The Darkest Book.

Dear Ms. Greene:

I regret to inform you that your book recommendation privileges have been temporarily suspended.  Please be aware that this decision was not made lightly.  However, after your recent recommendation of The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson, I feel I have no choice but to set aside your other reading suggestions at this time. 

As you may recall, The Orphan Master’s Son tells the story of Pak Jun Do, a resident of a work camp for orphans.  As he grows up, Jun Do navigates the shifting rules, arbitrary violence, and baffling demands of North Korea in order to stay alive.  At the end of the first half of the book, Jun Do disappears into the jail system and resurfaces as a new character in the second half of the book.  Driven to the absolute limit of what any human being could endure, Jun Do rivals Kim Jong II in an attempt to save the woman he loves.  But, because this story takes place in North Korea, it does not end well . . .

To be clear, Ms. Greene, I am not partial to happy endings.  (In fact, on a five-star scale, I automatically deduct a star for any book that ends in a marriage proposal or a wedding.)  But I have my limits.  Professional kidnapping.  Militarized sexual assault.  Whaling.  Torture.  An infirmary where sick soldiers and the elderly are housed briefly until their blood can be drained from them for use by the military.  Brain washing.  Dog farms.  Enslavement (and death) of any suspected homosexual. Famine.  Suicide. Filicide. Parricide. 

My stomach is still turning.

Ms. Greene, next time you describe a book as “VERY intriguing,” please note that you are intrigued by violence.  And also, it would be helpful to know that you are not offended by gruesome scenes of torture and abuse. I recommend that you incorporate a simple disclaimer: 

Warning: This book is dark. And violent. You will have nightmares. You will be exposed to things you wish you could forget. You won’t be able to forget.      

While you consider the above recommendation, I will be reading light and fluffy books in an attempt to get over the trauma of reading The Orphan Master’s Son.  If that fails, I may seek psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. What I will not be doing is recommending The Darkest Book I’ve Ever Read to anyone I know.  In fact, I will specifically advise other dog lovers not to read this book.

During this moratorium on book suggestions, please review your reading lists and reconsider all other recommendations.  Upon receipt of your agreement to include a disclaimer on future reviews about novels containing unimaginable horrors, your book recommendation privileges will be reinstated. 

Sincerely,

SEE