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A review by mgerboc
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
OH SNAP. Throughout this entire book, I was pretty riveted. The story is that of a woman roughly my age growing up in South Korea and the institutional sexism she experiences at every stage of life. Despite progressive changes in the law, the patriarchy ingrained into Korean culture is rigid and, paired with the perils of a highly competitive capitalist economic system, leaves very little room for any kind of freedom for even middle class women.
The prose hits like a blunt instrument, and the story itself is unsentimental yet fascinating...And then the last chapter hits in such a profound, unexpected way. It's not gimmicky; not a "twist." But it is a bit jarring at first, and then ends exactly how the reality has been portrayed the entire time, which, in its mundanity, says more in its last few lines about societal oppression than almost any other book I've read.
Friends - please read this so we can talk about it!
The prose hits like a blunt instrument, and the story itself is unsentimental yet fascinating...And then the last chapter hits in such a profound, unexpected way. It's not gimmicky; not a "twist." But it is a bit jarring at first, and then ends exactly how the reality has been portrayed the entire time, which, in its mundanity, says more in its last few lines about societal oppression than almost any other book I've read.
Friends - please read this so we can talk about it!