5 stars because this is a very important book that everyone should read. everyone! this is why feminism is important.
but also 3 stars because the writing isn't the best and it reads like a report, which it is. this is what we find out at the end of the book and what we also see is that even through the male therapist has seen everything that Kim Jiyoung has been through and all the discrimination that women experience he still didn't get it.
so an average of 4 stars.

A short read, but one that I had been hearing a lot about in various news outlets over the past month or so, and one that felt like a worthwhile read. Usually if a publisher has made the effort to translate a title into English, then it usually has a good chance of living up to the critical acclaim.

It certainly was an eye-opener into some of the male/female inequalities in modern day South Korea, and one that resonates here in the UK too. Littered with facts that were footnoted with relevant articles, it felt like a journalistic long read with some fictional scenarios thrown in for good measure. This isn't a bad thing, it made for a good story, and one that makes you consider how difficult women do have it in modern society when their liberties of a career and social life are thrown into disarray as soon as marriage and children become a thing.

This did feel like a semi-autobiographical novel, which again is no bad thing - and like a lot of Asian literature that makes it into English had an element of quirky surrealism - certainly at the beginning. My one regret from this read is that perhaps the most interesting part of the main character (her almost schizophrenic adoption of other people's personalities/speech/behaviours) was limited to the short opening chapter or two, with the remainder of the book a flashback on her life as an insight to the causes of this disorder.

Certainly one for fans of other Asian literature in the theme of recent books like Convenience Store Woman. A good read.

This is such an eye-opening book. Even though it's fiction, the author said it was easy to write because it was based on her own experiences, which is both saddening and infuriating. The book highlights how sexism is deeply embedded within Korean culture, and although small steps have been made in terms of the law, the culture and customs retained means that little change has actually happened.

The book focuses on one woman's particular live - Kim Jiyoung - and it's a very intimate account that makes you want to reach out and help in any way you can.

This book made me appreciate the opportunities I have (and realise how lucky I am simply to have been born and raised where I have), but reminded me that there is much work still needed to be done around the world to gain equal rights and opportunities for women.

5 Stars

"Women these days – what have you got to whine about?"

I don't think I've ever felt so apalled and infuriated when reading a book before. This book is about Kim Jiyoung, and follows her life from childhood through to marriage. Throughout her life she's been a target for discrimination because she is a woman. This is a very hard-hitting, impactful novel about what life is like for a woman living in Korea. Cho Nam-Joo comments on the injustice for females in Korean schooling systems, work and wider society. Even during childhood, from little things like boys being first to eat we are given the idea that in Korean culture, women are always secondary. This book is an exploration of that unchanging nature of women's secondary position in a patriarchal society. 

It bought tears to my eyes, and I would recommend this to every women out there, especially Asian women.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has received glowing reviews in both South Korea and worldwide since publication. It’s a short novel that explores a lot of important issues faced by women, particularly in South Korea. These include sexual harassment at work, sexism towards female children and double standards within relationships and how these permeate every aspect of South Korean women’s lives.

Reviewing a book of this type is always tricky, especially when it’s already received almost universal positive reviews. Sometimes when I know a book has been lauded and I'm struggling to see why, I have a quick scan of reviews to see if there are any dissenting views, mostly to reassure myself that I am not losing my mind if nothing else. I didn’t really find any for this book. That is not to say there is really anything wrong with it because there isn’t, but I had some issues with it.

I’m not sure if it was the translation, but the portrayal of the important messages often had a complete lack of subtlety. I understand that there is a point trying to be made, but there were times I felt like I was reading a Case Study in an HR manual as opposed to a novel.. This was further compounded with the interjection of real-life statistics and footnotes which, in a fictional story, is rather jarring.

I also wish more would have been made of Jiyoung’s ability. This was an intriguing idea which was sadly abandoned almost immediately.

Although I too am a woman born in 1982, I suspect this book wasn’t written for me as the context in which I live is really rather different. Some of the issues Jiyoung experienced were ones which I have experienced too, but not in the same way as it might resonate with a woman living in South Korea. There’s nothing wrong with this book at all, it was an interesting and thought-provoking read, I just didn’t quite get what all the fuss was about.

