--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin…" description: "\"The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin, where starving people ate the bark off trees; or atop Mount Taesong with the elite of Pyongyang, whose existe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png" --- # The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin, where starving… ![“The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin, where starving people ate the bark off trees; or atop Mount Taesong with the elite of Pyongyang, whose existence is a mix of sadism and whimsy; or with the masses who are bombarded day and night with the propaganda of North Korea's alternate reality.” quote by Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png) > “The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin, where starving people ate the bark off trees; or atop Mount Taesong with the elite of Pyongyang, whose existence is a mix of sadism and whimsy; or with the masses who are bombarded day and night with the propaganda of North Korea's alternate reality.” [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrative immerses readers in contrasting North Korean experiences, highlighting stark realities and surreal propaganda. **In simple terms:** The book shows harsh reality versus surreal propaganda in North Korea. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of narrative to reveal hidden societal truths. Themes oppression propaganda human experience Mood thoughtful critical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - reading clubs - educational curricula - human rights discussions - media analysis Key Concepts totalitarianism literary immersion Questions to Reflect On - How does fiction shape our understanding of real oppression? - What responsibilities do authors have when portraying suffering? A Different Perspective Readers may misinterpret satire as factual. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Day and night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-and-night/) [Elite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elite/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Masses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masses/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Propaganda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propaganda/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Sadism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadism/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [It is hard for me to speak of themes. I like the reader to do that. Otherwise it feels like writing a 3rd grade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/it-is-hard-for-me-to-speak-of-themes-i-like-the-reader-to-do-that/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [Humour plays close to the big, hot fire, which is the truth, and the reader feels the heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/humour-plays-close-to-the-big-hot-fire-which-is-the-truth-and-the/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [The success of the poem is determined not by how much the poet felt in writing it, but by how much the reader feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/the-success-of-the-poem-is-determined-not-by-how-much-the-poet-felt/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [To me, a poem is almost like someone whispering to another person, or you hear the whispering in your head. I hope with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/to-me-a-poem-is-almost-like-someone-whispering-to-another-person-or/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [You never want to be in a position where your reader feels like you're passing judgment on your own characters. Any novel where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/you-never-want-to-be-in-a-position-where-your-reader-feels-like-you/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [It is easier for the reader to judge, by a thousand times, than for the writer to invent. The writer must summon his Idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/it-is-easier-for-the-reader-to-judge-by-a-thousand-times-than-for-the/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There's no point in living in an alternate reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-cutler/there-s-no-point-in-living-in-an-alternate-reality/) [Jessica Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-cutler/) > [We don't attempt to have any theme for a number of the anthology, or to have any particular sequence. We just put in things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-laughlin/we-don-t-attempt-to-have-any-theme-for-a-number-of-the-anthology-or/) [James Laughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-laughlin/) > [Get into the habit of imagining an alternate scenario. By posing such 'imagine if' questions... we can distance ourselves from the frames, cues, anchors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/get-into-the-habit-of-imagining-an-alternate-scenario-by-posing-such/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [My favorite thing about guitar, and the thing that always drew me to it when I was first learning to play it, was those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-worsham/my-favorite-thing-about-guitar-and-the-thing-that-always-drew-me-to/) [Charlie Worsham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-worsham/) > [My mantra is, 'Don't be afraid of color.' What did it do to you? Do a color testing in alternate kinds of light you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/my-mantra-is-don-t-be-afraid-of-color-what-did-it-do-to-you-do-a/) [Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/) > [“Why do we want to have alternate worlds? It's a way of making progress. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-aiken/why-do-we-want-to-have-alternate-worlds-it-s-a-way-of-making-progress/) [Joan Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-aiken/) > [After my pregnancy, I had put on 22.5 kilos. I looked like a baby elephant. But I shed it all by working out rigorously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shilpa-shetty/after-my-pregnancy-i-had-put-on-22-5-kilos-i-looked-like-a-baby/) [Shilpa Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shilpa-shetty/) > [“Do not talk just about the issues – but give an alternate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravindra-shukla/do-not-talk-just-about-the-issues-but-give-an-alternate/) [Ravindra Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravindra-shukla/) > [I hate when there's a deleted scene on a DVD with no explanation, or you have to go out of your way to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-reed/i-hate-when-there-s-a-deleted-scene-on-a-dvd-with-no-explanation-or/) [Peyton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-reed/) ## More by Adam Johnson > [I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow-of-my-former-self/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“If only more people in life said, This is what I must have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/if-only-more-people-in-life-said-this-is-what-i-must-have/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [Like putting a name to my problems would solve anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/like-putting-a-name-to-my-problems-would-solve-anything/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“The darkness inside your head is something your imagination fills with stories that have nothing to do with the real darkness around you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-darkness-inside-your-head-is-something-your-imagination-fills/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Was this what a family was, how it grew—straight as the children’s teeth? Sure, there was an arm in a sling and over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/was-this-what-a-family-was-how-it-grew-straight-as-the-children-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Real stories like this, human ones, could get you sent to prison, and it didn’t matter what they were about. It didn’t matter