Nothing To Envy: Real Lives In North Korea
Jun 2010 · Granta
4.2star
58 reviews
Ebook
336
Pages
About this ebook
WINNER OF THE BBC SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2010
A spectacularly revealing and harrowing portrait of ordinary lives in the world's least ordinary country, North Korea
North Korea is Orwell's 1984 made reality: it is the only country in the world not connected to the internet; Gone with the Wind is a dangerous, banned book; during political rallies, spies study your expression to check your sincerity. After the death of the country's great leader Kim Il Sung in 1994, famine descended, and Nothing to Envy - winner of the 2010 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction - weaves together the stories of adversity and resilience of six residents of Chongin, North Korea's third-largest city. From extensive interviews and with tenacious investigative work, Barbara Demick has recreated the concerns, culture and lifestyles of North Korean citizens in a gripping narrative, and vividly reconstructed the inner workings of this extraordinary and secretive country.
A spectacularly revealing and harrowing portrait of ordinary lives in the world's least ordinary country, North Korea
North Korea is Orwell's 1984 made reality: it is the only country in the world not connected to the internet; Gone with the Wind is a dangerous, banned book; during political rallies, spies study your expression to check your sincerity. After the death of the country's great leader Kim Il Sung in 1994, famine descended, and Nothing to Envy - winner of the 2010 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction - weaves together the stories of adversity and resilience of six residents of Chongin, North Korea's third-largest city. From extensive interviews and with tenacious investigative work, Barbara Demick has recreated the concerns, culture and lifestyles of North Korean citizens in a gripping narrative, and vividly reconstructed the inner workings of this extraordinary and secretive country.
Ratings and reviews
4.2
58 reviews
Arthur Lin
- Flag inappropriate
January 16, 2015
During the start of book it gives you the overview and later explain how each individual reach to its present place.
8 people found this review helpful
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
January 28, 2014
Excellent read that explains lives in North Korea. It was hard to put this book down as you discover the workings of North Korea entwined with the story of 6 defectors.
3 people found this review helpful
brett storey
- Flag inappropriate
June 22, 2014
Awesome read. Puts everything in to perspective. Truly harrowing story built around individual lives.
3 people found this review helpful
About the author
Barbara Demick's coverage of the war in Sarajevo won the George Polk Award and the Robert F Kennedy Award, and she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in international reporting. She is now the Beijing Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.