A review by laurareads87
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

challenging informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 lives up to the author's intentions to write a work that sparks conversation about Korean women's experiences with sexism and misogyny at home, in school, and at work.  The book felt simultaneously very familiar and very infuriating -- I cannot say that I was surprised by the protagonist's experiences as many of them are not dissimilar to my own, yet finishing it I find myself affected nonetheless.  The author captures misogyny in all of its everydayness: its manifestations in relationships between partners, strangers, colleagues, the excuses men make to dismiss its existence, and its reproduction by even those who consider themselves progressive.  The incorporation of a few footnoted statistics (about gender and employment, wage gaps, etc. in Korea) is highly effective and, I think, is valuable context, particularly for non-Korean readers.
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