In the Absence of Sun : A Korean American Woman's Promise to Reunite Three Lost Generations of HerFamily

Rating:
Summary: "Still Life with Rice" was much better
Review: After reading Helie Lee's first work, "Still Life with Rice" which I thouht was very well written, I had an expectation that the sequel would also live up to her well deserved praise for the first, only to be severely dissappointed.

"Still Life with Rice" was not only well written, it had quite an insight into the lives and personal experiences and utmost difficulties that her grandmother has gone through impressively written in her grandmother's personal voice with great insights and impressive depth into her emotions by a granddaughter who never lived or experienced this park of Korea's most tragic era.

"In the Absence of Sun" however, lacked focus, intelligence, and depth. Her knowledge or understanding of Korean society, history, culture and the nature of male-female dynamic was rather shallow, imposing more of unknowledgeable Westerner's view and interpretation into the Asian culture especially in male-female dynamics. Moreover, the story was kept on interfered by often unnecessary details of her feelings and rage towards how she was being treated because she is a woman. If her intention was to show a certain development of her own awakening, she did a poor job as any character development was poorly portrayed while diverting attention from the "real" story, robbing a certain depth that this story could have carried. I wonder why she revealed so much about her often selfish and immature feelings so vividly without resolving them into any definitive closure.

It is a wonderful story, however, although I feel the Guide's role was not credited enough (somewhat due to Helie's personal relationship with him) and regrettable that his personal motivations were not tied enough behind all the risk he put himself into, which I think would made this story more inspiring.

And yes, there were several grammatical errors in the book which may dissappoint the readers farther for carelessness in the editing process.

Rating:
Summary: powerful eye-opener!
Review: As was the case with several other reviewers, I couldn't put the book down - which in my opinion indicates it's a terrific read. Whether or not it can be considered a well-written piece of "great literature" is beside the point. It is a powerful and compelling story with an important message. I'm not Korean and I don't think you have to be Korean to see that.

Both Lee's books on this subject opened my eyes to the enormous priveleges we enjoy in America as well as to the heartbreaking conditions that others live under. These are things I knew in my head, but often it takes more to make us feel it in our hearts. It's one thing to hear a detached news report and another to see it through the eyes of those who have experienced it firsthand. It's so easy to take things for granted and this book should be appreciated for helping us to really feel grateful for all we have. That was the case for me anyway.

I would have enjoyed hearing more from the perspective of the refugees themselves, in particular with respect to the moral issues involved in making the choice to cross when it involved leaving others behind. We get the author's thoughts on this, but I would have liked to hear about the moral struggles of the refugees themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful look into the courage of one family.
Review: Gives a rare and remarkable view into aspects of North Korean life that are otherwise undocumented, particularly from a human-interest point of view. However, Lee too often wanders into uninteresting and self-indulgent discussions with only the most tenuous relationships to the struggles her book is ostensibly about. Though not a huge problem, Lee here is neither the most artful or elegant of writers, nor the most precise of descriptive voices - her prose, when lyrical, tends to be overwritten, and when descriptive, dry or lacking in any great detail.

But perhaps the biggest disappointment of this potentially interesting book is that it falls so squarely into a conservative and unfalteringly right-wing perspective on otherwise very rich political questions, even in the midst of referring to herself some dozens of times as a "liberal" and "feminist", she never once invests her political subjects with any serious ideological scrutiny beyond a good vs. evil parable, despite her admission early in the novel that her research prior to arriving East was done via a Yahoo! internet search. While Lee herself cites her "fame" as a major factor in her access to many of the resources that she is able to secure on her journey, it's a shame that so many opportunities for real probing into ideological and humanitarian issues were wasted.

That being said, given the dearth of literature providing glimpses into North Korean life from a human point of view, this text is, on some level, indispensable - it's a shame, however, that more interesting and serious inquiries into the same subjects do not exist.

Rating:
Summary: a must read
Review: How could this true life story not be compelling? Multiple people risking their lives to get 9 strangers out of North Korea, one of the most brutal states in the world. Con artists, mercenaries and missionaries, oh my!

