Brother One Cell
An American Coming of Age in South Korea's Prisons
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Brother One Cell
Buy for $20.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Dan Woren
-
By:
-
Cullen Thomas
About this listen
At age 23, Cullen Thomas was, like most middle-class kids his age, looking for something meaningful and exciting to do before settling into the 9-to-5 routine. Possessed of a youthful, romantic view of the world, he set off for adventure in Asia and a job teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. But he got more than he ever bargained for when an ill-advised stunt led to a drug-smuggling arrest and a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Brother One Cell is Cullen's memoir of that time - the harrowing and unusual story of a good kid forced to grow up in very unusual circumstances.
One of only a handful of foreign inmates, Cullen shared a cell block with human traffickers, jewel smugglers, murderers, and thieves. Fortunately for him, the strict Confucian social mores that dominated the prison made it almost a safe place, different from the brutal, lawless setting most would imagine. In the relative calm of this environment, Cullen would learn invaluable life lessons and come out of the experience a wise and grounded adult.
With its gritty descriptions of life behind the concrete walls, colorful depictions of his fellow inmates, and acute insights about Korean society, Brother One Cell is part gritty prison story, part cautionary tale, and part insightful travelogue into the places most people never see.
©2007 Cullen Thomas (P)2007 Books on TapeListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Question of Freedom
- A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison
- By: Reginald Dwayne Betts
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
At the age of 16, R. Dwayne Betts - a good student from a lower-middle-class family - carjacked a man with a friend. He had never held a gun before, but within a matter of minutes he had committed six felonies. A bright young kid, he served his nine-year sentence as part of the adult population in some of the worst prisons in the state. A Question of Freedom chronicles Betts's years in prison, reflecting back on his crime, and looking ahead to how his experiences and the books he discovered while incarcerated would define him.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Institutions Matter
- By Vance V. Ginn on 06-11-24
-
The Nix
- A Novel
- By: Nathan Hill
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 21 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,173
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,317
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,297
It’s 2011, and Samuel Andresen-Anderson—college professor, stalled writer—has a Nix of his own: his mother, Faye. He hasn’t seen her in decades, not since she abandoned the family when he was a boy. Now she’s re-appeared, having committed an absurd crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the internet, and inflames a politically divided country. The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl who married her high-school sweetheart.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Is There An Editor In The House??
- By Sara on 11-03-16
By: Nathan Hill
-
The Other Wes Moore
- One Name, Two Fates
- By: Wes Moore, Tavis Smiley - afterword
- Narrated by: Wes Moore
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,268
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,763
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,775
In December 2000, the Baltimore Sun ran a small piece about Wes Moore, a local student who had just received a Rhodes Scholarship. The same paper also ran a series of articles about four young men who had allegedly killed a police officer in a spectacularly botched armed robbery. The police were still hunting for two of the suspects who had gone on the lam, a pair of brothers. One was named Wes Moore.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Insightful lesson in self-determination
- By Aneesah on 02-04-13
By: Wes Moore, and others
-
Out of a Far Country
- A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search for Hope
- By: Christopher Yuan
- Narrated by: Christopher Yuan, Nancy Wu
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 561
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 511
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 510
Christopher Yuan, the son of Chinese immigrants, discovered at an early age that he was different. He was attracted to other boys. As he grew into adulthood, his mother, Angela, hoped to control the situation. Instead she found that her son and her life were spiraling out of control - and her own personal demons were determined to defeat her. Years of heartbreak, confusion, and prayer followed before the Yuans found a place of complete surrender, which is God's desire for all families.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
phenomenal testimony!
- By Daniel on 06-01-16
By: Christopher Yuan
-
The Master Plan
- My Journey From Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose
- By: Chris Wilson, Bret Witter, Wes Moore - foreword
- Narrated by: Chris Wilson, Wes Moore
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 695
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 627
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 626
Growing up in a tough Washington, D.C., neighborhood, Chris Wilson was so afraid for his life he wouldn't leave the house without a gun. One night, defending himself, he killed a man. At 18, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. But what should have been the end of his story became the beginning. Deciding to make something of his life, Chris embarked on a journey of self-improvement - reading, working out, learning languages, even starting a business. He wrote his Master Plan: a list of all he expected to accomplish or acquire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
"Read books that feed your soul."