I honestly cannot fully explain how much I adored this book. This was the perfect combination of feminist and entertaining without sounding preachy and still informative. This book was just irrefutable and made you feel the pain the characters felt. I cough myself on the verge of tears multiple times simply because the situations were so real and yet so painful to read. They were situations we have all been through has women, but watching another suffer them really puts into perspective how backwards our world still is. I am very familiar with Korean culture and have heard of these very incidents many times, and I guess that played a part in how much I resonated and related with this story. The ending left me with such a mix of emotion I was literally speechless as I sat in my car staring at that last page. However open ended or cruel it might have come off, it was also realistic and representative of our current society. The truth is a hard pill to swallow as they say.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK for the ARC.

This was interesting and unexpected. At the beginning of the book we meet Korean housewife, Kim Jiyoung, who is experiencing some sort of mental breakdown. The book then takes us back through Jiyoung's life - from her birth in a society that prefers boys, her childhood, teen years, career and motherhood. Her life is described almost clinically, like a case study - chock full of statistics and the reality of being a woman. While some aspects are specifically Korean, many of the same issues are faced by women all over the world - giving an added poignancy to Jiyoung's story. Don't expect any deep characterisation - most of the characters are one-dimensional - but that is sort of the point - Jiyoung isn't developed because she isn't a character. She's every woman. The book explains itself well - its arguments are always well explained and never ham-fisted. That said, I would have liked some circle back to Jiyoung's eerie behaviour (imitating dead relatives) at the start of the novel. The ending fails to deal with this delicious concept set up at the beginning. Overall, this is a short read, brutal in its simplicity, and quite possibly destined to become a feminist classic.

I’d heard so many people rave about this book and I wasn’t sure it would live up to the hype. I was wrong.

This one is a quick read. It’s fairly simple but there is power and beauty in its simplicity. Highlighting sexism and misogyny in South Korea that is still happening today makes this book a hugely important read, not just for people in South Korea but for everyone worldwide. You feel Kim Jiyoung’s pain and confusion throughout her life when men are put before women. The ending is clever and tinged with sadness. It feels as though sexism in South Korea could never be stopped.

100% recommend this book.

Kim Jiyoung is married and is a stay-at-home parent to her young child. Before becoming a mother Kim Jiyoung was a dedicated employee at a job she enjoyed, but was passed over for promotion. More than once.

Kim Jiyoung begins to think she is someone else. She needs help. Help her husband seeks from the mental health system in South Korea. From here, we learn about Kim Jiyoung’s life from her childhood to the present day—more accurately 2016, the year the book was published in its native South Korea.

While focused on Kim Jiyoung’s life the story is told from a distance. There is a distance between the reader and the main character. A distance that means we are observers of Kim Jiyoung’s life rather than experiencing it alongside her. As the novel progresses the reason for this distance becomes clearer. It is expertly done, but I can understand why this writing style won’t be to everyone’s taste.

At under 200 pages, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is written with razor sharp clarity and not a single word is wasted. This is one of those books that will have you thinking about it for weeks after reading, which is not surprising given the level of detail involved in writing this narrative of life in South Korea for women who regularly face casual sexism and institutional misogyny.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an odd reading experience. At first I felt that there was no plot and that the book was quite dull. However, as it went on I began to learn more and more about Korean culture, particularly regarding gender inequality surrounding work and family life, and it became intriguing to me.

Being a working mother of a three year old who has just started nursery, I could relate to a few of the things that took place but thankfully my situation has never been like it was for Kim Jiyoung in this story. The author manages to capture the anger of gender inequality whilst showing the cycles of compliance that allow them to persist.

Overall I liked this book and I think it's a great story to pick up if you want to learn more about Korea.

3 out of 5 stars!