An awesome story to tell. But written here by a childish, sheltered and self-centered woman who fancies herself a writer and almost destroys all feeling for the richness of the story and the people involved. I didn't read Lee's first book, "Still Life With Rice" which reviewers here thought was better than "Absence" so I can only judge her as a writer by this book.

At the same time I couldn't put the book down because I had to know what became of these wretched people, I cursed the sloppy story-telling and infernally affected self-referencing throughout. Me, me, me, all about Helie. What a spoiled, boring woman, I thought. I would like to have read this story as written by a much more talented and worldly author. Even as one of the protagonists of the drama, Lee brought nothing to the table, even detracting from the story with her limited knowledge and experience of Korean culture and the world at large.

With a story like this one, the book could have been great. As it is, it's hardly adequate. Having stories to tell does not make one a storyteller. Perhaps Lee should consider a co-author for her next book about her family's heroic exploits.

Rating:
Summary: EYE OPENING LIFE EXPERIENCES
Review: How often we do things without regard of how it may affect others around us. Thus was the case with the author of this book. When Helie Lee wrote her first book detailing her grandmother's history in fleeing North Korea, she never considered the consequences of her words on family members still living in North Korea. This book details her life once she recognizes the responsibility she must undertake to assist those left behind. Honest, graphic and full of emotions! I thoroughly enjoyed this non-fiction, nail-biting journey into the darkest, (sometimes), corners of the author's life. Great book!

Rating:
Summary: Like a bad Korean TV drama...
Review: In her real-life pursuit to help family members defect from North Korea and re-unite them with her grandmother, Lee presents a captivating story of courage and family devotion. With the current evolving trials of North Korean politics, Lee's book offers an alternative, humane glimpse of the current situation. However like most Korean TV dramas often marred by sappy stories and poor writing, In the Absence of Sun exemplifies this to the hilt.

The story itself carries the book. The story of a family separated by war for fifty-some years and dire situations created by governments will pull at heartstrings. The adventures that evolve through executing the escape will keep readers in suspense. However, the biggest flaw is the writing and its lack of sophistication. Facts are interspersed throughout the book, which laid in stark contrast to her prose; they did not mesh well together and made the writing appear ostensibly educational. She even states in her book that she wants her book read in college classes. As a result, there is a kind of "education for education's sake" feel to it at times.

The second main source of contention is Lee's constant declarations of feminist outlooks. However, what she says and what she does are two entirely different things. Being seductive, emotional, whiny, and impetuous run counter to my notions of feminism. As a common theme in current Asian American writing, Western ideas of feminism are often transposed onto Eastern characters, which have mixed and sometimes unconvincing results in my opinion. This hybrid result can best be seen in Lee's book.

Once the reader gets past the poor writing (which looking at past reviews, many have), it then becomes easier to get swept by the story. All in all, In the Absence of Sun is great emotional fodder, but not a particularly good mental/intelligent one... akin to bad Korean TV dramas.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: This is a very engrossing story that moves along like an action-adventure story. I think the fact that Helie Lee wrote it in such a personal way only helps the story: you come away amazed by her courage and resolve. The style is quick-paced, absorbing and captivating. Most importantly, the book raises the awareness of North Korean refugees and shows the world that it is a human story that affects millions of Koreans and Korean Americans. Lives were at stake and big power politics recede into the background, but the commitment, love and dedication of a family triumphs.

And the author's personality and character are really impressive. Helie Lee is a plucky Korean American gal who has to put up with a lot of cultural conflicts and dangers. Through it all, she is vulnerable, sensitive, determined, strong, quick-thinking, courageous and ultimately full of love and devotion for her family. She is even witty. In the end, the reader comes away respecting Helie for pulling off such an courageous journey. I highly recommend this book for its overall quality, readability, and genuineness in revealing the power of a family's love to overcome divisions and scars that have haunted Korea for 50 years.