A review by shelleyanderson4127
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

informative sad fast-paced

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

2.75

 

This slender novel, which has sold over one million copies, reads like an in-depth newspaper article. This is partly due to the brisk, no nonsense writing style, and partly to the occasional true-life footnotes.

We follow the life of a young South Korean woman named Kim Jiyoung, and the sexism she experiences from birth, to primary school and university, up to and including marriage and her first child.

Kim Jiyoung gives up her career to marry a caring, if slightly obtuse, man. She begins to act strangely after the birth of their first child, imitating the voice and mannerisms of other women. I found it unclear if this is post-partum depression or some sort of resistance to her increasingly restricted life.

This is a novel about the all pervasive sexism that proscribes modern Korean life. While I am glad that I read this profoundly feminist novel, ably translated by Jamie Chang, I found it very detached and unemotional. It was hard to feel anything for Jiyoung. Her mother, however, was a different story. I loved her agency and determination, and the way she stood up for her two daughters.

Sadly, the sexism depicted in this novel, such as being bullied by boys in school, sexually harassed on the street, or being passed over for promotion at work, is something too many women find commonplace. Author Cho Nam-Joo created a national debate in South Korea with this novel--a debate which needs to be international. I only wish I could have enjoyed this book more.