Review Summaries

• The novel is valued for its concise structure and forceful social purpose, though some readers may find that its clarity of argument limits narrative complexity. Its bitter irony leaves a strong prompt to consider the conditions that diminish women's rights.

• The restrained, clinical narration intensifies the protagonist's claustrophobia and her inability to escape prescribed social roles. The novel is read as a work that turns ordinariness itself into a channel for anger.

Reviews

• Just like Japanese society

  This is the exact same problem we have in my country,Japan. I think Japan and Korea have same social pressures for women and that makes the lives harder for men too. Japanese people will never admit this though. I’m glad (also sad of course) I am leaving my country with my daughter…

• True struggles that a woman faces in her daily life

  I've already watched the movie "Kim-Jiyoung" Which made me want to read this book, because I knew there would be more details. And it did. It contains every phase of Kim ji Young's life. We can understand how the life of women in South Korea changed and the way the author mentions the source of the facts it really shows her hard work. Enjoyed reading it, but 4 stars because I was upset with how it ended. But I think everyone in real life would have the same thought, even though it's sad.

• Story is Good, Book Quality is terrible

  So far I am liking the story. It's a very quick read as I've almost finished it in a day. However the quality of the book is TERRIBLE. The pages fall out if you open it more than part way. I wanted to share it to a friend but as I was trying to tape in the first page, holding it open to apply the tape neatly, MORE pages fell out. I've had books dropped in the bath tub and then re-read several times not fall apart. This is trash. Find another print or get the kindle edition.

• Unveiling

  Good to understand hidden gender dynamics so embedded in society that one cannot even recognize anymore.

• Surprise ending...

  It was a fun read... not at all what I expected!

• It's not easy, being able to relate to someone. As a man, to a woman, as a French european man, to a Korean woman. Yet, for this exact reason, after finishing this book, it just feels like a duty, to try and watch from the perspective of someone else. You can never experience what a woman feels, nor you could ever be in her feet. But as we share the same world, as we, by our actions and awareness can make it either easier or more painful to live together, It becomes a duty to try, and see the World as it is, acknowledge it. And I'm grateful, for this book and author, gives us the ability to feel such an authentic journey : frightening, cold, warm. Human. So again, Thank you for sharing. I'm Sorry we couldn't do more. Let's get through Life all together.

• Kim Jiyoung is the Korean ‘everywoman’. She leads an average life and, like many women before her, she’s just left her office job to take care of her baby daughter. Soon, she starts to impersonate her mother and then other women. As her mental health deteriorates, her family seeks help. Cho Nam-Joo’s book is a story of an average woman’s life in South Korea, from childhood to motherhood. The author seeks reasons for Kim Jiyoung’s illness and presents her life in detail. Backed up by the statistical data, the plot seems to offer a real-life story, despite being a work of fiction. The picture painted by the author is that of patriarchal rule and discrimination. From an early age, girls are treated differently than boys. While it is never said allowed, they are considered inferior. I found the lecture of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 fascinating but also infuriating at times. It shows systematic discrimination in everyday life, like the fact that the school register always starts with all the boys. It is horrible to think that those issues still exist. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is written in a simple, journalistic style. It has no linear plot, apart from following a quiet and uneventful life of a young woman. It seems realistic, especially since the style and structure of the book suggest a biography. Despite the slow action, I could not stop reading. I would recommend this book to everyone and especially young women

• So very real, resonates with women globally..

• Libro molto scorrevole. Da donna ho provato molta rabbia per certi passaggi e mi fa molto riflettere sulla situazione delle donne in Corea come anche in Italia, essendo italiana.

• Some fiction books are purely imaginary, while some are loosely based on actual events. Only a few are jarring images of reality woven into the pages because they need to be told and retold for ages to come. Kim Jiyoung is a book based on the individual’s struggle from birth to becoming a mother. Most often, it doesn’t feel like Kim Jiyoung’s story alone, but it belongs to women in general who have been through hell. Kim Jiyoung, the second daughter of a three-children family, has witnessed prejudice since birth at home. Later, she navigates life through the social construct that expects women to be subservient and perfect. She is nonplussed to discover that motherhood is something she doesn’t have a say in and that a mother is expected to behave a certain way, as set by society. This book concentrates more on the Korean culture and the stigma and patriarchal standards set in the country. However, as a reader, I forgot that it was set in Korea because her story was very much palpable and resonated with me. I have heard of such women, seen some, and been one at certain points. And it hurts to accept that it doesn’t stop here and will continue in the future, too. But reading books like this is essential for people who have the privilege of not knowing what patriarchy is because that’s how we get enlightened. I especially loved the stress on work-life balance, the gender pay gap, and the problems of working mothers. It’s partly biographical and narrated like fiction, and the translation is commendable. The language might be monotonous, but the story isn’t, and it’s a must-read for everyone out there.

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