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mandel's review against another edition
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Sexism
Moderate: Stalking and Pregnancy
Minor: Medical content, Abortion, Alcohol, and Pedophilia
saoreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story was easy to follow as it provided a background of the character's childhood to adulthood, which brought up instances that were relatable and to the notion of being a woman. While I was reading, it was really interesting and informative as the plot could flow in the same way as how manuscripts in K-dramas work from home, middle, and high school settings to college, job life, and marriage. The novel itself included statistics and references on the gender gap and dynamics when it came to the treatment of men and women. The experiences are so real that they tug at the heart. Now in the 21st century, it continues to happen. It also spoke of Korean culture when it came to senior-junior relationships at work and superstitions when it came to pregnancy, some of which I picked up from watching films. Ending the book brought about issues within society in general about women, marriage, maternity, child birth, and childcare, the aftereffects of giving up plenty of things, which makes you more aware not only of others but of yourself. It irked me how it also ended up misogynistically, whether that was intentional or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Medical content, Mental illness, Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Death, and Pregnancy
laurataylor's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
sammyb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Alcohol
Moderate: Abortion
nightfell's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was a reflective literary fiction piece on a woman growing up in South Korea and the challenges she faced as a woman in a highly discriminatory society. I know the majority of women (if not all women) will relate to some aspect of this book, especially if you are a mother. I really liked how simple and matter-of-fact it was written, as it enforced the fact of the story that these experiences that women go through are inevitable, and for women in Korea it was told like a kind of sick rite of passage ( I don't know if anyone will understand what I mean by this, just that every women in Korea goes through the what Jiyoung did in her life). That's not to say that the book was simple, it conveyed a wide range of emotions all while maintaining the restrained demeanor of Jiyoung to mirror the expectations of women during this time.
I also liked all the statistics that were included throughout the story, as it added an element of realism to this fictional story based on real life experiences.
Overall, this book was really impactful, I'm glad it has had such a big impact in South Korea, and everyone should read this book.
I also liked all the statistics that were included throughout the story, as it added an element of realism to this fictional story based on real life experiences.
Overall, this book was really impactful, I'm glad it has had such a big impact in South Korea, and everyone should read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol and Abortion
minzzi's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Oh Girl! This book is small, but punches you right in the guts.
A excruciatinly realistic view of how it is to be a woman in a patriarchal society. And, even thought the story was set in South Korea, with is the other side is the world for me, so much of what happened to Jiyoung also happened to me. It's scary.
As someone who doesn't have/doesn't plan on having children, this book really made me think about the consequences of motherhood and appreciate the woman in my life who are mothers. Just to think about the sacrifices that my grandmothers and my mother had to make in this sexist world makes angry. Also loved the twist in the end. It's sad and infuriating, but realistic and it pulls the hole story together.
Kim Jiyoung is the perfect example of how most woman in their tirthies know how unfair and disgusting society is towards than, but fill pressured by generational trauma to just suck it up so they don't get left behind. Because they know that it doesn't matter what they do or what kinda of woman they choose to be, they are always going to be judged and scrutinized by everyone around than, including other woman. I just wished that the story also focused on other types of woman (queer, single mothers, self-proclaimed feminists, disabled, etc), since Jiyoung clearly represents a specific group of woman. But that is just my personal preference.
A excruciatinly realistic view of how it is to be a woman in a patriarchal society. And, even thought the story was set in South Korea, with is the other side is the world for me, so much of what happened to Jiyoung also happened to me. It's scary.
As someone who doesn't have/doesn't plan on having children, this book really made me think about the consequences of motherhood and appreciate the woman in my life who are mothers. Just to think about the sacrifices that my grandmothers and my mother had to make in this sexist world makes angry. Also loved the twist in the end. It's sad and infuriating, but realistic and it pulls the hole story together.
Kim Jiyoung is the perfect example of how most woman in their tirthies know how unfair and disgusting society is towards than, but fill pressured by generational trauma to just suck it up so they don't get left behind. Because they know that it doesn't matter what they do or what kinda of woman they choose to be, they are always going to be judged and scrutinized by everyone around than, including other woman. I just wished that the story also focused on other types of woman (queer, single mothers, self-proclaimed feminists, disabled, etc), since Jiyoung clearly represents a specific group of woman. But that is just my personal preference.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Abortion, and Mental illness
stoowaa's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I listened to this on spotify (german version) and it was amazing. I got so frustrated at times and felt for the women in this book. The ending made me so mad! I would also say this is a good book if you want to read about feminism and discuss some topics. Very informative without neglecting the story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Alcohol and Bullying
bill369's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I found out about this book through social media.
