Nothing to envy by Barbara Demick'

They hate themselves for what they had to do in order to survive.

 

It's a fantastic description of North Korea through the eyes of defectors. I loved the style adopted by the author which kept me stimulated and very interested in the various stories. I also enjoyed the many parallels made between North Korea and many other autocratic states. I found the comparisons apt and very relevant indeed. The only issue with the narration is that it depicts only the view of outsiders and thus not representative of the North Korea as a whole. But I can imagine why the author would fail to present the insider view without open recourse to interviews with the local populace in North Korea. Propaganda used by any state is an extremely effective tool to keep its citizens in the dark, and the North Koreans seem to have mastered this dark art to perfection. The only way out is revolution from within North Korea which can break this mould. The other possibility is a military coup which is not a bad compromise under the given conditions in the Republic. 

The author has painted a very human story of the North Koreans which deserved to be read and understood, so that we can learn from their plight.