Well, I felt like it was in the US 1960’s when I was growing up. I heard the same things. No one ever assumed that I could do anything but teach or nurse until I got married. And then when I graduated from college, I was told I could have it all. What a bunch of BS. It was an interesting look at Korean society rather than a story with a plot. When I read that this book was considered a “cultural call to arms” I could easily see why with the inclusion of so many footnotes and figures to illustrate how normal Kim Jiyoung is. Patriarchy is still prevalent today.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. I typically do not find myself interested in short stories, but this was done so well that the historical fiction element kept me intrigued the entire way through.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was originally published in South Korea in 2016 and made into a movie in 2019. Both the book and the movie caused controversy and helped to launch a national #MeToo like movement there. Conversations around the movie especially, were rumored to have ended many relationships there. So, just what about Cho Nam-Joo’s book could insight such passionate feelings?

In its essence Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is a history of patriarchy in South Korea. The title character, Kim Jiyoung experiences a sort of breakdown after leaving her career to care for her first child. This sends her to the couch of a psychologist, where she shares the story of her life and to a lesser degree, her mother’s.

“The unbelievable meagre wages from working day and night, popping caffeine pills and turning jaundiced, went towards sending male siblings to school.”

Time and again, Kim Jiyoung came second to the men in her life, including her younger brother, friends, classmates, co-workers, and her own husband. Her life story is a history of rampant patriarchy within South Korea. But, as women in South Korea (and many other countries) could tell you, Kim Jiyoung’s story is really most every woman’s story.

“But that night, Jiyoung got an earful from her father. ‘Why is your cram school so far away? Why do you talk to strangers? Why is your skirt so short.’ Jiyoung grew up being told to be cautious, to dress conservatively, to be ‘ladylike’. That it’s your job to avoid dangerous places, times of day and people. It’s your fault for not noticing and not avoiding.”

I loved the way Nam-Joo chose to deliver Kim Jiyoung’s story, not just with what happened in her life, but also with actual documentation and statistics around gender inequality in her country. Within the work, are actual citations, showing the reader Kim Jiyoung’s experiences were the norm. These references also highlighted the very slow process of change and even legislation toward bringing greater equality to the women of South Korea. All evidence pointed toward Kim Jiyoung finding equilibrium in an evolving nation, but evidence doesn’t always lead to the expected conclusion! I really enjoyed this short, fact-filled book. I feel like I know a lot more about South Korean culture, and a lot more about how we’re all alike.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the Liveright (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

First 5 star read of the year.

I learned so much about the trials and tribulations of the devalued Korean woman. Reading this book infuriated me. What do women have to look forward to but a life of servitude to others. Giving all they have to make others life more pleasing with nothing left for themselves. It’s a discouraging and depleting life.

I HIGHLY recommend and will get a copy for my home library.

I was given an ARC from W. W. Norton & Company via Netgalley

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is a powerful novel about a woman living in suburban Seoul. Cho Nam-Joo takes us through this woman's very ordinary life and presents a number of important themes such as postpartum mental health and the oppression of women in society.
The book worked well enough, but it was obvious that I was reading a translation, and I usually prefer a more seamless feeling when reading. It felt a bit disjointed at times. Still, the messages were conveyed and the book were poignant and thought-provoking enough to be a worthwhile read.
Many thanks to Liveright Publications and NetGalley for the advance copy.

A Korean novel of the #MeToo era.

Kim Jiyoung is just an ordinary woman living in Seoul. There is nothing particularly unique or exciting about her life, and that is the point. Reading this book is to bear witness to the persistent misogyny that women encounter on a daily basis.

Following its publication in 2016, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 sparked a national conversation in Korea—it is clear why. A must read for anyone tuned into #MeToo and anyone who needs a clearer picture of what women are forced to deal with.

I received this book free from NetGalley/Liveright in exchange for an honest review.

I admit to being VERY biased with my high recommendation of this book. I am a half-Korean born in the 80s and although I have lived in the US for most of my life, I spent about 5 years in Korea during the time frame that this book was t. It made me think a lot about the female friends that I made in Korea, as well as all of the cultural things that I learned that helped me understand more about my own family.

The format of this book is different and unique- while it tells the story of a young woman (Kim JiYoung)- it also references many statistics and articles that are non-fiction. This really makes this book more of an informative piece, rather than a straightforward story. If you're looking for fluff, this isn't the story for you.
If you are coming at this book as someone who doesn't know much about Korea, there are probably many things such as commonly known place names in Korea, that won't make much sense. Yet, the story of how women are treated in a male-favored society is something that goes beyond Korean culture which makes it a great and important read for many people.

