in a NORTH KOREAN hotel。 The book is found by a Korean boy and he and his uncle work out how to play the game。 The book help explain how to play D&D and also explain some of life in NORTH KOREA。
Rhonda
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When I picked this book up I saw its plot was about how a manual outlining how to play Dungeons and Dragons was accidently left behind by a tourist in a North Korean hotel - and how it was found by a young Korean boy who， with his teacher uncle， secretly work out how to play it - and I was immediately hooked。 The contrast of North Korea and the game seemed to suggest an impossible leap for anyone living there， and I wanted， initially， to see how the author managed to achieve it。 Looking at his b When I picked this book up I saw its plot was about how a manual outlining how to play Dungeons and Dragons was accidently left behind by a tourist in a North Korean hotel - and how it was found by a young Korean boy who， with his teacher uncle， secretly work out how to play it - and I was immediately hooked。 The contrast of North Korea and the game seemed to suggest an impossible leap for anyone living there， and I wanted， initially， to see how the author managed to achieve it。 Looking at his bio information on-line he seemed credible - so therefore it wasn't going to be uninformed or fantastic。 I now know more about North Korea than I did originally as some of the background details provided seemed unlikely to be true， but sadly seems as if they are however I would not sell this work as a means of finding an unassailable truth。 As usual - read the history， check first- its easy to do a quick check as you read by entering names and events in google， checking its a reliable source of course。 This did not ruin the book for me， it in fact enriched it as an informed reader is more likely to believe in the main character's experiences， especially when they seem to be so extreme。 I found a few faults with how events unfolded but not enough to spoil the reading。 It was eye opening， instructive， and made me understand why the level of addiction people have to this game， and now want to improve my knowledge of North Korea。 。。。more
Jay Brown
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This is a lively story of life in north Korea which is a little erratic but has interesting characters and vivid background。
Rilynn
，
4。5 StarsOverall I really did like this story， it had a powerful message and a very interesting plot。 And also it seemed to be very well versed in how North Korea works， which was something I was worried about at first。 It was a decently fast-paced read that had a very matter-of-fact type of writing。 So overall it was a pretty good read， the only reason I was on the edge about this book was that at the end the author self-inserted themselves into the story。 Which I just find strange， it's just l 4。5 StarsOverall I really did like this story， it had a powerful message and a very interesting plot。 And also it seemed to be very well versed in how North Korea works， which was something I was worried about at first。 It was a decently fast-paced read that had a very matter-of-fact type of writing。 So overall it was a pretty good read， the only reason I was on the edge about this book was that at the end the author self-inserted themselves into the story。 Which I just find strange， it's just like "oh what a nice story。。。 oh and now the authors put themselves straight up in the book。" I just find it uncomfortable especially since it's a fiction book。 That's just a personal preference though。 Despite this though I did like the book， and actually finished it in one day！ 。。。more
Louis Theroux
，
Written by my bro so I am biased but I really enjoyed it。
Daniella
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3。5Thank you to Corsair for providing an ARC for review！Having enjoyed The Secret Books much more than I was expecting， I was looking forward to picking up something new from Theroux。 While the Australian cover promises something a bit campy and fun， this was sadder than I was expecting。 This is the story of a North Korean man and his suffering at the hands of the state， and of the small happinesses etched out for himself through DND。I think the thing I like most about Theroux' books is that you 3。5Thank you to Corsair for providing an ARC for review！Having enjoyed The Secret Books much more than I was expecting， I was looking forward to picking up something new from Theroux。 While the Australian cover promises something a bit campy and fun， this was sadder than I was expecting。 This is the story of a North Korean man and his suffering at the hands of the state， and of the small happinesses etched out for himself through DND。I think the thing I like most about Theroux' books is that you can't really tell whether or not they are true stories， and this was no exception。 This one also begs the question - are you real or are you just a character in someone else's story？ Part biography， part fiction， this was a fun short read that I would recommend for fans of Anthony Marra。CW: sexual assault of a child， torture， starvation， executions 。。。more
Robert
