Nothing to Envy

Ordinary Lives in North Korea

De: Barbara Demick

Narrado por: Karen White

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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)

I wanted more!

Each individual's story was so compelling, I wanted to know more. I wanted to hear about more people. I didn't want the book to end.

I don't often give five stars

but this is a real breakthrough book on conditions in North Korea. Demick has done a terrific job of creating a gripping narrative, based upon her extensive interviews with the defectors, including transitions between stories - one person arrives, fresh out of the Yalu River border, at a house in China, sees a bowl of rice and meat just sitting there on the doorstep, thinks to herself, "That's more food than I've had at any meal back home in many years!", and then realizes it means there's a potentially fierce dog nearby ... fade to next story.

Karen White's audio narration is especially noteworthy - obvious that she made an extra effort to pronounce Korean words correctly.

Highly recommended!

Stranger Than Fiction - and More Interesting

Who would have known. Although I was very interested to learn more about N Korea, I had no idea this story would be so interesting - so captivating. This is very well written expose on one of the world's most unusual societies and repressive regimes. This story follows a handful of people originally from N Korea who eventually lose faith with the regime and out of desperation flee the country and find refuge in S Korea. Along the way, you find out about the differences between northerners and southerners that predated the Korean war. You also learn about Koreans in Japan and China and how these former Koreans play a role in helping their families in N Korea.

At times, the story is very touching - you learn of people who really believed in the regime only to lose everything. At times, the story is heart breaking as you hear about parents losing children and children losing parents - and how these loses play out over time. Who knew, for example, that there are large bands of orphan children roaming around N Korea. There is no sugar coating these stories. Even life in S Korea isn't always a reprieve - and it is interesting to learn how many refuges have trouble adjusting to their new lives. Parallels with East/West Germans and the type of problems S Korea might face if there is reunification with N Korea are insightful. I highly recommend this book.

Although the narrator has been criticized, I think this is unfair. In my opinion, her style fit the documentary style of the book and allowed the drama inherent in the lives of the characters to carry the story.

A must-read!

Mi-Ran is an elementary school teacher and, while she may not know it yet, one of millions of prisoners in a gigantic concentration camp. Her life, like the life of many others, could not be more ordinary. She teaches the greatness of the leaders and is, like others, hopeful to begin officially dating and even start of family when she reaches her late twenties. Surely, times are difficult: with the lack of food, her class of young children is slowly shrinking, never to be seen again. But no drama, no heroic moves around her, not even one grand protest followed by repression. As the regime holds its iron grip, normality is that the people should starve or die of disease. All of this for no apparent purpose. No major exploitative goulag, no public works. All of this for a mad regime that seems to revel in the misery it creates.

This is not just Mi-Ran's story but the narrative of many escapees from the horrors of North Korea. Based on incredible testimonies from lived events, this would read as fiction if it weren't so sad and real. The stories go deep into not only the drama but the many unexpected facts of life of the people that live through it. Interestingly enough, North Korea seems unique in its flavor of totalitarism in ways that make the book a must-read for anyone with some interest in international matters.

Great read

I found this book extremely interesting as long as the author was just telling other peoples stories. However when she states her own opinion on things everything comes to a halt as you can feel yourself becoming dumber -- luckily this happens only at the very beginning and very end of the book.

However it's all the stuff that isn't in the intro or epilogue that you'll care about and that part of the book is beyond fascinating.

The reader does a an OK job, if I could I'd give her 3.5 stars but that's not an option and 3 stars would be unfair.

If you have even the mildest interest in the subject give this book a read -- and don't be scared away thinking it's a chick flick book -- it's not. It's a great look at life in North Korea.

So good, I've listened to it twice!

This is one of my favourite audiobooks. It's well read, and very interesting. I've listened to it twice in the past year, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys cultural studies books.

Great Story; Weak Peformance

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

The story line is informative and compelling.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Nothing to Envy?

None so far

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The gasps for air while reading the book nearly caused me to stop listening in the first half hour. Couldn't they have been edited out? Very distracting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The medieval North Korea of today

Any additional comments?

I'm not all the way though the listen yet, I hope I can make it with poor performance of the narrator.

Best Non Fiction you may read this year

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I bought this on sale because I have a good friend whose parents emigrated from Soouth Korea and I knew very little of either country. Since then I have recommended this to at least 8 people; it is dramatic, appalling, and amazing--Nothing to Envy is what the North Korean government tells its people even as it ensures they are starving, without electricity most of the time, and brutally stripped of any personal, academic, or industrial opportunities. This work is from a reporter stationed in South Korea who met and interviewed several of the very, very few North Koreans who had escaped from the North. From their stories you understand how it is that the North Korean government is able to control its people, why such a tiny number of citizens ever escaped, and why both South Korea and the United States are portrayed as the arch enemies of the North Korean people. You will hear from a schoolteacher, a doctor, and a true believer whose daughter tricked her into escaping; these and several other personal stories are interwoven with Korean history so that you can put their stories in context. Very well written, very timely.

What other book might you compare Nothing to Envy to and why?

I can't think of any that has a similar flavor; if there is something comparable I haven't read that yet.

What about Karen White’s performance did you like?

She is not overly dramatic, speaks clearly, and moves the story forward with a nice pace.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Shock. After the first few minutes, you pause because you can't believe any government would be so short-sighted and would not only engineer its own failure but continue to do things to perpetuate the problems.

Any additional comments?

You will be missing a remarkable book if you pass this one by.

Bad reader but good book

I never understood what a bad reader can do to a book until I read this one. The reader has an irritating voice that gets to you and interferes with the enjoyment of the material. I recommend that you read this book rather than listen to it.

Excellent insights

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

Definitely the variety of stories and viewpoints that Ms. Demick shares in the book. You will hear from all walks of life and how each person's status affected how they were able to lead their lives in a supposedly egalitarian society in North Korea. I also appreciated the thorough background information on what led to the division of Korea and how that directly impacts many families and how they are treated.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Listening to the defection stories of each person profiled. The writing and narration are especially well-paired in this section of the stories.

Have you listened to any of Karen White’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

If you could give Nothing to Envy a new subtitle, what would it be?

The Lives of Ordinary North Koreans, From Birth to Defection South and Afterwards