- By Lighteyes214 on 03-17-20
By: Chris Wilson, and others
-
In the First Circle
- By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Harry T. Willets - translator
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 31 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 573
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 502
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 500
Moscow, Christmas Eve, 1949. The Soviet secret police intercept a call made to the American embassy by a Russian diplomat who promises to deliver secrets about the nascent Soviet Atomic Bomb program. On that same day, a brilliant mathematician is locked away inside a Moscow prison that houses the country's brightest minds. He and his fellow prisoners are charged with using their abilities to sleuth out the caller's identity, and they must choose whether to aid Joseph Stalin's repressive state - or refuse and accept transfer to the Siberian Gulag camps, and almost certain death.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the five finest novels written in the 20th Century
- By Ellis D Vener on 04-08-19
By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and others
-
A Question of Freedom
- A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison
- By: Reginald Dwayne Betts
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
At the age of 16, R. Dwayne Betts - a good student from a lower-middle-class family - carjacked a man with a friend. He had never held a gun before, but within a matter of minutes he had committed six felonies. A bright young kid, he served his nine-year sentence as part of the adult population in some of the worst prisons in the state. A Question of Freedom chronicles Betts's years in prison, reflecting back on his crime, and looking ahead to how his experiences and the books he discovered while incarcerated would define him.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Institutions Matter
- By Vance V. Ginn on 06-11-24
-
The Nix
- A Novel
- By: Nathan Hill
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 21 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,173
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,317
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,297
It’s 2011, and Samuel Andresen-Anderson—college professor, stalled writer—has a Nix of his own: his mother, Faye. He hasn’t seen her in decades, not since she abandoned the family when he was a boy. Now she’s re-appeared, having committed an absurd crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the internet, and inflames a politically divided country. The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl who married her high-school sweetheart.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Is There An Editor In The House??
- By Sara on 11-03-16
By: Nathan Hill
-
The Other Wes Moore
- One Name, Two Fates
- By: Wes Moore, Tavis Smiley - afterword
- Narrated by: Wes Moore
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,268
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,763
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,775
In December 2000, the Baltimore Sun ran a small piece about Wes Moore, a local student who had just received a Rhodes Scholarship. The same paper also ran a series of articles about four young men who had allegedly killed a police officer in a spectacularly botched armed robbery. The police were still hunting for two of the suspects who had gone on the lam, a pair of brothers. One was named Wes Moore.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Insightful lesson in self-determination
- By Aneesah on 02-04-13
By: Wes Moore, and others
-
Out of a Far Country
- A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search for Hope
- By: Christopher Yuan
- Narrated by: Christopher Yuan, Nancy Wu
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 561
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 511
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 510
Christopher Yuan, the son of Chinese immigrants, discovered at an early age that he was different. He was attracted to other boys. As he grew into adulthood, his mother, Angela, hoped to control the situation. Instead she found that her son and her life were spiraling out of control - and her own personal demons were determined to defeat her. Years of heartbreak, confusion, and prayer followed before the Yuans found a place of complete surrender, which is God's desire for all families.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
phenomenal testimony!
- By Daniel on 06-01-16
By: Christopher Yuan
-
The Master Plan
- My Journey From Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose
- By: Chris Wilson, Bret Witter, Wes Moore - foreword
- Narrated by: Chris Wilson, Wes Moore
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 695
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 627
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 626
Growing up in a tough Washington, D.C., neighborhood, Chris Wilson was so afraid for his life he wouldn't leave the house without a gun. One night, defending himself, he killed a man. At 18, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. But what should have been the end of his story became the beginning. Deciding to make something of his life, Chris embarked on a journey of self-improvement - reading, working out, learning languages, even starting a business. He wrote his Master Plan: a list of all he expected to accomplish or acquire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
"Read books that feed your soul."
- By Lighteyes214 on 03-17-20
By: Chris Wilson, and others
-
In the First Circle
- By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Harry T. Willets - translator
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 31 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 573
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 502
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 500
Moscow, Christmas Eve, 1949. The Soviet secret police intercept a call made to the American embassy by a Russian diplomat who promises to deliver secrets about the nascent Soviet Atomic Bomb program. On that same day, a brilliant mathematician is locked away inside a Moscow prison that houses the country's brightest minds. He and his fellow prisoners are charged with using their abilities to sleuth out the caller's identity, and they must choose whether to aid Joseph Stalin's repressive state - or refuse and accept transfer to the Siberian Gulag camps, and almost certain death.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the five finest novels written in the 20th Century
- By Ellis D Vener on 04-08-19
By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and others
-
A Stone of Hope
- A Memoir
- By: Jim St. Germain, Jon Sternfeld
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Born into abject poverty in Haiti, young Jim St. Germain moved to Brooklyn's Crown Heights, into an overcrowded apartment with his family. He quickly adapted to street life and began stealing, dealing drugs, and growing increasingly indifferent to despair and violence. By the time he was arrested for dealing crack cocaine, he had been handcuffed more than a dozen times. At the age of 15, the walls of the system were closing around him.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Powerful
- By K Jones on 11-19-23
By: Jim St. Germain, and others
-
The Aquariums of Pyongyang
- By: Chol-hwan Kang, Pierre Rigoulot
- Narrated by: Stephen Park
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 256
Amid escalating nuclear tensions, Kim Jong-un and North Korea's other leaders have kept a tight grasp on their one-party state, quashing any nascent opposition movements and sending all suspected dissidents to its brutal concentration camps for "re-education". Kang Chol-Hwan is the first survivor of one of these camps to escape and tell his story to the world, documenting the extreme conditions in these gulags and providing a personal insight into life in North Korea.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Riveting!!
- By Iread on 11-12-20
By: Chol-hwan Kang, and others
-
Writing My Wrongs
- Life, Death, and One Man's Story of Redemption in an American Prison
- By: Shaka Senghor
- Narrated by: Shaka Senghor
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 946
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 857
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 854
Shaka Senghor was raised in a middle-class neighborhood on Detroit’s east side during the height of the 1980s crack epidemic. An honor roll student and a natural leader, he dreamed of becoming a doctor—but at age eleven, his parents’ marriage began to unravel, and beatings from his mother worsened, which sent him on a downward spiral. He ran away from home, turned to drug dealing to survive, and ended up in prison for murder at the age of nineteen, full of anger and despair.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
My Inspiration
- By Max on 03-15-16
By: Shaka Senghor
-
A Sliver of Light
- Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran
- By: Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, Sarah Shourd
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom, Julia Whelan, Tristan Morris
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 71
Three young Americans captured by Iranian forces and held in captivity for two years tell their story. In summer 2009 Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, and Sarah Shourdwere hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan when they unknowingly crossed into Iran and were captured by a border patrol. Accused of espionage, the three Americans ultimately found themselves in Tehran's infamous Evin Prison, where they discovered that pooling their strength of will and relying on each other were the only ways they could survive.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
How a fun day hiking can change your life
- By Jean on 04-08-14
By: Shane Bauer, and others
-
Life After Death
- By: Damien Echols
- Narrated by: Damien Echols
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,489
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,362
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,359
The definitive memoir by Damien Echols of the "West Memphis Three", who was falsely convicted of committing three murders. Hear this unforgettable account of his 18 years on death row.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Living Poem
- By Kelli Perkins on 05-22-13
By: Damien Echols
-
An Inside Job
- From Life in a Maze, to an Amazing Life
- By: DeJuan Lamonte Verrett
- Narrated by: DeJuan Lamonte Verrett
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 49
From Life in a Maze, to an Amazing Life best describes De’Juan “DJ” Verrett. On February 6, 1990, DJ Verrett was arrested on drug charges at the age of 19 and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in some of America’s most notorious federal prisons. From walking prison yards - to walking Red Carpets events - DJ has appeared on the Hit FX series Son's of Anarchy to NCIS-LA with LL Cool J, and even Disney's Wizards of Waverly starring Selena Gomez.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Startlingly Visceral and Daringly Hopeful
- By Anonymous User on 12-14-23
-
Newjack
- Guarding Sing Sing
- By: Ted Conover
- Narrated by: Ted Conover
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 486
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 358
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 359
As he struggles to be a good officer, Ted Conover angers inmates, dodges blows, works to balance decency with toughness, and participates in prison rituals - strip frisks, cell searches, cell "extractions" - that exact a toll on inmates and officers alike. The tale begins with the corrections academy and ends with the flames and smoke of New Year's Eve on Conover's floor of the notorious B-Block. Along the way, Conover also recounts the history of Sing Sing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
THE BEST BOOK ON PRISON LIFE I HAVE EVER READ!!!
