Nothing to Envy

Ordinary Lives in North Korea

By: Barbara Demick

Narrated by: Karen White

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over 15 years - a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung and the unchallenged rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-il, and the devastation of a far-ranging famine that killed one-fifth of the population.

Taking us into a landscape never before seen, Demick brings to life what it means to be an average Korean citizen, living under the most repressive totalitarian regime today - an Orwellian world in which radio and television dials are welded to the one government station, a country that is by choice not connected to the Internet, a society in which outward displays of affection are punished, and a police state that rewards informants and where an offhanded remark can send a citizen to the gulag for life. Demick's subjects - a middle-aged party loyalist and her rebellious daughter, an idealistic female doctor, an orphan, and two young lovers - all hail from the same provincial city in the farthest-flung northern reaches of the country. One by one, we witness the moments of revelation, when each realizes that they have been betrayed by the Fatherland and that their suffering is not a global condition but is uniquely theirs.

Nothing to Envy is the first book about North Korea to go deep inside the country, beyond the reach of government censors, and penetrate the mind-set of the average citizen. It is a groundbreaking and essential addition to the literature of totalitarianism.

©2010 Barbara Demick (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A fascinating and deeply personal look at the lives of six defectors from the repressive totalitarian regime of the Republic of North Korea." ( Publishers Weekly)

Grandma Always Told Us

My family is from South Korea. I am the first generation from the States. My grandma was from the Korea War era and she always told us story about North Korea. This book was very interesting. I learned so much. Thank you for the good rating for making me read this book.

Outstanding read; poor narrator

These stories simply take your breath away. Such insight into a country we know so little about; sad, dreary, shocking compelling. Read it! Drawback is how s-l-o-w-l-y the narrator reads it.

One of the best audiobooks I've come across

I could devote paragraphs to gushing on the particulars but won't; this audiobook was excellent in every way that matters. The narrator is excellent, clear and compelling without being distracting. The subject itself is horrifyingly surreal and absolutely gripping.

This book really drove home how sophisticated social control and propaganda systems can be, and how effective they can be in controlling entire populations. It also drove home how important free speech and critical thinking really are to democracies. A must for understanding the humanity of the North Koreans and how an entire people could be held so firmly under the thumb of someone who shouldn't even rate as a plausible cartoon super-villain.

Absolute must listen.

Amazing journey inside

This book is extremely well done, it follows the paths, from early life until escape from one of the hardest countries to escape from, or death in some instances, of people who lived the horror that is North Korea. This is not just a story revolving around hardship and privation, it is a peek into the society, a sick and twisted world of leftists dreams and control and the tortured world it creates. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly, it is important on many levels and answers the question of 'what do those who live inside that country think?'. If you think you would not be interested in this book because it would not be relevant to you think again, the echo of what you read in this book will come back to you at interesting times in your own life, especially if you pay attention to current events.
Highly recommended

Rivating and Enjoyable

The characters become real family members as you read this book. I was afraid the subject would be too graphic but the author balances personal stories with realistic accounts. It really does give you a personal account of what life must be like in North Korea. I recommend it to anyone who wants to expand their world view.

Great Book--Terrible Narration

I've listened to hundreds of audible.com books and this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review to comment on the absolutely terrible narration which it's a shame because the book is very good. The narrator takes huge gasps for air between almost every phrase. Much of the narration also came across as very condescending which I felt was disrespectful of the people whose stories are told. The only way I could continue listening was to double the narration speed.

Fabulous Read - History I never kneew

I found this book haunting. Whoever knew? This book is gripping. Makes you feel so grateful for freedom. I love America. I am so grateful I was born in a free country. Want to be appreciative of your lifestyle. Listen to this book. A great historical novel

Eye-opening, jaw-dropping

This is a very well told story of an admirable and proud people who are being sacrificed at the behest of a brutal, uncaring, solipsist regime that early on classified the bulk of its population as "hostiles."

The book is organized around a number of family accounts, based on interviews with "defectors" (escapees would be a more accurate term), and the author's limited and strictly monitored visits to North Korea. These accounts are illuminating, many are touching, revealing story the humanity of the oppressed.

The Kim dynasty is simply another cult of personality which has long outlived whatever credibility it once had, and it survives simply through a vast repressive apparatus of spies, informants, agents provocateur, and brute force. This story, rooted in the political catastrophes of the 20th century, shows once again that even in the most "total" of totalitarian societies, the human spirit always survives. The regime will inevitably collapse, sooner rather than later; but the question is how many more must starve to death or die in detention camps before that happens.

Powerful

What made the experience of listening to Nothing to Envy the most enjoyable?

Although we hear many news reports about North Korea and its political standing and posturing in the world, we hear very little about the nameless, faceless people who are North Korean and victims in this totalitarian dictatorship. This book changes that, we learn how people eat, live, work. We learned how the North Koreans fought for survival during the epidemic famines that swept the country and how it impacted them and their families. Demick did an incredible job interviewing North Korea defectors and putting their stories together in a comprehensive and palatable book. A great read.

Riveting

I felt like I was brought into the darkest hole and the darkest secret on planet earth with credibility. Both journalistic AND very moving. It was a page-turner. I couldn't put it down.