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

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

5.0

2022 Reading #8 | Back to Basi... Fiction!
(Repeat after me: feminism is stiLL NEEDED EVERYWHERE!)

Let me tell you something: what a bittersweet read! Reading about the struggles of women — even fictional ones! — on the other side of the world from the 1980s to the mid-2010s resonates with me because I sort of grew up in that era. However, still relating to so many aspects of it in 2022 is crazy to me… Or a punch in the face, if you will.

Unequal division of domestic labour, sexual assault and harassment, different treatment due to her gender,… These are only some of the things Kim Jiyoung had to go through in her life in South Korea. But, then again, tell me a women that has not! This all boils down to misogyny, the sexist social norms that rule our world, and the powerlessness we feel when we encounter them — and we have been encountering them our whole lives.

That is why reading this book felt like both a punch in the face and a déjà vu: even though some of the episodes remind me more of something that could have happened to older generations (or that are very specific to South Korean culture), I cannot shake the feeling that I have found myself in several of the situations portrayed. The additional challenges we had to go through at home, at school, at work… No matter where we come from, we all have a bit of Kim Jiyoung in us.

And that end… Oh, that end! It was SO WEIRD! When you first read it, it feels like it is going on one direction — and THEN it derails. I do not want to be giving away too many spoilers, but you will get it when you get to that part. I have to say, though, that I specially enjoyed that we were not only presented with a fictionalised version of the facts but also with some statistics on gender inequality in South Korea, which helped a lot with understanding the cultural background.

If I had only one thing to say about this book, it would be that it is probably the best I have read so far in 2022. It is small and detached (so it might not be for everyone!) but you will surely relate to it… and probably feel furious afterwards.

P.S.: While I was reading this book, I told my boyfriend many times he had to read this — especially because I was constantly gasping under my breath, due to the constant realisation of how much men suck. It was my way of making peace that I like one, ok?


[Read between 17 April 2022 - 4 May 2022. | Review written on 19 October 2022. || Go follow my bookstagram: @asreadbycatarina]