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Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea Audiobook
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(4.00) - 13,390 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen 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 of 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.
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"This book was captivating. I find true stories more intriguing than fiction. The ironic title, "Nothing to Envy" is a part of a patriotic song that all North Koreans learn as children. How much they have to envy! The overriding theme for me was HUNGER. Reading their accounts certainly made me grateful for my life and country. It was interesting to read how the "Great Leader" was a god-like figure in their lives. Although religion was banned, a religious worship and loyalty were expected towards the "Father of the People" and the "Great Sun of Life." "True believers" knew that all good came from him, he provided for all their needs, was omniscient, and that they relied on his mercy. The stories told by these defectors (all different individuals with different reasons for leaving, but telling similar stories of hardship, starvation, and life in North Korea) helped me to realize why an entire country can be "brainwashed" into believing what they did. Other interesting points were the similarities identified between most dictatorial regimes throughout history. Certainly made me interested in learning more, especially with recent accounts in the news of the young new leader and nuclear tests."
— Lindsay (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Deeply moving…The personal stories are related with novelistic detail.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Excellent…humanizes a downtrodden, long-suffering people whose individual lives, hopes and dreams are so little known abroad.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Offers extensive evidence of the author’s deep knowledge of this country while keeping its sights firmly on individual stories and human details.”
— New York Times -
“A tour de force of meticulous reporting.”
— New York Review of Books -
“These are the stories you’ll never hear from North Korea’s state news agency.”
— New York Post -
“The ring of authority as well as the suspense of a novel.’’
— Washington Times -
“A groundbreaking work of literary nonfiction.”
— Slate
Awards
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Finalist for the National Book Award
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Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award
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Finalist for the Special Baillie Gifford Prize of Winner of Winners in Nonfiction
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Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction
Nothing to Envy Listener Reviews
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Alan Mossman, 6/11/2023
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" Fact-filled yet horrific, human and heart-wrenching(alliteration!) nonfiction. I can't believe how little I knew about what has been/is going on in North Korea, and this book was eye-opening on many levels. It isn't a book you curl up with and read in an afternoon. It's a book you read a chapter of, set down, and go appreciate your life and your country. It isn't for the faint of heart reader. Demick portrays starvation, hardship and loss, but it isn't a one-sided picture. She shows how those who have left their country still have love for it and its people. Moving, intelligent and informative. "
— Al, 2/17/2014 -
" I liked the book. Very interesting story of around 6 different North Korean defectors. My only critique of this book is that it can become confusing with the stories changing each chapter (Each chapter shows a different persons perspective eg. Story 1, 2, 3, 1, 3, 2, etc.) "
— Jacob, 2/1/2014 -
" This is the second time I've read this, the first time was an audiobook, so I wanted to read it in print for myself. No matter how many times I've heard the stories of the defectors, I am still always left in awe and confusion. We're used to how the media tends to portray North Korea as "the axis of evil" however, we rarely get a glimpse of what is actually going on inside. How does the average person live? Or more appropriately, how do they survive? We also ridicule the citizens for being too stupid or naive or gullible to believe the party lies, but we don't know or realize the brainwashing they have received since childhood. This is an excellent book that delves into the average life of a North Korean and the struggle to survive in a totalitarian regime. "
— R, 1/28/2014 -
" Profiles of people from North Korea. Compelling. "
— Janis, 1/8/2014 -
" Being a Chinese, before reading this book, I thought I knew what it was about.However, the truth is knowing some kind of interesting facts by no means equals understanding the reality. This book is like a non-fiction version of 1984. The resemblances made me shiver with fear. I suppose by reading about DPRK, I am not exactly trying to understand a country completely beyond my imagination, but to understand my own country and the past century here that preceded the birth of my generation. "
— Victoire, 1/8/2014 -
" fascinating and terrifying. This reads like a novel, and the content is so unbelievable that it should be. "
— Erok, 12/30/2013 -
" I was impressed with this rare and honest look at life in North Korea. The author did an impressive job of dealing with the political, without overly politicizing everything. "
— Laura, 12/29/2013 -
" This book is gripping from start to finish. But it's very very sad. I will be recommending it to all my friends. "
— Alison, 11/1/2013 -
" This is an excellent book about live in North Korea as told through those who escaped in the 1990s-2000s. North Korea is indeed a strange place unlike anywhere else in the world "
— Natalie, 9/15/2013 -
" Not a fun book to read...but very eye-opening about ordinary people's lives in North Korea over 15 years. Quite shocking and informative. "
— Vicki, 9/14/2013 -
" Journalism at its best. "
— Julie, 8/11/2013 -
" This was really good. Interesting and sad. It's non-fiction but reads easily, describing life with stories and facts about North Korean life. "
— Zachariah, 7/24/2013 -
" just do it. "
— Anastasia, 5/21/2013 -
" Compulsively readable. Shockingly sad, yet inspiring. This is the story of life in North Korea as told through the eyes of defectors now living in South Korea. Demick is a storyteller of great empathy. High recommend. "
— Heather, 5/11/2013 -
" Unbelievable that these people have endured so much while the rest of the world has moved on. A must read and I have recommended it to several people. "
— Connie, 6/30/2012 -
" Fascinating, horrifying. "
— Anna, 2/5/2012 -
" What a story told by a journalist in Seoul. three years of researching the lives of 6 defectors from North Korea. Very engaging and unbelievably cruel. Life in North Korea in the 1990s and today. "
— Margie, 2/3/2012 -
" Absolutely fascinating. Anyone in the least bit interested should read this to understand just how a theocratic starvation state can continue to exist in 2012. "
— Noah, 1/11/2012 -
" Started this one last night. First impression--the two young people are as sheltered as Quiverfull kids are here only slightly worse. "
— Lisa, 6/30/2011 -
" Well written and fascinating, although subject matter difficult. Well worth reading. "
— Barbara, 6/28/2011 -
" This book us a must-read. It's like "1984" but real and less than 10 years ago. I had no idea how bad things are in North Korea. "
— Jenny, 6/26/2011 -
" This book has given me 1 x nightmare so far, albeit mixed up with some car chase videos I have been watching. So perhaps one star should be given to the car chase videos. "
— Peter, 6/25/2011 -
" Fantastic! Thoroughly recommend to anyone with an interest in the region. It is a sad set of personal histoires onf defectors but one of the few personal insights. I find it hard to laugh at the 'crack-pot' regime after these personal accounts. Very good and uplifting. "
— James, 6/25/2011 -
" Cordelia asked me to read it so I did. A good recomendation. "
— Keith, 6/17/2011 -
" A fascinating and compelling, yet disturbing, book which follows the lives of six North Koreans who eventually become defectors. "
— Pat, 6/12/2011 -
" An amazing, chilling look at the lives of ordinary people in North Korea. "
— Jenna, 6/9/2011
About Barbara Demick
Barbara Demick is the author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award and the winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize in the United Kingdom, and Logavina Street: Life and Death in a Sarajevo Neighborhood. Her books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times and a contributor to the New Yorker and was recently a press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
About Karen White
Karen White has been narrating audiobooks of all genres since 1999. Honored to be included in AudioFile’s Best Voices, she’s also a four-time Audie Finalist and has earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and Library Journal starred reviews.