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A review by inlaraland
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The novel follows the life of Kim Jiyoung, a woman born and raised in Korea. It follows her life from adolescence to adulthood while highlighting the macro and micro aggressions that she faces within her society just because she's a woman.
This novel focuses heavily on the patriarchal structure of Korean society, and how misogyny is intertwined into the every day life of Kim Jiyoung. The writing style reads like a work of nonfiction, with the author even noting statistics to emphasize certain points being made within the work. At some point I felt like the tone of the book felt a little analytical and cold for a fictional story, but once I got to the end I realized that there was a reason for it.
Everyone should read this book, as it does an excellent job at highlighting just how problematic and harmful patriarchy and misogyny can be. Even though this book was quite specific in terms of experiences, I'm pretty sure most women can relate to what Kim Jiyoung goes through. I wasn't quite sure how I felt when I started reading this book, but by the end I understood its profound impact and actually fell in love with it.
I think this book does an excellent job at emphasizing a "problem", and how this problem can also transcend generations especially when people choose not to take it seriously.
I can see this novel earning a place as a literary classic in the future and if anything, I would consider this an important work of fiction, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading about it
This novel focuses heavily on the patriarchal structure of Korean society, and how misogyny is intertwined into the every day life of Kim Jiyoung. The writing style reads like a work of nonfiction, with the author even noting statistics to emphasize certain points being made within the work. At some point I felt like the tone of the book felt a little analytical and cold for a fictional story, but once I got to the end I realized that there was a reason for it.
Everyone should read this book, as it does an excellent job at highlighting just how problematic and harmful patriarchy and misogyny can be. Even though this book was quite specific in terms of experiences, I'm pretty sure most women can relate to what Kim Jiyoung goes through. I wasn't quite sure how I felt when I started reading this book, but by the end I understood its profound impact and actually fell in love with it.
I think this book does an excellent job at emphasizing a "problem", and how this problem can also transcend generations especially when people choose not to take it seriously.
I can see this novel earning a place as a literary classic in the future and if anything, I would consider this an important work of fiction, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading about it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny