Brother One Cell: An American Coming of Age in South Korea's Prisons

By Cullen Thomas

Book Overview

Cullen Thomas was just like the thousands of other American kids who travel abroad after college. He was hungry for meaning and excitement beyond a nine-to-five routine, so he set off for Seoul, South Korea, to teach English and look for adventure. What he got was a three-and-a- half-year drug-crime sentence in South Korea's prisons, where the physical toll of life in a cell was coupled with the mental anguish of maintaining sanity in a world that couldn't have been more foreign. This is Thomas's unvarnished account of his eye-opening, ultimately life-affirming experience. Brother One Cell is part cautionary tale, part prison memoir, and part insightful travelogue that will appeal to a wide readership, from concerned parents to armchair adventurers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143113119
• ISBN13: 9780143113119
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Finding Absolution in the Least Likely Place

First things first. If your name is listed in red ink, and almost everybody else's is in black, it does not mean that you've won a prize. Do not try to collect your package from the window. Cullen did and he wound up serving 3 and a half years in a series of Korean Houses of D. Ever since I read a Giant Robot article about Asian and Asian-American inmates stockpiling ramen, ketchup packets, soy sauce packets and other odds and ends to create ersatz versions of the dishes they craved, I've been fascinated with prisoner resourcefulness. In this respect Brother One Cell is a very satisfying travelogue. Cullen is a big, unseasoned foreigner, not yet fluent, completely inexperienced as a criminal, who must learn to survive as a prisoner - how to talk to people, how to make sure he gets his mail, how to deal with mosquitos, extreme cold and fluorescent lights that stay on 24 hours a day... Even more satisfying is the transformative mental and phillosophical journey upon which the author embarks, at first unconsciously and then with growing determination. The appreciation and grace at which he eventually arrives is a good reminder for those of us who've been spoiled by taken-for-granted freedom, cooshy living conditions and Get Out Of Jail Free cards we didn't necessarily deserve.

Phenomenal

This book is incredible! I agree with the other reviewer who pointed out that one particular negative review on this book seemed grossly uninformed. To sum up just how that review errs, this book is not at all "uneventful"; the entire point of the memoir is just how humbled Thomas *did* feel by his experience; and while he does comment on ethnic diversity in the prison, he by no means sees his fellow convicts as "losers." Please don't do yourself a disservice by assuming that this book is nothing more than some whiny, poorly adjusted, rich boy's lament. As for my own reactions to Brother One Cell, I feel that everyone can take something from it. While receiving a prison sentence is obviously no small deal, the appeal of this book is broader than many might assume. Some readers who never had to deal with a jail term may still find that it strikes a chord, have they ever found themselves faced with a prolonged set of difficult circumstances far away from home. The soul-searching that Thomas does, the way he articulates his pain over being kept apart from his loved ones, his insistence on "going it alone" despite his feelings of isolation, and his discussions of the fear of losing himself (on a fundamental and psychological level) are all of universal interest. He talks at length about the internal change that leads him to value the most mundane of acts -- things that he does not have in jail -- such as reading whatever he wants, looking at members of the opposite sex, walking around outside, and so much more. I feel that there are probably a number of people out there who could relate to the types of emotional and psychological changes explored and documented in this book. He even mentions (in varying amounts of detail) experiences such as phantom pains, flashbacks, and his unique relationship with Korea and feelings about the time he spent there. The author starts off by showing us the aimless vagabond he once was, allows us to accompany him very intimately through his periods of rage and depression following his arrest, and concludes with a sense that Korea is now very much a part of who he is. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the following -prison memoirs -unique glimpses into seldom-seen aspects of Korean culture -anyone familiar with Korean culture who is interested in outsiders' impressions of it -stories of self-discovery -culture shock -autobiographical accounts of the profound personal changes borne out of unrelenting hardships faced in relative isolation (as well as the changes in an individual's perspective on said hardships as time wears on) The latter reason to read this book appeals not only to those who have been forever changed by circumstances that their loved ones will never truly know, but it could also be of immense help to anyone trying to understand their loved one's experience and the depth of the impact it has left. Brother One Cell is fascinating--this book is raw, yet compassionate and, abo

Gets to the Marrow of Korea

It took me a while to get my hands on this book after reading about Thomas in an issue of Esquire Magazine, I think it was. I had to get it shipped to me here in Korea through a book importer. I couldn't wait for it to arrive because I was so impressed with the magazine article that I had high expectations for the book. My expectations were fully met. I've been interested in Korea for about seven years now, coming here twice as a student, and now living and working here while studying Korean. I've read several books about Korean culture, economy, etc, etc. None of the previous books I have read were able to paint such a vivid and profound picture of the culture I have come to love, in spite of its flaws. Somehow, by experiencing a side of the country that we rarely hear about, he is able to understand the essence of Korean society and illustrate it in ways that rang true with my own experiences while simultaneously shedding new light on aspects that I still struggle with. In particular, it was interesting reading this book while settling into a job as the only non-Korean full-time employee of a Korean company. Not that prison compares to company life in the least. This book is good on several levels. Other reviewers have already discussed the merits of the book as a memoir, etc, so I wanted to praise the book specifically as a book that relates to Korea, though perhaps not as many readers will be interested in this aspect of the book. I hope a Korean translation is released, because I think it would be an interesting perspective for Koreans to read about as well.

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore

BROTHER ONE CELL is an extraordinary memoir ... The characters are complex, and the plot is both powerful and subtle. I can see this as required reading in high schools across the country. It is not only that good, it is that important. The writing is honest, straight forward, painfully introspective but never self pitying. I agree with the starred Booklist quote that Thomas had to overcome language barriers, unfamiliar foreign customs, extreme codes of social hierarchy, and almost no individual freedoms, "as well as his own personal demons, to get to a place of higher understanding--something that, amazingly, he seemed to accomplish." The reviewer from Publisher's Weekly must have been reading a different book because he/she couldn't have been more wrong by saying that Thomas "is unable or unwilling to be humbled by the experience." Equal parts heart-wrenching drama and heart-pounding suspense, this narrative unfolds in a way that is both achingly personal and overwhelmingly universal. Thomas is a complicated character, frustratingly naive at the beginning of his tale and enviously self-aware by the end of it. Like any twenty something searching for self, Thomas makes mistakes but unlike so many of us, his mistakes provide us all with a greater appreciation for freedom and beauty and one hell of a story.

Consequences of one's action as an American in Korea's Prison system

This book is a must read, especially for all high school students and college kids to understand the full meaning behind, consequences of one's actions! Brother One Cell is a compelling tale of a young educated man who is wondering through Asia, in search of direction in life (which is very common for a young man having just graduated from college). Cullen makes a few reckless decisions that eventually place him inside the Korean penal system for 3 and 1/2 years. As you move from chapter to chapter the reader uncovers that Cullen's tale is not about being self-absored and angry about his current situation, but you experience the day to day life of an American living in the Korean prison systems with all of the confucian overtones that this new life encompasses. From having to learn the native language to having to play a brawl ball style of basketball for the Korean Gang sponsored teams, the reader retraces an experience that the author articulately shares with all of us. There is no glory in this story but it is a real story of life's ups and downs. The author walks you through a well written emotional tale that few Americans will ever experience. I strongly recommend this book.