The Orphan Master's Son

A Novel

By: Adam Johnson

Narrated by: Tim Kang, Josiah D. Lee, James Kyson Lee, Adam Johnson

Length: 19 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 2013

An epic novel and a thrilling literary discovery, The Orphan Master’s Son follows a young man’s journey through the icy waters, dark tunnels, and eerie spy chambers of the world’s most mysterious dictatorship, North Korea.

Pak Jun Do is the haunted son of a lost mother - a singer “stolen” to Pyongyang - and an influential father who runs Long Tomorrows, a work camp for orphans. There the boy is given his first taste of power, picking which orphans eat first and which will be lent out for manual labor. Recognized for his loyalty and keen instincts, Jun Do comes to the attention of superiors in the state, rises in the ranks, and starts on a road from which there will be no return.

Considering himself “a humble citizen of the greatest nation in the world,” Jun Do becomes a professional kidnapper who must navigate the shifting rules, arbitrary violence, and baffling demands of his Korean overlords in order to stay alive. Driven to the absolute limit of what any human being could endure, he boldly takes on the treacherous role of rival to Kim Jong Il in an attempt to save the woman he loves, Sun Moon, a legendary actress “so pure, she didn’t know what starving people looked like.”

Part breathless thriller, part story of innocence lost, part story of romantic love, The Orphan Master’s Son is also a riveting portrait of a world heretofore hidden from view: a North Korea rife with hunger, corruption, and casual cruelty but also camaraderie, stolen moments of beauty, and love. A towering literary achievement, The Orphan Master’s Son ushers Adam Johnson into the small group of today’s greatest writers.

From the Hardcover edition.

©2011 Adam Johnson (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

• Winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

“An addictive novel of daring ingenuity, a study of sacrifice and freedom in a citizen-eating dynasty, and a timely reminder that anonymous victims of oppression are also human beings who love - The Orphan Master’s Son is a brave and impressive book.” (David Mitchell, author of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet)

“I’ve never read anything like it. This is truly an amazing reading experience, a tremendous accomplishment. I could spend days talking about how much I love this book. It sounds like overstatement, but no. The Orphan Master’s Son is a masterpiece.” (Charles Bock, author of Beautiful Children)

“Adam Johnson has pulled off literary alchemy, first by setting his novel in North Korea, a country that few of us can imagine, then by producing such compelling characters, whose lives unfold at breakneck speed. I was engrossed right to the amazing conclusion. The result is pure gold, a terrific novel.” (Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone)

Stunning and contradictory

No need at this point to discuss the plot. An alien culture yet universal human appeal. Compelling plot yet frequent revulsion and disgust. Outstanding narration too. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but a worthy prize winner for a simultaneous punch to the brain and heart.

Wow. A fantastic book

An unforgettable story, well structured, and with amazing characters. The narrator was great, and he bought the characters alive. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

SO SO GOOD!!!!

Everything about this book is amazing! The story, the writing, the voices that read the different characters. Heartbreaking with a little humor thrown in. Makes you feel as though you are there and you can’t stop listening! Totally deserved the Pulitzer!!!

Difficult but Magical

This was one of the best books I have read. At times it was very difficult to read but at times it was magical. I haven’t read anything of North Korean defectors but if this book correctly depicts life in North Korea, how sad for them.

OMG

This book is amazing from start to finish. The narrators bring alive what must be the harsh reality of living in a despotic demonic society.
I finished with a heavy heart so scared to think that this type of world is possible and also a sadness not to be able to read on and on about the possibility of light at the end of the DMV tunnels. Well done Adam Johnson!!!

Fantastic Story!!!

This is an amazing story of love and life in the pdrk. I loved listening to this book

Phenomenal read

I’ve listened to 6 Pulitzer Prize winning books in the last 2 months and this was my favorite.

great but depressing

One of the greatest all be it depressing audiobooks I have ever heard. Incredibly detailed in not just the descriptions of ordinary life within the DRPK but also in how the average citizen endures.

Everyone should read this novel

Loved it. A love story that opens a window into a world so different from my own it's almost like reading science fiction.
Masterfully told, beautifully written and performed with care and skill.

Narrative within narrative within narrative

There is no question left unanswered and none answered in this radiant book. I am at a loss for what to write about this except to say it would be meaningless in the face of the words that become, like the tattoo, moored in your being. It pains me to close it now.