The character I like is Kim's mother. She had to give up her dreams for her family and supported her daughters unconditionally to achieve their dreams. And even though she was a stay at home mom, she tried to contribute financially by taking part-time jobs. This is another fact confirming how great she is and how hard she tried. Regarding the women in the story and the reality, I admire the strength of them all because they shouldn't have to experience all these horrible, degrading things while not even being able to complain since it's considered to be normal.
This book focuses on women in South Korea and the injustice between women and men influenced and in a way caused by Confucianism. It covers many large themes and dogmas such as the commonness of women leaving their work positions after giving birth, bullying being a compliment (better to have attention than to be ignored), preferring men over women in every part of life, and, most importantly, things always being the women's fault. Did you get harassed on the subway? How long was your skirt? Were you acting seductively? No one ever points out the simple fact that men shouldn't do such things even if the woman was acting seductively and wearing a short skirt. Also, the moment a housewife takes a break she's a so-called mamčchung – a housewife who justifies her arrogance with a child in the stoller and all she does is spend the husband's hard-earned money... There's one reaccuring thought, women losing trust and feeling hatred towards men. Because in such a society as a woman it's incredibly difficult to not feel negative emotions toward the other gender. The author captured all this marvellously and even included some data with resources on one of the last pages of the book. Great work!
Page 27, the family's hierarchy.
Bylo naprosto samozřejmé, že čerstvě uvařenou teplou rýži si nabírali v pořadí tatínek, mladší bratr, babička. Stejně tak bylo přirozené, že zatímco pravidelné kousky söjového tvarohu, povedené masové taštičky a placičky mizely v bratrových ústech, nejstarší sestra s Kim Čijong pojídaly rozpadlé zbytky. (...) Malou Čijong ve skutečnosti ani nenapadlo, že by se s jejím mladším bratrem nějak zvlášť zacházelo, nebo že by mu měla závidět. Bylo to tak odjakživa. (...) Matka je pořád chválila, že na brášku vůvec nežárlí (nejspíš díky velkému věkovému rozdílu) a pěkně se o něj starají. A protože Kim Čijong slyšela samou chválu, tak na něj opravdu žárlit nemohla.
Page 44, male supermacy.
Bylo to zkrátka tak nějak přirozené a normální, že muž je číslo jedna, že je na začátku, že má přednost. Chlapci stáli první ve frontě, jako první se přesouvali, první prezentovali, první předkládali úkoly ke kontrole. Děvčata se mezitím trochu nudila, trochu to považovala za štěstí, ale vůbec jim to nepřipadalo zvláštní, jen tiše čekala až na ně příjde řada.
Page 92, women can never win.
Když je žena neschopná, tak to nejde, protože je neschopná; když je schopná, tak to nejde, protože je schopná, a když je něco mezi tím, tak to nejde, protože je moc průměrná?
Page 135, something to keep in mind.
Podobně jako to, že někdo kvůli práci svěří dítě do cizích rukou, neznamená, že dítě nemiluje, tak to, že někdo nechá práce, aby mohl pečovat o dítě, neznamená, že by neměl dost pracovního zápalu.
The end of the book wasn't really special however the epilogue is well-written.
I am grateful I found out about this book and read it. I believe it's a great way to learn about this topic while also having fun.
The character I like is Kim's mother. She had to give up her dreams for her family and supported her daughters unconditionally to achieve their dreams. And even though she was a stay at home mom, she tried to contribute financially by taking part-time jobs. This is another fact confirming how great she is and how hard she tried. Regarding the women in the story and the reality, I admire the strength of them all because they shouldn't have to experience all these horrible, degrading things while not even being able to complain since it's considered to be normal.
This book focuses on women in South Korea and the injustice between women and men influenced and in a way caused by Confucianism. It covers many large themes and dogmas such as the commonness of women leaving their work positions after giving birth, bullying being a compliment (better to have attention than to be ignored), preferring men over women in every part of life, and, most importantly, things always being the women's fault. Did you get harassed on the subway? How long was your skirt? Were you acting seductively? No one ever points out the simple fact that men shouldn't do such things even if the woman was acting seductively and wearing a short skirt. Also, the moment a housewife takes a break she's a so-called mamčchung – a housewife who justifies her arrogance with a child in the stoller and all she does is spend the husband's hard-earned money... There's one reaccuring thought, women losing trust and feeling hatred towards men. Because in such a society as a woman it's incredibly difficult to not feel negative emotions toward the other gender. The author captured all this marvellously and even included some data with resources on one of the last pages of the book. Great work!
Page 27, the family's hierarchy.
Page 44, male supermacy.
Page 92, women can never win.
Page 135, something to keep in mind.
The end of the book wasn't really special however the epilogue is well-written.
I am grateful I found out about this book and read it. I believe it's a great way to learn about this topic while also having fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Abortion and Alcohol
sarahsbooklife's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Mental illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Classism, Miscarriage, and Alcohol
moonbin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol, Infertility, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Cursing