- By Steve on 06-27-09
By: Ted Conover
-
Orange Is the New Black
- My Year in a Women's Prison
- By: Piper Kerman
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 470
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 406
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 402
With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money 10 years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to 15 months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424 - one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
The show is better
- By Carlie on 02-06-20
By: Piper Kerman
-
The Shot Caller
- A Latino Gangbanger’s Miraculous Escape from a Life of Violence to a New Life in Christ
- By: Casey Diaz, Mike Yorkey - contributor, Nicky Cruz - foreword
- Narrated by: Bob Borquez
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 144
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 145
The Shot Caller is both a never-to-be-forgotten insider’s look at the violent world of gangs and prison life and a powerful, modern demonstration of how God will go to the most miraculous extremes to reach even the worst sinners. Casey Diaz came to this country when he was just two years old, the oldest son of El Salvadorian immigrants who settled in the barrios near downtown Los Angeles in the 1970s. An abusive family life propelled Casey into street gangs at the age of eleven and he rose quickly within the ranks of the Rockwood Street Locos to become their leader.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Compelling and Inspiring!
- By Brent Yezefski on 04-07-19
By: Casey Diaz, and others
-
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
- By: Ken Liu
- Narrated by: Corey Brill, Joy Osmanski
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 730
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 627
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 627
With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken's award-winning and award-finalist stories.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic collection, great stories!
- By Renee Tang on 05-17-18
By: Ken Liu
-
I Cried to Dream Again
- Trafficking, Murder, and Deliverance - A Memoir
- By: Sara Kruzan, Cori Thomas
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 47
There is perhaps no crime more disturbing than the abuse of a child—and no court cases as upsetting as those in which juveniles who have faced abuse are tried for fighting back. In this gripping memoir Sara Kruzan, a survivor of childhood abuse and sex trafficking, tells the honest, disturbing, and ultimately empowering story of her journey from abuse to incarceration without parole for killing her abuser to finally gaining her liberation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A True Warrior
- By Thixso on 02-27-24
By: Sara Kruzan, and others
-
The Coffin Confessor
- By: Bill Edgar
- Narrated by: Bill Edgar
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 49
Imagine you are dying with a secret. Something you've never had the courage to tell your friends and family. Or a last wish - a task you need carried out before you can rest in peace. Now imagine there's a man who can take care of all that, who has no respect for the living, who will do anything for the dead. Bill Edgar is the coffin confessor - a one-of-a-kind professional, a man on a mission to make good on these last requests on behalf of his soon-to-be-deceased clients. And this is the extraordinary story of how he became that man.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Too much BIO; not enough CONFESSOR
- By joyce higashi on 07-10-22
By: Bill Edgar
Critic reviews
"Brother One Cell is Mr. Thomas's affecting account of his prison experience. It's an offbeat coming of age story, the tale of a wide-eyed, innocent, middle-class American thrust into a world of deprivation and daily trials that speed his passage into adulthood and a deeper understanding of himself and the fallen creatures around him ...told simply, and with extraordinary good humor...[T]he detail is fascinating." (William Grimes, The New York Times)
"Compelling." (Chicago Tribune)
"Scary, funny, [and] honest as hell.... This is memoir at its highest level." (Ray LeMoine, co-author of Babylon by Bus)
What listeners say about Brother One Cell
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- adam bratland
- 10-31-24
Articulate writer
I really enjoyed this book. the author is a great writer. Interesting story with a great flow.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Starlet
- 08-22-11
Deeply introspective about life in prison
Great Listen with excellent, seamless narration...Every young person who plans on traveling to other lands should read this -- just as a heads up. Aside from that fact, the story is about a young man coming of age while in a South Korean prison -- it's a very adult book and full of insight to one's soul searching strategies.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michelle in New York City
- 02-10-16
An Excellent Cautionary Tale
What did you love best about Brother One Cell?
