Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

42 reviews

clovetra's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

3.0

i’m very conflicted on this book.

i want to say in no way shape or form do i want to criticise what the author wrote. i think raising awareness to the misogynistic culture of south korea is necessary, and the way it was done truly made me feel immersed in what it is like to be a woman in south korea.

i do think this book is necessary, especially considering the 4B movement has reached the west (as in, the knowledge of its existence in south korean culture).

purely from a reader’s perspective is why my star rating is so “low”.

this book kinda reminds me of a woman is no man by etaf rum, in that it’s:

truthful, raw story adapted for “entertaining” purposes but could realistically be a real person’s life
repeats the same themes & message surround misogyny without any new takes, going on and on with the same content
incredibly disheartening to read as it feels like torture porn & gives you zero hope
becomes stagnant around the middle of the story
has an anticlimactic ending that slightly infuriates you (this “infuriating” comment more so applies to this book, whereas a woman is no man was solely anticlimactic)

also with a woman is no man, i feel scummy writing this review & giving negative feedback surrounding lives women very likely are actually living in the real world whilst i sit here prim and proper, not having to worry about if i will be discriminated against if i have kids (i won’t) or told to “suck it up” with workplace harassment.

i think i also went in with the wrong expectations - i expected the story to more heavily explain *why* jiyoung now channels women of her past. all i got was roughly ~30 pages of this which was probably the most disappointing aspect of the book for me. but i don’t really think i can hold this against the writer tbh - yet again my expectations for a book are out of wack 💀

like a woman is no man, i do think everyone should read this. i just don’t particularly “love” books about misogyny because u know…. i read to escape the real world…. i get enough sexism from existing thank u very much!

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melina_30's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

Wow. I think it's brilliant that we learn at the end, that

this story is written by Jiyoung's therapist which explains the clinical and detached writing style. Also I'm in shok how the therapist didn't learn anything from the experiences of women in his life. Both his own wife and his patient Kim Jiyoung share their stuggle with mistreatment by men in their life and society in general but he doesn't seem to understand why they struggle which becomes clear with the description of an employee who had to quit her job at the clinic due to the same reasons his patients consult him. The last sentences of the book had me in shock: "Even the best female employees can cause many problems if they don't have the childcare issue taken care of. I'll have to make sure her replacement is unmarried." One last slap in the face... After everything he heard from his patients and his own wife this is his solution??

Amazing book that everyone should read.

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mardana's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Somehow hitting close to home, even though the Korean women apparently have it much harder. I know many of the more or less subtle comments and expectations directed towards women from first hand experience.

This is a book, that should predominantly be read by men. But I doubt, that many a man will pick it up.

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bethancy's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

A social commentary through the biography of Kim Jiyoung. This book was informative and thought-provoking, and would make a great book club pick. Dark at times.

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meshuganush's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I found this book to be a really good depiction of the rampant and pervasive sexism in everyday life and actions that women have to put up with, deal with and make excuses for. It was really well done and as a compliment to the book and meant in the best possible way the word I can beat use for describing this book is demoralizing.

Possible spoiler:
The ending was absolutely heart wrenching and did and excellent job of amplifying the message of the book.

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scifi_rat's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

Plot: 4.5★
Prose: 4.5★
Pace: 5★
Concept/Execution: 5★/5★
Characters: 4.75★
Worldbuilding: 4.75★
Ending: 5★

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navayiota's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

It's not often that a book strikes you. This book struck me, a perfectly worded criticism of society's attitude towards women. The author triggered emotions in me that were unpleasant and unwelcome, but that I have to analyse eventually, because the world will never let me forget them. I am appalled, yet again, by the actions of people who see others as toys to abuse and throw away once we are no longer of use. I got chills at the ending. This should be essential reading. I'll be visiting more of Cho Nam-Joo's bibliography in the future.

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annagerman's review

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informative medium-paced

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

1.5

I get the point of this book - to describe the plights of an everyday women in modern Korea, in a way that is clinical and objective, without exessive drama or fanflair... But the detached style of writing made it difficult to connect with the story and the character. Only near the end did I start to feel invested.
There were hints of an intresting premise made in the first chapter, without any pay-off. And the last chapter did pack a punch. But middle section was too mild and borderline boring.
If this book was any longer I would have probably not make it through.

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lizzie_r's review against another edition

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emotional informative fast-paced

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

4.0

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cbh's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Goosebumps. What an ending, although the statistics break immersion, it was a great addition and really educational. This is the story of every-woman, a story that will never be believed as it echoes through civilization.

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