A well-written, interesting account of the rise and nature of the North Korean State. Lankov lived there as a foreign exchange student at some point and still seems to maintain contacts there, as well as in other diplomatic circles that share their views of North Korea with him. Both a factual and personal account from what I would think is one of the better placed people to discuss this secretive regime.
Lankov explains the crazy international relations that Korea follows - attempts to bribe unsupervised aid from other countries that it can use to reward and maintain the Kim family support system within the country.
He also looks at their crazy economic system - or complete lack thereof currently. Most of the country seems to survive in some kind of economic anarchic state without rules or supervision - anarchic in the sense where everything is negotiable and has its price, both objects, services and dispensations from "rules".
The last two chapters look at various scenarios and issues around what he sees as the inevitable collapse of the current regime.
As an aside, there are also some interesting little bits of information and observation around the fall of communism in Russia and other satellite states from an insider's perspective.
Thursday, 3 March 2016
Penguin Lost - Andrey Kurkov
Another book by the Ukranian writer, Kurkov - a sequel to Death and the Penguin. Quite a subtle writer. He manages sharp social criticism while at the same time having his characters hover between being despicable and being buffoons. The politicians are all totally corrupt, venal, (any "democratic" country that has a law protecting sitting politicians from criminal prosecution is just a kleptocracy is disguise) yet at the same time they can do things that benefit some people almost by accident. Most of the characters seem lost at sea without any kind of compass - except perhaps vodka and cognac....
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
The Milkman in the Night - Andrey Kurkov
Another book by the author of Death and the Penguin.
A crazy funny dark look at Ukranian society pre-recent revolution through a cast of unusual characters. Kurkov manages to run the stream of characters on separate tracks right until the last pages of the book, which is quite an accomplishment.
The book encompasses the rich mafia elite that passes for government, the myriad security/criminal forces both public and private, the poor run-of-the-mill citizens, the corrupt church officials who bless anything for a drink and a few dollars, everyone on the make for every little advantage they hold, and a main character who wanders through all three worlds.
There is the member of parliament who stays young by drinking the expressed breast milk of one of the less fortunate characters (great image for sucking on the teat of the country's poor), the somnambulist who leads a double life as a member of a secret nocturnal society, a strange new medicine that makes you a champion of morality and social good... Simple portraits of the poor and narrow life many people lead on the margins.
Brilliant social criticism - funny, yet at the same time depressing, sobering. Images from a world where you would not want to live.
A crazy funny dark look at Ukranian society pre-recent revolution through a cast of unusual characters. Kurkov manages to run the stream of characters on separate tracks right until the last pages of the book, which is quite an accomplishment.
The book encompasses the rich mafia elite that passes for government, the myriad security/criminal forces both public and private, the poor run-of-the-mill citizens, the corrupt church officials who bless anything for a drink and a few dollars, everyone on the make for every little advantage they hold, and a main character who wanders through all three worlds.
There is the member of parliament who stays young by drinking the expressed breast milk of one of the less fortunate characters (great image for sucking on the teat of the country's poor), the somnambulist who leads a double life as a member of a secret nocturnal society, a strange new medicine that makes you a champion of morality and social good... Simple portraits of the poor and narrow life many people lead on the margins.
Brilliant social criticism - funny, yet at the same time depressing, sobering. Images from a world where you would not want to live.
The Book of Revenge - Dragan Todorovic
A very personal account of life in the former Yugoslavia before and during the break-up of the country. Particularly interesting, as the author is basically my age. For me, it was interesting to compare the account of his childhood life with my childhood - it underlines the poverty and constant struggle of most people's lives in Yugoslavia at that time.
In the author's various incarnations and struggles as a journalist, you can see how ability and merit had little to do with success - your position was far more dependent on toeing the party line and on party connections (Why Nations Fail - a system gamed to reward incompetence; focus above all on maintenance of power).
The story of the life of the author and his intellectual, artistic, thinking friends during the country's break-up and successive wars is quite sad and depressing. Raised as a generation to believe in a Yugoslav identity, and reaching across ethnic lines within their arts community, the rise of the ethnic nationalists, and their rhetoric and actions, must have seemed like the return of some kind of monster from the depths of an evil fairytale. There is a real sense of shock, of incomprehension, of the true ugliness of these kinds of movements. And a shock at how stupid and sheeplike, how easily manipulated the mass of people can be.
Not only this goes, but also their whole economic system falls apart - people suddenly become a lot poorer and a lot less in control of their situation.
So in the end, the thinking, the educated, the intelligent, those with a larger world view, leave the country to the megalomaniacal egotists and the sheep.
A general vision here of where society can go when everything breaks down. I am reminded of the book, Riddley Walker.
In the author's various incarnations and struggles as a journalist, you can see how ability and merit had little to do with success - your position was far more dependent on toeing the party line and on party connections (Why Nations Fail - a system gamed to reward incompetence; focus above all on maintenance of power).
The story of the life of the author and his intellectual, artistic, thinking friends during the country's break-up and successive wars is quite sad and depressing. Raised as a generation to believe in a Yugoslav identity, and reaching across ethnic lines within their arts community, the rise of the ethnic nationalists, and their rhetoric and actions, must have seemed like the return of some kind of monster from the depths of an evil fairytale. There is a real sense of shock, of incomprehension, of the true ugliness of these kinds of movements. And a shock at how stupid and sheeplike, how easily manipulated the mass of people can be.
Not only this goes, but also their whole economic system falls apart - people suddenly become a lot poorer and a lot less in control of their situation.
So in the end, the thinking, the educated, the intelligent, those with a larger world view, leave the country to the megalomaniacal egotists and the sheep.
A general vision here of where society can go when everything breaks down. I am reminded of the book, Riddley Walker.
Saturday, 20 February 2016
Who are the Macedonians? Hugh Poulton
Similar to the book by Rossos but organized more by topic and issue, and less so by historical perspective. Poulton also devotes quite a bit of time to the various ethnic groups within Macedonia, their history, and the history of interethnic relations. The section on modern Macedonia and the issues and conflicts currently affecting politics is very thorough - Albanian, Macedonian relations; the republic's name issue; separatist tendencies, long-term viability of the state.
A good followup read to a general history.
A good followup read to a general history.
Elegy for Kosovo - Ismail Kadare
A fictional account of the battle on the Field of Blackbirds, and the aftermath. In actual fact, a parable of the modern Balkans. Kadare highlights the interethnic rivalries and conflicts that have always plagued the region and prevented any kind of progress or collective action. He also looks at Europe's longstanding disregard, almost disdain for the Balkans - a kind of Achilles heel of Europe that is always disregarded. Not my favorite author - a bit heavy-handed in his parable telling for my taste, but still interesting to read.
Mr. Kafka - Bohumil Hrabal
Czech writer from communist period. A collection of short stories about the absurdities of life under the communists - mixed with an obsession with women. The observations about life at that time remind me of some of the things Kundera writes about in his earlier books, but Hrabal doesn't have the biting wit, the crushing absurd humor, nor the depth of vision of Kundera. For my taste, he is also prone stylistic self-indulgence - tried another book too, but it was one long run-on sentence...
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