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

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

Goodreads describes this book as "The runaway bestseller that helped launch Korea's new feminist movement, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 follows one woman's psychic deterioration in the face of rigid misogyny." I cannot think of a better description. This book is short, but it packs a punch. It had me angry from beginning to end. There are heavy themes of misogyny throughout the whole book as our main character, Jiyoung, simply cannot catch a break. The narrative of her life, while brief, illustrates perfectly how living under an oppressive patriarchy in Korean culture has messed with this woman's mental health and development. Though this book is specifically about a typical woman from modern day South Korea, I think there are things that happen within it that most women from various cultures can relate to, which horrifies me. I don't feel like I'm super qualified to review a book this important. I'm just a girl who likes books, but I really liked this book and what it had to say about feminism, motherhood, and being an average woman in general. The only thing I think I would change would be that I would've liked it to be longer and to have gone deeper into the psychological aspect of it.
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