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This was a fun read - finished it in one sitting。 I am a D&D fan， which helped in understanding some of the descriptions。 Had some flavors of Ready Player One， Stranger Things （the D&D action）， and Bourne Identity （needing to stay one step ahead）。 I don't have an extensive knowledge of North Vietnam， but the writing style and the story made it easy for me to picture the events as they happened。 Disclaimer - received this book free in a Goodreads drawing， but that had no bearing on the rating。 This was a fun read - finished it in one sitting。 I am a D&D fan， which helped in understanding some of the descriptions。 Had some flavors of Ready Player One， Stranger Things （the D&D action）， and Bourne Identity （needing to stay one step ahead）。 I don't have an extensive knowledge of North Vietnam， but the writing style and the story made it easy for me to picture the events as they happened。 Disclaimer - received this book free in a Goodreads drawing， but that had no bearing on the rating。 。。。more
Benjamin
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Enthralling
Jesse Hassinger
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This is a curious one。 I didn’t care for the matter-of-fact writing and swift passage of time that happens throughout the book， but at the same time I couldn’t put it down and easily found myself invested in the characters。 This could have been an epic 800 page book in another writer’s hands and I partially mourn that that doesn’t exist for this story， but I also have to accept and even cherish the fact that the story itself now exists。 That may be damning with faint praise， but I feel it is who This is a curious one。 I didn’t care for the matter-of-fact writing and swift passage of time that happens throughout the book， but at the same time I couldn’t put it down and easily found myself invested in the characters。 This could have been an epic 800 page book in another writer’s hands and I partially mourn that that doesn’t exist for this story， but I also have to accept and even cherish the fact that the story itself now exists。 That may be damning with faint praise， but I feel it is wholly appropriate。 As it is that this is my feelings and yet I rate it 4 stars。 It is perplexing in many different ways and I know that I am not going to forget it any time soon。 Ultimately isn’t that what you want from a book？ 。。。more
J Wells
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This is a very niche read。 If you aren't a fan or have any working knowledge of North Korea or dungeons and dragons you probably won't appreciate it。 It wasn't an easy read and I had a hard time finding the plot points to pull it all together。 There was also a random "I" character that I couldn't figure out where they really fit in the book（ side note read someone elses review and they said it was the author inserting himself in the book） 。 This is a very niche read。 If you aren't a fan or have any working knowledge of North Korea or dungeons and dragons you probably won't appreciate it。 It wasn't an easy read and I had a hard time finding the plot points to pull it all together。 There was also a random "I" character that I couldn't figure out where they really fit in the book（ side note read someone elses review and they said it was the author inserting himself in the book） 。 。。。more
Paul
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Pretty good。 I thought the premise sounded tough to pull off based on the description。 It mostly worked， and kudos to the author for pushing the envelop。 I don't know if this will find a large audience but think some historical fiction and D&D fans will like this。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！ Pretty good。 I thought the premise sounded tough to pull off based on the description。 It mostly worked， and kudos to the author for pushing the envelop。 I don't know if this will find a large audience but think some historical fiction and D&D fans will like this。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！ 。。。more
Rebekah
，
This fictional story is a 3rd person limited account of Jun-su， a North Korean whose life is changed forever when he finds a copy of a D&D Dungeon Master’s guide。 The book was well researched。 I also appreciated that the author placed himself as a narrator who is an outsider recounting the story of a friend of his。 He did not try to assume the identity of a Korean man which I thought was important and insightful。 It was a fascinating story and highlighted many of the trials of the North Korean l This fictional story is a 3rd person limited account of Jun-su， a North Korean whose life is changed forever when he finds a copy of a D&D Dungeon Master’s guide。 The book was well researched。 I also appreciated that the author placed himself as a narrator who is an outsider recounting the story of a friend of his。 He did not try to assume the identity of a Korean man which I thought was important and insightful。 It was a fascinating story and highlighted many of the trials of the North Korean life， but also the mindset that embodies the North Korean people。 I take it with a grain of salt but the author has travelled to North Korean and took care to consult many Korean natives。 It was a sweeping story that slowly pulls you in and you can’t help but cheer for the unlikely hero。 I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone。 Previous knowledge of D&D not needed， but if you have it you will appreciate the authors details。 。。。more
Karen
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Well， not sure about this one。 I loved the premise of D&D helping a North Korean child out of his situation。 I enjoyed seeing him in college playing this。。。the rest was a little scattered。 As much as the hunger and prison was represented， I am not sure I actually felt Jun-Su pain。 More like it was a statement of fact， and not happening to a character。 The end chapters also felt rushed and convoluted。
Samantha // fictionfigurine
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