Kim Jiyoung is everywoman. Her name is a common one, her experience too. It would have been better if she'd been born a boy - according to her mother's in-laws. Her mother's career choices had been limited by the family's need to pay for her brother's education. Kim herself certainly plays second fiddle to her brother. The school system favours boys, university too. Boys sometimes harass girls - but it's the girl's fault. Women in work get paid less than men, and get overlooked for promotion. Kim discovers all this, and then gives up her career, which she loved, for a baby and domesticity. She can't be depressed - she has so much going for her surely? So she must be mad.

This story is told in an impersonal, baldly written style, and is supported by footnotes throughout. This is what gives the story its immediacy, and guaranteed its success among Korean women. Things might not be quite the same here, but this is a book whose message is not at all hard to understand. A vivid, uncompromising read. ( )

Unflinching and infuriating and superbly written! I got so angry and then heartbroken at times reading this and seeing how Jiyoung was treated and regarded, simply for being a woman. I think Cho does a wonderful job balancing out fact (the footnotes backing up her research were very informative) and fiction in a way that makes this story impossible to forget about. ( )

Although a novel, this story is punctuated with footnotes to facts and statistics about women’s second-class status in the workforce, an honest look at transitioning to full time motherhood and full economic dependency after having an interesting career, and a fascinating glimpse into the gender struggles in very traditional South Korea. I felt the characters were a little flat, but then when the narrator was revealed, it made more sense, and I suspect there may have been some nuances lost in translation. Nevertheless, a very good read. ( )

„Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982“ ist ein Roman aus Südkorea, der aufzeigt, wie Frauen im Grunde schon seit vor der Geburt benachteiligt und unterdrückt werden. Sie sind einfach nichts oder sehr wenig wert. Am Anfang zeigt die Protagonistin eine Art Persönlichkeitsspaltung und übernimmt die Rolle anderer Frauen. Dazu passt das Cover mit der gesichtslosen Frau. Die Erzählung selbst ist aber dann recht linear, von der Geburt bis heute, ohne außergewöhnliche Elemente. Die konsequente Unterdrückung und das konsequente Kleinhalten wird an vielen Kleinigkeiten gezeigt. Kim Jiyoung selbst wird weder vergewaltigt noch sehr konkret sexuell missbraucht, aber die Signale und das verhalten ist dennoch oft an der Grenze zum Missbrauch und immer frauenfeindlich, vor allem, weil Jungen und Männer so viel mehr gelten. Ich musste an Chandler Bakers „Whisper Network“ denken. Das ist krasser, aber die Tendenz ist dieselbe. ( )

See the full review and more at MyBookJoy.com!

Recommended: oh yes
For men and others who are unaware of how crappily women are treated due to institutionalized efforts against them consciously or not, for those who need a refresher on gender equality, for a short read that packs a punch, for anyone looking for a cruel dose of reality


Thoughts:
I've lived and worked in Korea before, and it is my favorite place in the world. However that doesn't mean I'm blind to its flaws, as every place will have. In the case of Korea, much of it centers around gender equality issues largely stemming from traditional roles that the culture has struggled to truly move beyond. Basically, women are treated quite poorly in many ways that are yet deemed not only acceptable, but expected.

Reading this as a woman, none of this was a surprise to me. I've experienced or known others who have experienced so many of the same situations, whether in Korea or in the United States. I'd be very curious to see what it was like for a man or someone who doesn't have painful firsthand experience thinks of this.

The writing style is pragmatic and sparse, with no beating around the bush or euphemisms to pretty up the ugly truths within. It's highly effective as it lends the story that feeling that emotions are not distorting what is being said, and these are simply the facts of existence. A reader cannot deny understanding because it is so laid bare.

The citations of sources for facts within the novel were unusual, but punctuated that truth to the problem in an undeniable way. In fact, this all rang so true that I had to double check at the end that it WAS a novel. Even though this particular person is fictional, the experience is all to real.

Jiyoung is likeable and relatable. She is thoughtful and intelligent and a hard worker and still feels trapped by the unchanged societal views. She could be so many women around the world of any age.

The end is bitter yet accurate with the doctor's notes on Jiyoungs story. Though he thinks at length in a self-congratulatory way about how he's enlightened to these problems of women in a way most men are not, he then goes on to show what a farce that is. He STILL has the same negative thoughts and behaviours regarding women and working mothers, wrapping this up with a somewhat depressing tone showing that knowledge does not necessarily equal true change.

"...she knew that something as unjust and frustrating; but Jiyoung had a hard time voicing her complaints because she wasn't used to expressing her thoughts."

Thanks to Goodreads for a free ARC copy from a giveaway in exchange for an honest review! ( )