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A review by _askthebookbug
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
5.0
// Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
I've read quite a few memoirs of North Korea defectors in the past, each one imprinting itself on my mind for years to come. One might wonder what makes Nothing to Envy so different from the other stories. For starters, it covers the lives of six defectors who speak to Barbara about the lives they once lived back in the country which stays well hidden from the public eye. Secondly, Barabara offers history and the events associated with in a neat and precised manner starting from the early 90s. Needless to say, there's a lot of horror associated with this book, sometimes to the point of it all sounding unbelievable.
If there ever has to be hell on Earth, it would undoubtedly be North Korea. To think that one family can wield such immense power to subjugate millions of people to listen to them is something that's straight out of a dystopian novel. Covering the lives of six commoners, Nothing to Envy makes a terrific book, both precise and emotional at the same time. When the economy collapsed and a man induced famine plagued the country, millions lost their lives. The privileged, as usual survived and ate three meals a day while the others barely had a morsel for an entire week.
The social hierarchy in NK is baffling, one that is still in place. Everytime I thought I'd read everything about NK, something new pops up. Each terrifying than the previous one.
Nothing to Envy may just be the right book to introduce you to the world of North Korea. This is an important read, one that sheds floodlights on a rather dark country.
I've read quite a few memoirs of North Korea defectors in the past, each one imprinting itself on my mind for years to come. One might wonder what makes Nothing to Envy so different from the other stories. For starters, it covers the lives of six defectors who speak to Barbara about the lives they once lived back in the country which stays well hidden from the public eye. Secondly, Barabara offers history and the events associated with in a neat and precised manner starting from the early 90s. Needless to say, there's a lot of horror associated with this book, sometimes to the point of it all sounding unbelievable.
If there ever has to be hell on Earth, it would undoubtedly be North Korea. To think that one family can wield such immense power to subjugate millions of people to listen to them is something that's straight out of a dystopian novel. Covering the lives of six commoners, Nothing to Envy makes a terrific book, both precise and emotional at the same time. When the economy collapsed and a man induced famine plagued the country, millions lost their lives. The privileged, as usual survived and ate three meals a day while the others barely had a morsel for an entire week.
The social hierarchy in NK is baffling, one that is still in place. Everytime I thought I'd read everything about NK, something new pops up. Each terrifying than the previous one.
Nothing to Envy may just be the right book to introduce you to the world of North Korea. This is an important read, one that sheds floodlights on a rather dark country.