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Book Cover for: The Sorcerer of Pyongyang, Marcel Theroux

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang

Marcel Theroux

Paperback
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Reader Score

75%

75% of readers

recommend this book

Critic Reviews

Good

Based on 8 reviews on

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Written "with intelligence, compassion, and an occasional quiet lyricism" (Krys Lee, The Guardian), this mesmerizing novel is about a North Korean boy whose life is irrevocably changed when he stumbles across a mysterious Western book--a guide to Dungeons & Dragons--from the acclaimed author of the "sublime" (The New York Times) Far North.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. An "expert, engrossing" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), and uplifting 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.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Washington Square Press
  • Publish Date: Oct 10th, 2023
  • Pages: 256
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.25in - 5.31in - 0.64in - 0.40lb
  • EAN: 9781668002674
  • Categories: • Literary• Coming of Age• World Literature - Korea

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About the Author

Theroux, Marcel: - Marcel Theroux is a British American novelist and broadcaster who studied English literature at Cambridge University and international relations at Yale. He is the author of several novels, including The Sorcerer of Pyongyang and Far North, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. He lives in London.

More books by Marcel Theroux

Book Cover for: Far North, Marcel Theroux

What people are saying

Mentioner image for: Justine Jordan
Justine Jordan
@justine_jordan
2 years

Justine Jordan is the Guardian's deputy literary editor.

The fictive reality of North Korea: Krys Lee reviews Marcel Theroux's The Sorcerer of Pyongyang https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/21/the-sorcerer-of-pyongyang-by-marcel-theroux-review-one-mans-struggles-in-north-korea

twitter.com
Mentioner image for: Samantha (I’m a Sam) Wasson
Samantha (I’m a Sam) Wasson
@_Sam_Wasson_
1 year

International School Library Coordinator. MEd/PGLIS. Book Nerd. Lifelong Learner. She/her 🇦🇺🇻🇳🇮🇩🇨🇳🇭🇰🇨🇭

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang by Marcel Theroux ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not what I was expecting (probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I’d known it was so D&D focused) but I found this fascinating. I’m a sucker for books on NK & it was cool to read fiction for a change. https://t.co/crOmt5lVv9

twitter.com
Mentioner image for: The Old Pyongyang Post
The Old Pyongyang Post
@Old_Pyongyang
2 years

The lost world of old #Pyongyang, #NorthKorea: photos, vignettes, #baseball, true crime, & the human condition. Let's flip the track, bring the old school back.

The Sorcerer of #Pyongyang "...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." 🧐 https://t.co/s4hpfXKWfi

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Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

"Suspenseful...meticulously researched...entertaining." -San Francisco Chronicle

What people are saying

Mentioner image for: Justine Jordan
Justine Jordan
@justine_jordan
2 years

Justine Jordan is the Guardian's deputy literary editor.

The fictive reality of North Korea: Krys Lee reviews Marcel Theroux's The Sorcerer of Pyongyang https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/21/the-sorcerer-of-pyongyang-by-marcel-theroux-review-one-mans-struggles-in-north-korea

twitter.com
Mentioner image for: Samantha (I’m a Sam) Wasson
Samantha (I’m a Sam) Wasson
@_Sam_Wasson_
1 year

International School Library Coordinator. MEd/PGLIS. Book Nerd. Lifelong Learner. She/her 🇦🇺🇻🇳🇮🇩🇨🇳🇭🇰🇨🇭

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang by Marcel Theroux ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not what I was expecting (probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I’d known it was so D&D focused) but I found this fascinating. I’m a sucker for books on NK & it was cool to read fiction for a change. https://t.co/crOmt5lVv9

twitter.com
See more