My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars | 1,163 ratings

Price: 13.08

Last update: 09-16-2024


About this item

Most people want out of North Korea. Wendy Simmons wanted in.

In My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth, Wendy shares a glimpse of North Korea as it's never been seen before. Even though it's the scariest place on Earth, somehow Wendy forgot to check her sense of humor at the border. But Wendy's initial amusement and bewilderment soon turned to frustration and growing paranoia. Before long she learned the essential conundrum of "tourism" in North Korea: Travel is truly a love affair. But, just like love, it's a two-way street. And North Korea deprives you of all this. They want you to fall in love with the singular vision of the country they're willing to show you and nothing more.

Through poignant, laugh-out-loud essays, Wendy chronicles one of the strangest vacations ever. Along the way she bares all while undergoing an inner journey as convoluted as the country itself.


Top reviews from the United States

David Bloch
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read book
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2016
A thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read book. North Korea is certainly a place that I would not visit, however after reading the book, I felt as if I were there with Wendy. Whatever you thought happens in North Korea, Wendy is able to convey so much more of the lunacy that occurs there. This is not a book that delves into the politics and policies of North Korea. It gives a glimpse of the power that the government has over the people. She shows how the government controls everything the people see and do and how they should act, yet she is also able to convey that these same people could be just like everyone else if they were allowed to be in a different setting. The book is not written by a professional writer or a professional travel guide author which makes it all the more enjoyable to read. It is written by an ordinary person who has traveled the world because she wants to learn about other cultures, people and customs. This is a book written in her own words. It is funny, poignant, personal and yes sarcastic which is what I liked about it. Concerning some of the reviews, sarcasm is not always meant to be cruel. She writes what she sees and feels during the moment. The pictures are wonderful and inciteful, the quotes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are quite appropriate. If anything, Wendy has done more for relations between North Korea and the United States than did Dennis Rodman.
Lauren
4.0 out of 5 stars it was pretty glaring to me
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016
Wendy Simmons has traveled the world but has never made it to the closed country of North Korea, until now. Being a foreigner in North Korea is strange enough, but being an "American Imperialist" is a whole different story. As she tours the country with an array of "handlers" that both guide her around the sights and translate for her, she is subjected to the same anti-American propaganda that the North Koreans themselves are subjected to, lied to at every turn, and paraded around from empty amusement park to empty soccer stadium to empty food factory to empty hospital with little to no electricity, no running water, and no idea what's going on. Packed with loads of pictures from the suppressed country, humor, and insight, My Holiday in North Korea offers a rare glimpse into a country that few tourists will ever experience.

Most complaints from other reviewers focus on Wendy Simmons' attitude during her travels, and I have to admit, it was pretty glaring to me, too, as I was reading: Wendy is kind of a bitch. Then again, as another "American Imperialist," I have to say that I get it. I mean, this is a country that brainwashes their citizens from birth to hate everything about us. They're incessantly lied to, suppressed, and left to starve while their failed political system is touted as "the greatest country on earth." Wendy steps into this country and while her guides are telling her how awful the Americans are and force-feeding her the same false propaganda they've heard all their lives, she's standing there questioning, "Why aren't there patients at this hospital? Why do you confiscate all the twins and triplets born in this country and hide them away in state-run orphanages? Why are the schoolchildren so miserable? Why isn't there running water? Where are the books in this library? Where are the stores? How do people buy groceries? " While most have criticized her attitude towards the North Koreans as being insensitive and rude, and I agree, I have to say that given the favorable way she describes the rest of her world travels and the unique situation of North Korea being pretty damn crazy, her unfavorable attitude towards the North Koreans is probably a one-off thing. I tried to not get bogged down by it and actually found a lot of her commentary funny, given the ludicrosity of her circumstances. Even in my own experiences, where I was taking classes in the Middle East and the professor told me that a woman is worth 1/4 of a man, I couldn't help my American attitude escaping and shutting that argument down.

Lately I've been super interested in North Korea and have read a lot of fascinating books about the harrowing escapes of some of their citizens, but this book brought a new look at the country from a tourist's perspective, and I found myself highly entertained. There were many, many pictures included in the book, too, that I found absolutely fascinating. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a funny travel memoir (maybe along the lines of Chelsea Handler's Uganda Be Kidding Me) and isn't easily offended.
quilting reader
5.0 out of 5 stars I love to travel
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2016
To be afraid is to be alive-I remember reading that, or the essence of that, somewhere as a quote from Ms. Simmons. Had I made this trip then I surely would have felt alive as I cannot imagine not being afraid every minute during this trip.
I love to travel, though compared to Ms. Simmons I cannot consider myself a world traveler. And, while I prefer self-planned trips over tours, my destinations have always been the safer ‘tourist’ destinations. Thanks to Ms. Simmons description of the country, at least what she was allowed to see, and her photographs, I will cross North Korea off my ‘must visit’ list and be content to visit vicariously through her book. This book is an account of North Korea from a normal citizen, allowed to visit, albeit a very planned and controlled visit. I wanted more, I wanted to know more about the people, more about the ‘real’ North Korea and yet Ms. Simmons was allowed to see only what the North Koreans want her to see. And what they want her to see is staged from day one. Fascinating!
I’ve not met Ms. Simmons but have nothing but admiration for her bravery-first to plan the trip and then to write about it on her return. Her writing style and humor made the book an easy read that I could not put down once I started. I highly recommend the book for a quick read that is enlightening and educating while entertaining.
I have crossed North Korea off my 'must visit' list but you should add it to your 'must read' list.
Vazquez
3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2017
The book was interesting and an enjoyable read. I felt that it lacked detail of what life in North Korea is really like. I am also lacking an understanding of why and how all of the show is being orchestrated. Would have enjoyed the authors opinions.

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