Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982

This beautiful, painfully relatable book talks about the unaddressed, "insignificant" dismissed ways in which a woman is discriminated against her whole life. While pertaining to most Asian countries, the author specifically addresses this concern with respect to Korea, and the way things are dealt with and handled there. This fictional story, focusing on not-so-fictional problems is a must read. The poetic, unrestrained rage one feels while reading this is proof of how good the writing is, and makes you think about all the injustices we let slide away. Down to the smallest fact of not having received what your male sibling receives without having to ask, Working hard to achieve goals men have been able to reach easily, and then being reprimanded for it subtly. About how familial relationships and societal standards tie down someone with a lot of potential, taking away their right to chose. About marriage, and motherhood. Kim Jiyoung represents a Korean everywoman, and I'm sure, a small part of each one of us.

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honey_b's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This book is so infuriating and made me have high blood pressure, be warned.

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ifweweresorrows's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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laurataylor's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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cutepatzie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Amazing. Must be read for everyone. Amazing story that shows the truth that our sociality is still more favorable to men than to women. That the world is bild generally more for men than women. And how hard is being a girl. Even when we made so much progress in the past 100 years, its still a long way to go for us. Definitely shelf must-have.

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taulkstoomuch's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The ending of this book was so infuriating but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that this is such a good depiction of misogyny. Some people will see the problems right in front of their face but still not be able to realise that they are an active part of the issue.

Such an insightful book, I devoured it within a day. I already have a passion for translated fiction and this has definitely part of the reason why.

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laurareads87's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 lives up to the author's intentions to write a work that sparks conversation about Korean women's experiences with sexism and misogyny at home, in school, and at work. The book felt simultaneously very familiar and very infuriating -- I cannot say that I was surprised by the protagonist's experiences as many of them are not dissimilar to my own, yet finishing it I find myself affected nonetheless. The author captures misogyny in all of its everydayness: its manifestations in relationships between partners, strangers, colleagues, the excuses men make to dismiss its existence, and its reproduction by even those who consider themselves progressive. The incorporation of a few footnoted statistics (about gender and employment, wage gaps, etc. in Korea) is highly effective and, I think, is valuable context, particularly for non-Korean readers.

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yourpervertedneighbor's review

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dark informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

3 / 5

"Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982" is a book that left me with mixed feelings. As a woman, it was definitely anxiety-inducing to read about the pressures of culture and society the main character faced. However, while the book is meant to read like a case study (which I found to be an innovative approach to storytelling) I felt that it was a bit "unfinished" in parts.

The book is about the life of Kim Jiyoung, a woman living in South Korea, and her experiences of sexism and discrimination. The story is told through a series of vignettes, which show the various stages of her life and the ways in which she was treated differently because of her gender.

While I appreciated the book's attempt to shed light on the issue of gender inequality, I felt that some parts of the book were lacking in detail and depth. There were times when I wanted more information about certain events or characters, but the book moved on too quickly.

Overall, "Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982" was an interesting read, but it fell short in some areas. I would rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. While the book does have its flaws, it raises important issues that are worth discussing. It's not an easy read, but it's one that I think is important for everyone, especially women, to read and reflect on.

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