Eyes of the Tailless Animals: Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Women

by Sun-Ok Yi and Soon Ok Lee

Book Overview

Eyes of the Tailless Animals: Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Woman This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0882643355
• ISBN13: 9780882643359
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Living Sacrifice Book Co.
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Amazing and Informative

The purpose of this novel is not only to reveal the atrocities that occur in the prison camps in North Korea, but also to explain the mentality of the North Koreans that enforce these crimes. The author explains that because all organized religion is banned in North Korea, the cult of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il takes the place of religion. The North Koreans have no concept of God, and instead, they worship a man and consider his state policies to be the divine word: "...Several books of anecdotes illustrating the infinite wisdom and love for the people of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung ... are like books of stories about Jesus ... Obviously it aims at binding the hearts of the people to their leader to obtain their unquestioning loyalty and obedience and unite them in a common faith. The quasi-religious element has been explicitly acknowledged."**Soon Ok Lee's goal is not to explain her suffering in graphic detail, but to show what can happen in a society in which the morals of a mad-man are worshiped: Torture becomes acceptable, brutality becomes the norm, and no human life has value, except for those of the "Great Leader" and the "Dear Leader." [...]The author believes that the only way to combat the ignorance of the brainwashed North Korean people is to bombard them with bibles, for it will teach them to question the status of their "godly" leaders, while it will also instill in them a respect for humanity.[...]The author lived through this, we did not, and she offers insight, ideas, and solutions to human rights violations in North Korea -- [...]**Quoted from "A Year in Pyongyang," : http://www.aidanfc.net/a_year_in_pyongyang_p.html

A Must Read!

This book opened my eyes about the true intentions behind the North Korean regime. This reclusive regime thought it could keep its political prisons secret to the world. However, thanks to such courageous survivors as Ms. Lee we now know what is really going on in the hermetic North.Those interested in human justice must read this book.

amazing

You know, I read this book thinking wow, this must have been written way back in the post-war era. And as I read further and further, with tears welling up from the pain, I realized it wasn't post-war at all. It was modern. It was happening during the years I lived in South Korea. Soon Ok Li's pain was exquisite and the scars she carries with her must be excruciating reminders of life... But as I am reading more and more of the NK stories, what amazes me most is the strengh, courage and compassion that that reign supreme in these brave souls that risk everything and lose everything, just for a chance...This was an amazing book of an unthinkable life and I thank her for writing so frankly about her experiences, helping the world to learn a little more about the people in a country and we really don't know.

My eyes read, but my mind screamed..

This book was the most heart-wrenching book that I have ever read. I have bought a number of copies of it to send to legislators. They need to know what is happening in North Korea. I am a pacifist and do not believe in war generally or usually support the use of force to solve problems. But when I read this book, my opinion changed about North Korea. We, the human race, the US, the UN, or whatever, need to go in there and stop what is happening NOW... Read the accounts directly.. And cry.. you will need to cry... Buy this book, but dont read it less than four or five hours before you go to bed.. you wont be able to sleep. Not for children!I was so moved by Ms. Lee's testimony that I have been writing letters to lawmakers here in the US about it. You should too...

The North Korean Holocaust

This book is amazing. The prison camp conditions and treatment of the prisoners described are something that is so difficult for the human mind to comprehend. The only thing that I can think of to compare it to would be the Holocaust under the Nazis. Somehow, however, the story described within has escaped the eyes of the West -- Soon Ok Li's experience is one among hundreds of thousands of others -- she was released in the early 1990's but since then nothing has changed inside NK. If anything, things have gotten worse -- and there has been no outcry from the rest of the world. If you are willing to be challenged this is a book for you -- but be warned, after reading it you will find it impossible to do nothing -- her story and those of others cry out for justice.