A review by albert_04
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
5.0
This book is astonishing and impressive in all aspects. Lively written and well-organized. It's full of emotions, a mixed of frustration to the NK's government and propagandas, and grief and sympathy to the situation of ordinary North Koreans is what I've felt every chapters.
Nothing to Envy provides a glimpse of what is inside of the isolated North Korea through the perspectives of ordinary citizen defactors. Barbara effectively utilized the narratives and stories of her interviewees, while at the same time providing a comprehensive background of North Korea regime's history, government, and propaganda machines and policies.
It is maddening how, up till now, the Kim's absolute authoritarian regime holds its power by distorting history and people's awareness in all aspects. The extensive propaganda machines, conspiracies, and fictional narratives drove their citizens away from reality and let them slip to the grim foolishness and myths of greatness and superiority of the Kims leadership. Their pride and nationalism became vices, still not admitting that they were a failed state and that self-sufficiency no longer works in the time of globalization. Thus, they are still behind and living to the greatness once they had during the 1960s.
The six lives of the defactors and their stories reflected the experiences of the ordinary North Koreans entirely. I couldn't grip my emotions and get teary-eyed as I read their tragic and depressing stories. The deprivations of food and basic necessities, malnourishment, oppression and violence, restrictions and death; they are really not living with their own lives because they were dictated from infancy to their grave on what should they acquire and believe.
But behind all those depressing state and frustration, there is hope. Love and intimacy still exists between ordinary citizens even the state forbids, like the story of Mi-Ran and Jun-Sang. There are also silent dissenters and individual freedom fighters that leapt beyond the NK-constructed borders and walls, making themselves free. Creative and business-minded individuals also strive to produce their own necessities and violating the principal ideal that the State should the ones to provide everything.
It is clear that we have nothing to envy to the situation of North Koreans. But, there is hope. Everything doesn't last and change is inevitable.
Nothing to Envy provides a glimpse of what is inside of the isolated North Korea through the perspectives of ordinary citizen defactors. Barbara effectively utilized the narratives and stories of her interviewees, while at the same time providing a comprehensive background of North Korea regime's history, government, and propaganda machines and policies.
It is maddening how, up till now, the Kim's absolute authoritarian regime holds its power by distorting history and people's awareness in all aspects. The extensive propaganda machines, conspiracies, and fictional narratives drove their citizens away from reality and let them slip to the grim foolishness and myths of greatness and superiority of the Kims leadership. Their pride and nationalism became vices, still not admitting that they were a failed state and that self-sufficiency no longer works in the time of globalization. Thus, they are still behind and living to the greatness once they had during the 1960s.
The six lives of the defactors and their stories reflected the experiences of the ordinary North Koreans entirely. I couldn't grip my emotions and get teary-eyed as I read their tragic and depressing stories. The deprivations of food and basic necessities, malnourishment, oppression and violence, restrictions and death; they are really not living with their own lives because they were dictated from infancy to their grave on what should they acquire and believe.
But behind all those depressing state and frustration, there is hope. Love and intimacy still exists between ordinary citizens even the state forbids, like the story of Mi-Ran and Jun-Sang. There are also silent dissenters and individual freedom fighters that leapt beyond the NK-constructed borders and walls, making themselves free. Creative and business-minded individuals also strive to produce their own necessities and violating the principal ideal that the State should the ones to provide everything.
It is clear that we have nothing to envy to the situation of North Koreans. But, there is hope. Everything doesn't last and change is inevitable.