This book is a true cautionary tale for young, naive adults who are traveling to foreign lands and who do not think about the consequences of their actions. This young man was educated and book smart, but he did not process common sense at that point in his life. Unfortunately, that fact led to many years spent in horrible subhuman conditions in a prison in South Korea.The author was very good at vividly describing his experiences; from his initial involvement in the drug trade to his arrest and throughout his prison sentence. He really is able to convey his shock, despair and finally, his acceptance of what he had no choice but to endure (once he was arrested). If you enjoy the tv show "Locked up Abroad" you will definitely enjoy this book.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 03-25-07
superduper
I've become somewhat hooked to listening to audio books. I work most days with my hands all day and night long leaving me very little time for anything else besides a good night sleep. As much as I certainly do enjoy silence, music, and the news these audio books have definately filled a void. Whether its listening to some Beckett or attempting to learn a new language through Pimsleur.
I found Cullen's story Brother One Cell fantastic. It will certainly share a space on my harddrive with such recent downloads as Absurdistan, Middlesex, and The Coming China Wars. I think narrator Dan Woren is superb. And listening to another American's observations based on his unique experience in Korea is a relevent and insightful treat.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Kathleen
- 03-25-07
this book could not be better
excellent, well written, well narrated autobiography/diary
mature and original introspection
as well as clear and deep views of other cultures and people
a crisp style which is also compassionate
a remarkable work and a very good audio book
This book could not be better.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angie Shy
- 09-23-20
Powerful and inspiring!
Although I would have throughly enjoyed hearing the author read it, I enjoyed it very much 😀
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Curious
- 05-06-07
A lesson before living
This careless young man thinks that he can do what he wants in a foreign country. He smuggles dope into Korea. He is caught and then is sure that he will be let go because he has never had to face a consequence before-he is an American after all. Korea has other ideas and he spends time in jail. He could have left that country bitter but instead learns many valuable lessons. He grows up. He comes home a very different person.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Tim
- 02-24-12
Not Overacted
As a first generation Korean American, I could somehow relate to this story. Although I have never been in any prison, the author does well at explaining the Korean culture and give a lot of Korean dialogue in the book. Instead of overacting on the narration with unbearable Asian accents, the narrator using his natural voice, tries to speak the foreign dialogue as best as they can. I've listened to many books over the years where the narration of the story ruins the book because they try to portray the characters too much, where you cannot really listen to them any longer.
The base of this story is about an American, going to Korea, getting caught of having weed and being sentence to prison and understanding the culture and life because of it.
The story was okay. I mean, unlike the United States where you pretty much get a slap on the hand for drugs, overseas countries takes narcotics more seriously and maybe that is a lesson to be learned onto itself.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alaska Girl
- 07-06-12
Interesting, but draggy in spots
Would you consider the audio edition of Brother One Cell to be better than the print version?
I didn't read the print version.
What did you like best about this story?
The beginning and the end of the book were interesting. The middle part was a little slow. I would have liked to hear more about what the prison life was like which is a bit glossed over.
What three words best describe Dan Woren’s performance?
Interesting, adequate, and fine.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
How a young man's error cost him 3 1/2 years of his life.
Any additional comments?
I recommend this book and am also interested in The Aquariums of Pyongyang.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Daryl
- 03-25-13
Memoir, travelogue, introspection
What made the experience of listening to Brother One Cell the most enjoyable?
I enjoyed the many aspects of this book. For the one reviewer who said that Cullen Thomas did not elaborate enough on his time in prison... I disagree. One does not need to read continual repetition of the depirivations of South Korea's prisons to understand that Cullen Thomas went through.
This is a well-written and narrated book - a memoir, a travelogue, and a deep introspective all rolled into one.
Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cullen Thomas had to grow up and face himself - his ideas about life, his fear of long-term commitments, and his impressions of the world at large. I fully agree with the reviewer who said that the harshness of Korean prison, compared to many of our prisons in the west, forced him to take a good long look at himself. Whether this was a result of the harsh sentence itself or Cullen Thomas in particular, I do not know. But he had to look at his perseptions of himself, and the ideas of prisoners as well, and force us to read along with his story and question ourselves as well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!