Nothing To Envy: Real Lives In North Korea
Jun 2010 · Granta
star
61 reviews
Ebook
336
Pages
Tools
info
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.
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 wi...
Discover more
Ratings and reviews
61 reviews
budde bhasker
- Flag inappropriate
- Show review history
May 5, 2026
I am bhasker by birth all irons youngg e mails all irons youngg s. m. s worldds bhasker veeralaksheme veeraiah dilip chandd akshetha swarnaltha sunitha famillies bhasker in all kindds irons railways stations, in all kindds irons buses stations putt railways,buses times it means 13 = 1 hour, 14= 2 ° clock 15= 3° clock, 16=4° clock, 17= 5° clock, 18=6° clock, 19= 7° clock, 20=8°clock, 21= 9° clock this is styles putt in all rail buses standds no copy bhasker copy by all worlds wars by all
Joseph Patterson
- Flag inappropriate
June 22, 2026
An excellent book. It is often difficult to imagine what it entails to be a citizen of the DPRK. Having read about the experiences of defectors, both before and after defection, it is easier to have an understanding of the country itself.
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
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.
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.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
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.