I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. If the everyday misogyny that is portrayed in this book is true, then South Korea is like 1950's Europe but 70 years later. The writing style is very stilted, and it feels less like a novel than a piece of academic writing. This was not a book I enjoyed, so much as got through, thank goodness it is short.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is very cleverly written. You are reading the story of the life of Kim Jiyoung, and as her story is being told we learn what has been and is expected of women in South Korea. A lot of the pressures of South Korean women are familiar but within the family the privileges and preference given to male children is not so familiar, sisters sacrificing their own dreams and ambitions to elevate their brothers lives with little or no thanks. A story that will stay with you.

I was given a copy of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Kim Jiyoung, the main character of the book, starts displaying some strange behaviour, to the consternation of her husband. She becomes another person, she is depressed, she has had enough. The book traces her life from her childhood, throughout school, adolescence, first steps as a young adult, till the present day, when she is a married, stay at home mother to a young daughter. Throughout her life, we see millions of small, everyday microagressions, sexism, discrimination and harassment that are unfortunately still prevalent in South Korea.

"KIm Jiyoung, Born 1982" is almost an Everyman story - it describes the life of the main character, that many women (not only Korean), can easily relate too. From the start Jiyoung's life is predestined to take a path different from for example, her brother's, but what is more chilling, is sometimes her (and others) acceptance of certain male privileges, gender expectations that women are subjected to. Cho Nam-Joo, the author of this surprisingly slim book, is a former television screenwriter, and perhaps that is why the book is full of vignettes, short glimpses into Jiyoung's life, into a depressing and struggle against patriarchy and discrimination. Despite optimistic examples of women pushing back, and small changes, the book is bleak, but fascinating. Eye-opening, subversive and feminist, this book is a manifesto, designed to make people talk.

I liked this for the most part but felt that the detached tone the writing had made it hard to be as invested in the characters as I should be. The premise was interesting and i liked what the translation was trying to do but i really did not care about Kim Jiyoung at all and this reading experience felt really passive to me.

This book is short, but my goodness does it pack a punch!
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this. There are obvious comparisons to "Convenience Store Woman" in that the main protagonist is a female young woman living in Asia who is experiencing discrimination. (although Convenience Store Woman is based in Japan, this book is based in South Korea so very different!)
Kim Jiyoung is a young female living in South Korea and this book gives a snapshot of her life throughout different stages (Childhood, young adult etc). You can clearly see the struggles that Jiyoung is facing on a day to day basis from not only her colleagues but also her husband and family too.

I found this book utterly shocking. The discrimination was subtle in that nothing huge happened, but maybe that was what was so astounding; the normalisation of the way that women are treated in South Korea. I was angry, sad and completely on Jiyoung's side throughout the story unfolding. Everyone should read this in 2020 - it's a real eye opener and it's one that will stay with me for a really long time.

A huge thank you to #netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

The book introduces the life of Kim Ji-young; her childhood, early adulthood, adulthood, marriage, and current life. Kim Ji-young is an ordinary woman that isn’t any different from the other girls. She’s been born into a loving family that isn’t as strict as other families. The narrator leads us through her first days at school, college and first job. It tells a story of her love life, friendships, and family life.

The main subject of the book is motherhood and how it changes her life. She must give up on all the important things for her so she would be able to take care of her child. It drives her to the point she’s not the same person as she was before.

My thoughts:

It’s hard to write a synopsis of this book and don't give any spoilers at the same time. The book has only 176 pages, but it takes you for a journey you will never forget. I always knew that women in Korea haven’t an easy life as we do in Germany, the Netherlands or other countries, but I didn’t know how hard it is for them. I felt so angry, sad and heartbroken when I went through Jiyoung’s life. The book perfectly shows the life of the Korean woman and all the limitations she meets on her way. They need to play a game instead of being themselves. They have so many rules, responsibilities and sacrifices no one even knows about. Even after that, they are treated like a possession, a thing not a human being. The other part that touched me is how they are judged by people whatever decision they make. Anything they do, it doesn't satisfy people enough.