When this book was released in Korea, I remember reading articles about how it broke up some relationships and how it became a big hit among young women. The casting for the movie (there's a movie!) was also big issue- being a feminist or vocalizing the wish that women be treated better is still an issue.

There are SO many things I wish to say and discuss about this book. This book is a wonderful choice for book clubs and a great way to learn some things about the past few generations of Korean people.

Thank you to Netgalley and WW Norton and Company for an advanced copy of this book. I have been wanting to read this since it came out in Korea in 2016, and I am so excited to see it enter the US markets this month! Everyone! Go read this!

Title: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Author: Cho Nam-Joo
Release Date: 4.14.2020
Review Date: 4.11.2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In a small, tidy apartment on the outskirts of the frenzied metropolis of Seoul, Kim Jiyoung—a millennial “everywoman”—spends her days caring for her infant daughter. Her husband, however, worries over a strange symptom that has recently appeared: Jiyoung has begun to impersonate the voices of other women—dead and alive, both known and unknown to her. Truly, flawlessly, completely, she became that very person. As she plunges deeper into this psychosis, Jiyoung’s concerned husband sends her to a psychiatrist, who listens to her narrate her own life story—from her birth to a family who expected a son, to elementary school teachers who policed girls’ outfits, to male coworkers who installed hidden cameras in women’s restrooms and posted the photos online. But can her doctor cure her, or even discover what truly ails her?


This was a very interesting yet strange read. It was quite different than anything I have ever read. It went by really quickly and yet meandered along. I was so immersed at times that I blinked and I was almost done. At the end I kind of felt like it needed a sequel.. I did really enjoy this one and gave it 4.5 stars.

This book draws you in and stuns you from beginning to the completely shocking end. My only complaint is that it is short. But then again the author fit a thousand thoughts and behaviors into it.

As a woman in her 60s, it astounds me that women have not moved very far in this male dominated world. Yet I still have hope for my sister warriors.

The book and its writer are exquisite.

This should be essential reading not only for any female or female-identifying folks, but also for the problematic men who don't think feminism is valid. It's easy to see how this novel could have sparked such a fierce debate in South Korea about intersectional feminism and women's rights.

Some may find it dry or may feel like the plot doesn't completely resolve, but I loved the format of this work; the narrative is interspersed with different notes, facts, figures, and citations from journals and news sources. The final section of the novel is both eye-opening and devastating and further emphasizes how effective the framework is.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was an interesting book to read. I visited South Korea last summer, and one of my friends I met there said that this was a really good book. When I saw that it was being published in English, I knew I had to read it. And I did.
The book itself was pretty interesting. I liked how the life of a fictional woman was backed up by real-life statistics and studies, something I've never seen before in fiction. And while you are reading, you learn more about the character as well as the struggles often faced by Korean women. And then, that ending!
Overall, this was a good book. While not my favorite, it's a great conversation starter and would be a great read for book clubs. There are some really interesting feminist topics, like sexism, motherhood, pay gaps, and marriage. This book is pretty short, but definitely packs a punch.

3.5 stars
A quick-moving account of a typical Korean woman’s life in all of its misogynistic trappings. For American readers, the scenarios of such blatant systemic gender inequality feel outdated by several decades; however, based on the Korean reviews and the impact the book has had in its home country, the issue is quite real and quite current there. The combination of documented statistics and a fictional tale as well as the overt tone of a manifesto feel a bit heavy-handed, but again, this could be a cultural divide. The book is well-worth the short amount of time it takes to read.

I couldn’t put this book down. It is a fascinating glimpse into Korean society and the lives of Korean women, with a focus on an average woman and her struggles in school, the workplace and in marriage and motherhood with a pervasive misogyny. The matter-of-fact tone and statistical citations really contributed to the power of this book for me. Excellent, captivating read.

This book hit a nerve when published in South Korea and rightly so! This intriguing and original novella captures the anger and frustration that Korean women have endured under male oppression. It may have been written towards Korean women but any woman who reads will identify with the misogyny and double standards women deal with. This imaginative and revolutionary doesn't tell a powerful story of one woman. It tells the necessary story of every woman.

