Review- "The Reluctant Communist"

First, let me say, I have a morbid fascination with North Korea. I can barely comprehend the whole concept of how these people live. I've seen the documentaries that show government "minders" living in every home to ensure the family is paying proper respect to "Dear Leader" Kim Il Sung. It's total control, and it's almost like it's out of a science fiction book or something. Well, what makes it even more stupifying is that some idiots are dumb enough to go over there VOLUNTARILY. And one of those idiots is Richard "Super" Jenkins. A loser on multiple counts, not the least of which the unit from whom he deserted (he actually fell down a literal slippery slope and couldn't come back to South Korea, which he interpreted as a sign he should go to North Korea), didn't actually go to Vietnam to do the mission he originally thought. This fear of being in a first responding, barnstorming unit being shipped to Vietnam is what drove Mr.Jenkins to cross the line. Then he finds out there are three more idiots who are there for even less comprehensible reasons than he was. When reading the stories of the corn cob cigarettes, or the lack of food, and general comforts that we take for granted, I had to keep reminding myself this was a true story. It offers great insight and detail into living in the "Hermit Kingdom". The story actually has a happy ending as, the abducted Japanese woman he was forced to marry actually liked him too, and they had three children and were ultimately released to live in Japan. Jenkins will be the first to admit, and he does so numerous times, that going to North Korea was a huge, stupid mistake. I agree with him, and I also feel sorry that 40 years of his life were wasted in such a tragic kingdom.

It's a gritty, amateurish book, but it tells a fascinating story. I also believe everything in it, because Mr.Jenkins is so self-depreciating, he'd have no reason to lie about anything, or at least it wouldn't appear so.