The story is heartbreaking it doesn’t have an ending so we can only think how the life of Jiyoung goes on. A lot of men don’t understand that the woman also has an aspiration and they are not the only ones that want to work and gain more experience. Living as a stay home mother isn’t as perfect and satisfying as most people think. Of course, they love their children and want to be with them as long as they can, but it also means that they need to give up on everything they worked for before they got pregnant. Kim Jiyoung is one of the examples. She loved her job and her colleges. She had so many dreams and ambitions but it all went away when her responsibility was to become a mother.

I love the personality of Jiyoung. She is not a pushover. She speaks out loud about what she wants in her life and knows her rights. She’s not letting man look at her as the thing but as a person. She fights for her dreams and to have a voice. She doesn’t let people tell her what she can or can’t. She does what she wants and that makes it even more heartbreaking to see her fall at the end. She's pushed down and down until she's not the same person anymore.

I like how the book is written. It starts with the ending which is called autumn and the rest of the book is an explanation of the whole life from childhood and how she ended up there where she is now. We can see all the aspect of her life that developed her personality and choices. It’s a very important and powerful story that should be spread throughout the world. I recommend it to everyone because the story should be known by everyone.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and Cho Nam-Joo for providing me a copy of this amazing book. I’m definitely going to buy this book soon and recommend it to everyone I know.

The pressures of being a woman in Korean society are shown through the eyes of a very average Korean woman from since she was born to her current status, a housewife in her thirties whose life revolves around taking care of her children and husband. It is an easy read although due to how the book was set up, I expected a bit more to have happened. The ending was quite surprising and bittersweet.

A brave, bold book that reveals the struggles of an ‘everywoman’ in modern Korea. Taking the form of a psychiatrist’s study of Kim Jiyoung, the book explores her childhood and marriage against the backdrop of family and social values in a male-dominated culture. The book has had an enormous impact in Cho Nam-Joo’s native country, and gets a worthy translation in this English edition.

What it lacks, slightly, is a personal voice; in choosing to frame the narrative the way it is – which in itself exposes the attitudes and inherent prejudices that the book sets out to do – it also means that it is rather too analytical to care about Kim Jiyoung. Yes, the reader can get angry at the system, but as a generic composite character, the essential heart of the book felt a little cold. Nonetheless, this an important and well-written novel that deserves to be read.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Jiyoung is a young wife and mother whose behaviour starts to cause concern for her husband and his family. When she fell pregnant with her daughter Jiyoung had to resign from the job she had fought so hard to get in the first place and yet as a mother she is treated with scorn by professional working men. All of this seems to be history repeating itself as Jiyoung's mother also suffered from the fact of her gender.
This is a short and very powerful read. Whilst South Korea comes across as a very enlightened country the deep roots of sexism are clearly outlined in this book. From the way, sons are treated as opposed to daughters, to inequalities in education at every stage, to the job market and then to the expectation that women will leave work to become wives and mothers the book offers both an entertaining narrative and a polemic backed by references. I found the tale of Jiyoung and her mother very affecting and am disappointed that there has been such an antifeminist backlash in Korea over this.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 tells the story of Kim Jiyoung and all South Korean women like her before her and after her who live their lives in society designed by and for men, in which women are nothing more than an afterthought or a nuisance.

The book provides an interesting and eye-opening insight into the lives of many women in South Korea. In South Korea more than in many other modern, developed countries, women are still scrutinised and discriminated against for their gender. Even the public reaction to this book and to women reading it and talking about it showcase this. The novel itself artfully manages to convey how pervasive this discrimination is and the sense of dread and helplessness that I felt while reading this is nothing compared to what these women feel.

Although the novella describes the fictional life and situation of the eponymous Kim Jiyoung, the book reads a little like a human interest story; the writing is very smooth and draws you in. Little snippets provide us with a glimpse into the private pains and plight of Jiyoung and the women surrounding her. The story is oddly engrossing and fascinating, if somewhat depressing. I felt so much sympathy for Jiyoung and all women who experience these things.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in either feminism/gender issues or South Korea. A very insightful and well-written read.