Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Flowers of Fire

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

whatannikareads's review

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

4.75

very insightful and well researched. it is so important that this book exists. i hope it’ll be translated to korean one day! solidarity to all koreans of all genders who’ve fallen victim to discrimination, sexual violence and have been silenced. 모든 사람들이 중요하고 항상 응원할게요!!

Content Warnings

httponyo's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

For all the Westerners who still fantasize about the sweet and docile Asian woman like Miss Saigon , I'd say , "Wake up! Your Miss Saigon was dead and gone a long time ago. She's not here anymore."

I don't read much nonfiction books , preferring to receive my history from online articles or current stories . As an avid kpop and kdrama fan , who's active on social media , I've always assumed myself to be midly aware of main core issues of South Korea . After all , it's impossible to interact with a space so intimately and not walk away with some knowledge, right? I was wrong. So very , very wrong and to the women of South Korea I deeply apologize for my ignorance.

I've heard about the Burning Sun crimes and the station stabbing , but reading this book? Reading it after learning about all the pain that came before those horride crime , about how hard South Korean women fought and continue to fight has been another reminder on the dangers of femicide and gender-based violence. Misogyny is a danger and threat to us all , and the feminist movement of South Korea is a beautiful but harrowing example to us all.

"If there's a book you want to read , but it hasn't been written yet , then you must write it.

I took me 21 days to read this book. A lot of things in it were very triggering for me but I'm extremely glad I finished. Even when one understands intersectionality , it's important to continuously read stories from people outside of your based community. I'm proud of South Korean women, proud that they were able to use examples of women outside of SK as a foothold to what they seek to achieve . I hope they know women all across-the-board are rooting for them and their freedom. May we all see change in this lifetime.

Content Warnings

crybabybea's review

Go to review page

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

Flowers of Fire is the first chronicle of South Korean feminism to be published in English, so I have to give Hawon Jung her flowers (pun unintended). From what I can tell, she has a background in journalism which really shone here. She did a great job compiling her research, mixing it with her personal experiences, and interviews she did with prominent figures in the modern feminist movement.

Although there was a lot of history involved, the writing was accessible and Hawon Jung's writing and mix of journalism kept it intriguing. I'm totally amazed that she did the research, writing, and translated it herself so it was accessible to more people. Super important work I'm grateful for.

I appreciated the parallels drawn between the South Korean and Western feminist movements, especially how the #MeToo movement sparked in South Korea and started a wave of modern feminists. Also, Hawon Jung makes sure to point out issues within the movement, such as their trend toward TERF ideals in recent years. There's a section that focuses on spycams and deepfake revenge porn, which is an issue borne out of South Korea's extremely advanced technology, and is slowly becoming a bigger and bigger issue in Western countries.

Beyond being a historical overview of the feminist movement in South Korea, Hawon Jung tells a story of the power women have when they come together, how telling stories of abuse and misogyny heal not only the person telling the story, but everyone that listens. She pays special care to the times where women were united in their collective grief, and how they used their voices and love for each other to overcome. She also celebrates the bravery of all the women who have spoken out, even when they have suffered for it (as most of them have), and their courage to keep fighting despite it all. It was powerful to read first-hand interviews from some of the "mothers" of the South Korean feminist movement.

Overall a great, informative read that was easy to get through and shone light on a rather new movement that hasn't been covered before. Definitely recommend to anyone interested in feminism.

Content Warnings

butterymax's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

This should be required reading for anyone who is into hallyu. I have been a fan of kpop and other various Korean exports for years and didn't realize how much I didn't know until this book. Wow. I have a totally new perspective on the political and cultural landscape of the country. Amazingly informative. So hard to read at times. It took me about three weeks because I kept having to take breaks because of how difficult some of the content was.

Content Warnings

chwinters's review

Go to review page

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Heavy topics; engaging, current, and fantastic.

Content Warnings

fkshg8465's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

Reading this book was depressing and shocking. Felt like my home country was full of incels and homophobes that ruled the nation. At this point, it’s harder to say whether South Korea or Texas/Florida is more oppressive. It also further confirmed to me the damage done by Japanese colonialism and US imperialism. Reading this book made me feel ashamed to call myself Korean. It also helped make a lot more sense of my childhood.

Content Warnings