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equalopportunityreader 's review for:
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
by Cho Nam-joo
I feel so many ways about this book. Let me start by saying that this is not an enjoyable read at all, but it is important. It isn’t dramatic, but it is realistic. And it isn’t entertaining, but it is necessary, I think. ⠀
Kim Ji-Young was the most common baby girl’s name in Korea in 1982. Fittingly, the protagonist of this book is a very ordinary Korean woman. She’s a 33 year old former marketer, well-married with a one year old daughter and a fairly pleasant, stable life. However, one day she starts channeling the voices and personalities of other women and her concerned husband takes her to a psychiatrist, who dutifully records her life history. If that formed the bulk of the book it would be great, but instead the narrative is mostly a very dry recital of Ji-Young’s childhood and coming of age up to the point of her breakdown. It’s stultifyingly normal, but there are moments that any woman can relate to–being forced to tolerate the bullying of little boys in school, being blamed for unwanted attentions from men, the difficulties of moving up in the professional world and the thousand small irritations that come from marrying a well-meaning but basic man in a world determined to favor him over you. While there are a lot of Korea-specific cultural references, Ji-Young really is an everywoman and I’ve had many similar experiences to hers, born a year earlier, literally half a world and another culture away.
However, despite the familiarity of her experiences, Ji-Young herself is nearly impossible for me to relate to. She has an infuriating lack of agency and inner thought–she’s a perfect victim and it’s only her privilege as a member of a stable family that supports her financially that keeps her life from being far, far, worse. I found myself frustrated by how safe and protected she actually was and how little she did with that foundation. She’s a flabby marshmallow of a woman who goes along with everything that happens to her and comes out far better than a lot of women do despite that. This is only highlighted by the fact that most of the other women in the story–her mother, her sister, her first boss–all have much more developed, layered personalities, in my opinion.
This book is important, and I get that. It speaks to a nation, a gender, and a generation. But in the end, its dry style and meticulous footnotes on gender inequality seem to reach a rather cold conclusion–that women should be treated better because it’s good for the economy and social logistics, not because we are also living breathing human beings with minds and hearts and desires of our own. I recognized Ji-Young’s struggle, but by the end of her story neither she nor I see any way forward for women in society. Fortunately, this is just a book and there are in fact ways to claim agency and equity as a woman in the world, but this book certainly doesn’t approach any of them. ⠀ ⠀
(For a complete review, please visit https://equalopportunityreader.com/2020/05/11/kim-ji-young-born-1982-by-cho-nam-jootranslated-by-jamie-chang/ )
Kim Ji-Young was the most common baby girl’s name in Korea in 1982. Fittingly, the protagonist of this book is a very ordinary Korean woman. She’s a 33 year old former marketer, well-married with a one year old daughter and a fairly pleasant, stable life. However, one day she starts channeling the voices and personalities of other women and her concerned husband takes her to a psychiatrist, who dutifully records her life history. If that formed the bulk of the book it would be great, but instead the narrative is mostly a very dry recital of Ji-Young’s childhood and coming of age up to the point of her breakdown. It’s stultifyingly normal, but there are moments that any woman can relate to–being forced to tolerate the bullying of little boys in school, being blamed for unwanted attentions from men, the difficulties of moving up in the professional world and the thousand small irritations that come from marrying a well-meaning but basic man in a world determined to favor him over you. While there are a lot of Korea-specific cultural references, Ji-Young really is an everywoman and I’ve had many similar experiences to hers, born a year earlier, literally half a world and another culture away.
However, despite the familiarity of her experiences, Ji-Young herself is nearly impossible for me to relate to. She has an infuriating lack of agency and inner thought–she’s a perfect victim and it’s only her privilege as a member of a stable family that supports her financially that keeps her life from being far, far, worse. I found myself frustrated by how safe and protected she actually was and how little she did with that foundation. She’s a flabby marshmallow of a woman who goes along with everything that happens to her and comes out far better than a lot of women do despite that. This is only highlighted by the fact that most of the other women in the story–her mother, her sister, her first boss–all have much more developed, layered personalities, in my opinion.
This book is important, and I get that. It speaks to a nation, a gender, and a generation. But in the end, its dry style and meticulous footnotes on gender inequality seem to reach a rather cold conclusion–that women should be treated better because it’s good for the economy and social logistics, not because we are also living breathing human beings with minds and hearts and desires of our own. I recognized Ji-Young’s struggle, but by the end of her story neither she nor I see any way forward for women in society. Fortunately, this is just a book and there are in fact ways to claim agency and equity as a woman in the world, but this book certainly doesn’t approach any of them. ⠀ ⠀
(For a complete review, please visit https://equalopportunityreader.com/2020/05/11/kim-ji-young-born-1982-by-cho-nam-jootranslated-by-jamie-chang/ )