Escape From Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey From North Korea To Freedom In The West (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
O livro conta a triste e ao mesmo tempo incrível história de Shin Dong-hyuk, um rapaz que nasceu num campo de concentração (o Campo 14, para ser mais preciso) e, até os 23 anos de idade, nunca tinha ouvido a palavra amor, desconhecia por completo a existência de Pyongyang (capital do seu país, a Coréia do Norte) e sequer sabia que a terra era redonda – maravilhas que só o comunismo pode proporcionar. O relato/entrevista feito pelo jornalista Blaine Harden se assemelha muito a um romance, com a única diferença de que se trata de uma história, não de uma estória. As marcas que o comunismo pode deixar num ser criado à imagem e semelhança de Deus são profundas demais para serem resumidas em um livro, mas o relato pode servir para ao menos sensibilizar aquelas pessoas que até então são indiferentes a esses aspectos mais nefastos da política. Aliás, denunciar os campos de concentração existentes na Coréia do Norte foi um dos propósitos para os quais esse livro foi escrito. Certamente, foi a leitura mais impactante que fiz em 2014. Um convite às lágrimas.(Publicado em português pela Editora Intrínseca, em 2012. Lido na versão para Kindle). This novel tells of the difficulty the main character, Shin Dong-Hyuk, faces in his lifetime. His challenge is not like many others because he is born into and has grown up in a work camp in North Korea. In this camp, he feels the need to do all that he can in order to survive, even if that means stealing food from his mother causing her to go hungry. He learns that another way to get ahead at in the camp is to tell the secrets of others to the guards. He knows that it is normal for the guards to beat the prisoners, but those that give them information are the prisoners that are more liked. However, this comes back to hurt him. He tells the guards of the plan his mother and brother came up with to escape the camp, but in the end, the guards do not believe that he was the one to tell the plot. From this, the guards then put Shin into a secret prison within the camp where he befriended an old man. Surprising to hear, this man had once been on the outside of the camp in the real world. The man tells Shin stories of what it was like on the other side of the fence. Once he got out of this secret prison, he began to hear more stories of what the unknown world had in store. This lead him to do the unthinkable, to escape the camp. On a winter night, he went up the mountain in the camp and went under the fence. He made it all the way to China and then made his journey to America. From then on, he told of what was happening in North Korea to warn and tell of its dangers. He fought for the people left in the camps to set them free. Compared to America, North Korea is a complete opposite. In America, we respect our people while here in the book, the force them to work in labor camps. The people are constantly beaten and the women are raped. There is no such thing as human rights when they are placed in these locations. It is eye-opening how North Korea once was and if there are still secret locations such as these. The purpose for this novel is to spread awareness of these horrific events. People were treated as slaves and were confined within a fenced in area. This is no place for any human to live or survive. By getting the word out, there can be something done to shut places such as this one down and rescue the people trapped there. The theme of the novel is to know what is going on around you. Even though things may look alright where you currently are, others places are not as fortunate. We need to see the cruelty in the world an fix it before more people are harmed. Even if it takes other nations to step in and solve the issue, it needs to be done. I will recommend this book to others because it teaches a valuable lesson. People need to stop focusing on themselves and try to help others. They will, just like I was, be surprised at just how dangerous places such as these North Korean labor camps are. Not everyone has the luxury of coming home to a nice house and a surplus of food on their tables. Some people have to work for and live off of the scraps they find. They are not given the security we feel because they are constantly scared of those around them. We need to work together to solve these problems oce and for all.
What do You think about Escape From Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey From North Korea To Freedom In The West (2012)?
It was fascinating and horrifying to learn about life inside North Korea today.
—eellvv
I learned a lot but not a captivating story
—josephyates