if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/real-stories-like-this-human-ones-could-get-you-sent-to-prison-and-it/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“To survive in this world, you got to be many times a coward but at least once a hero”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/to-survive-in-this-world-you-got-to-be-many-times-a-coward-but-at/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“It wasn’t that I didn’t know anyone’s phone number—I didn’t—it was that only at this moment did I realize I had no one to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/it-wasn-t-that-i-didn-t-know-anyone-s-phone-number-i-didn-t-it-was/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“But I held her in my heart, and would stay with her all my days, even if a great many of them were trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/but-i-held-her-in-my-heart-and-would-stay-with-her-all-my-days-even/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [The next day, she was silent. For breakfast, she murdered an onion and served it raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-next-day-she-was-silent-for-breakfast-she-murdered-an-onion-and/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Acts of heroism are easy—becoming a hero is a bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/acts-of-heroism-are-easy-becoming-a-hero-is-a-bitch/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“The urge to create a fictional narrative is a mysterious one, and when an idea comes, the writer's sense of what a story wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-urge-to-create-a-fictional-narrative-is-a-mysterious-one-and-when/) [adam johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [But, in North Korea, it's just the opposite. There's one story. It's written by the Kim regime. And 23 million people are conscripted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/but-in-north-korea-it-s-just-the-opposite-there-s-one-story-it-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“What was it about English speakers that allowed them to talk into transmitters as if the sky were a diary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/what-was-it-about-english-speakers-that-allowed-them-to-talk-into/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“It’s okay if you can’t make sense of that. I’ve tried and tried, but I can’t grasp it, either. The most vital things we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/it-s-okay-if-you-can-t-make-sense-of-that-i-ve-tried-and-tried-but-i/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) [Explore all 88 Adam Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) ## More Alternate quotes > [I hate when there's a deleted scene on a DVD with no explanation, or you have to go out of your way to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-reed/i-hate-when-there-s-a-deleted-scene-on-a-dvd-with-no-explanation-or/) [Peyton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-reed/) > [“Do not talk just about the issues – but give an alternate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravindra-shukla/do-not-talk-just-about-the-issues-but-give-an-alternate/) [Ravindra Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravindra-shukla/) > [After my pregnancy, I had put on 22.5 kilos. I looked like a baby elephant. But I shed it all by working out rigorously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shilpa-shetty/after-my-pregnancy-i-had-put-on-22-5-kilos-i-looked-like-a-baby/) [Shilpa Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shilpa-shetty/) > [“Why do we want to have alternate worlds? It's a way of making progress. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-aiken/why-do-we-want-to-have-alternate-worlds-it-s-a-way-of-making-progress/) [Joan Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-aiken/) > [My mantra is, 'Don't be afraid of color.' What did it do to you? Do a color testing in alternate kinds of light you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/my-mantra-is-don-t-be-afraid-of-color-what-did-it-do-to-you-do-a/) [Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/) > [My favorite thing about guitar, and the thing that always drew me to it when I was first learning to play it, was those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-worsham/my-favorite-thing-about-guitar-and-the-thing-that-always-drew-me-to/) [Charlie Worsham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-worsham/) > [Get into the habit of imagining an alternate scenario. By posing such 'imagine if' questions... we can distance ourselves from the frames, cues, anchors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/get-into-the-habit-of-imagining-an-alternate-scenario-by-posing-such/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [We don't attempt to have any theme for a number of the anthology, or to have any particular sequence. We just put in things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-laughlin/we-don-t-attempt-to-have-any-theme-for-a-number-of-the-anthology-or/) [James Laughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-laughlin/) > [There's no point in living in an alternate reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-cutler/there-s-no-point-in-living-in-an-alternate-reality/) [Jessica Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-cutler/) > [When you are up there, feeling infinite space, the earth looks like a fragile planet against the immense universe. We are just another fleeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-laliberte/when-you-are-up-there-feeling-infinite-space-the-earth-looks-like-a/) [Guy Laliberte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-laliberte/) > [“These daydreams persisted like an alternate life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-murray/these-daydreams-persisted-like-an-alternate-life/) [Paul Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-murray/) > [When you don't have money for marketing, you explore alternate ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/when-you-don-t-have-money-for-marketing-you-explore-alternate-ways/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [In the many-mansioned house of Alternate History, I occupy a small corner. The trio of what-ifs I chronicled in 'Then Everything Changed' all begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/in-the-many-mansioned-house-of-alternate-history-i-occupy-a-small/) [Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/) > [As a kid, I spent an awful lot of time pretending I was somebody else. I think growing up in the 1980s wasn't very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/as-a-kid-i-spent-an-awful-lot-of-time-pretending-i-was-somebody-else/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [“Success has no other shortcuts apart from the ones that tell you; control thoughts, delete negativity, alternate actions and shift attitudes to become positive!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/success-has-no-other-shortcuts-apart-from-the-ones-that-tell-you/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) Browse all 45 Alternate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin, where starving people ate the bark off trees; or atop Mount Taesong with the elite of Pyongyang, whose existence is a mix of sadism and whimsy; or with the masses who are bombarded day and night with the propaganda of North Korea's alternate reality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin-where-starving-people-ate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alternate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin-where-starving-people-ate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbd/adam-johnson-7721_alternate_the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin_1498154.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The reader feels as if he is in Chongjin, where starving people ate the bark off trees; or atop Mount…” — Adam Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The reader feels as if he...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin-where-starving-people-ate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-reader-feels-as-if-he-is-in-chongjin-where-starving-people-ate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```