‘I’m putting my youth, health, job, colleagues, social network, career plans and future on the line. No wonder all I can think about are things I’m giving up. But what about you? What do you lose by gaining a child?’
A power-packed, 162-page novel, ‘Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982’ questions the patriarchal value system which creates gender inequality. Peppered with statistics of gender inequality in Korea, the novel might have been about any Indian girl in her 30’s as well. ‘Normalising compromise’ as not ok has found a voice in Cho’s narrative. From sharing her room with her sister while her younger brother gets a room of his own to being publicly humiliated for having a cup of coffee in the afternoon with her child, Kim Jiyoung represents every woman who has been shushed for speaking their mind. For me, the book verbalises the feelings I’ve grown up. It gives me the words with which I can hold conversations without getting angry or bursting into tears.
If you do want to read the novel after reading this, I just suggest you keep stickies, a ruler and a pen/pencil handy. You might want to keep coming back to re-read portions.
Book Palsip Yi Nyeon Saeng Kim Jiyeong / Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo translated by Jamie Chang
Language Originally written in Korean/ Read in English
Publisher Scribner Books
I was thinking... 
Three reasons why I want to read this book now:
1. Your review
2. The fact that I’m born in 1982 and a working mother who is facing/faced similar issues
3. I’m a huge fan of Korean work – be it their dramas, their superb director and one of my favourite director Bong Joon-Ho and I want to discover their literature through books too..
Thanks for sharing this review😊
LikeLike
Thank you, Prachi 😊 It’s fiction, but the facts is non-fiction. There was a huge uproar in Korea on the book. Read about it when I was looking for a website for the author to tag but just turned up with reviews from all over.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! That’s really interesting! Really looking forward to reading this book now😊
LikeLike
I hope I’ve not ended up posting a comment twice😊 But really good review.. I’m going to add this to my TBR. Is this fiction or non fiction?
LikeLike
Ooh, this sounds right up my alley! I love when you need to reread portions of a book to piece the story together. Adding this to my TBR right away! ❤️
LikeLike
Not so much as re-reading to piece the story together but re-reading because you want to express the same emotions again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even better!
LikeLike
Pingback: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Ju : Thoughts – Starry Eyed Enigma