This was an interesting story with factual information about misogyny in South Korea interwoven throughout. I enjoyed seeing the implications of gender inequality addressed from so many different angles and on so many levels, while at the same time feeling disheartened by how much women have to struggle in Korea. This book is definitely an eye-opener and I'm glad I read it. I will definitely be recommending this.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was simultaneously the best and most infuriating book I have read so far this year.

By best I mean:

The writing style was super interesting and something I'd never read before. The story was compelling and I didn't want to put it down once I picked it up. And the characters were (sometimes unfortunately) completely believable.

By most infuriating I mean:

Men suck and women should have more rights.

This book may be primarily geared towards the South Korean woman, but I maintain this has something that will speak to every woman and I'm so glad it's been translated to English.

Wow... What a storyline! I have to tell you when I started to read this book I was not sure how I felt. By mid I wear totally intrigued and engaging in the storyline. The end made me remember this book saying... Wow, what I just have read was just not any book, but a fascinating one!

<i>I received a free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Feminist novella about the life of a typical woman in a deeply patriarchal society of South Korea. This was a powerful read for me because I am Korean-American and can relate so much to the MC. While I did not grow up in Korea, I was definitely raised in a very traditional “Korean” mindset where women should be quiet, follow orders and support men. This is something I still struggle with. Not because I want to be loud, disruptive or unsupportive, but because I want to have a voice without fear of judgement. And because of this, my every day thoughts and actions are constantly being weighed. Am I being rude? Am I leading this person on? Am I being selfish? It is exhausting. And that is what the author shows us through Kim Ji-Young. The exhausting life of a female living in South Korea.

There are cultural nuances that get lost in translation and therefore, there were times this novel felt distant and dry. However, I can see why this was such a bestseller. Provocative and daring, I think it should be read by everyone – women and men, alike.

I’ll be picking up the original Korean version of this. I suspect it will be even more powerful.

One day, Jiyoung speaks in the voice of another woman. The next day, she speaks in yet another woman’s voice. When Jiyoung’s strange ventriloquism doesn’t go away, her husband sends her to a psychiatrist to find out what’s young. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo (and translated by Jamie Chang), is the document her psychiatrist created after speaking with Jiyoung—complete with footnotes to relevant news articles and government statistics. The result is the portrait of an everywoman in modern Korea (albeit one who occasionally speaks in someone else’s voice).

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 presents a society that is slowly, painfully waking up to the inequalities between men and women. After a brief introduction that explains why Jiyoung is talking to a psychiatrist, the narrative takes us back to her childhood. She grew up in a smallish family. Her father was the main source of income, although her mother worked at a series of side jobs while taking care of three children and the home. Jiyoung’s paternal grandmother lives with them, always shown advocating for her grandson to have the most and the best of everything. In school, little acts of sexism further confine Jiyoung’s world. Girls have to dress conservatively, not go walking alone, stay in at night, etc. so that nothing happens to them. After college, Jiyoung has a hard time getting a job because all the best spots go to men and because all the employers expect young women to quit as soon as they become pregnant.

The only surprising thing in this novel is Jiyoung’s other voices. All the other moments of rebellion come from others who get fed up with the way things are. Jiyoung sometimes benefits from these forerunners but, mostly, she hits metaphorical walls over and over again. The result of Jiyoung’s inability to get a better job or share more responsibility for her home and child with her husband is a feeling of disgruntled helplessness. Other characters—sometimes “woke” men—will admit that things aren’t fair. But, invariably, they shrug and nothing changes.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is a book that holds a mirror up to Korean society. For American readers, this excellently translated story is an opportunity to compare how far (or not) our society has come since the 1970s. It is short, easily digested, and should make readers of any nationality utterly livid about the unspoken limits that are put on women, from their girlhood through middle-age.

This book reminded of feminist books written in the United States in the nineteen sixties. Formalized discrimination against women is ending and women are entering the work force. Women are questioning whether to they should stay in the workforce after they have children.

Sadly, the author does connect clearly Kim Jiyong's mental illness with the low status of women. I say sadly because I believe many women in the US suffer emotional pain when men are given unspoken advantages(I believe men are still receive favored treatment in the work force in the United States).

I liked the later parts of the part of the book better when Kim Jiyoung is struggling to raise her daughter. I also liked her psychiatrist notes when the psychiatrist describes some of his wife struggle with both motherhood and her career. Both Kim Jiyoung and the psychiatrist's wife come across as genuine and authentic women; many characters I read about in modern "serious" American literature seem to lead such charmed lives that I can't relate to the characters.