THE PLOT: ‘Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982’ by Cho Nam-Joo is a literary novel about a young woman trapped by society. In a small, tidy apartment on the outskirts of Seoul lives Kim Jiyoung. A thirty-year-old “millennial everywoman”, she has recently quit her job in order to care for her newborn daughter full-time. But she quickly begins to exhibit strange symptoms that alarm her husband, parents, and in-laws. As she plunges deeper into this psychosis, the novel goes back into the past and recounts her life story.

SUMMARY: This novella was a bestseller that launched South Korea’s feminist movement. Published in 2016, it shows how Kim Jiyoung experiences systemic misogyny throughout her life. From the expectations put on her as a daughter to the sacrifices she must make in her career once she’s married, she must strive for it into society’s expectations. I’ve been wanting to read this novel for a while and can see why it made such a splash in 2016. It was a good read; however, it feels a bit dated now. In some ways, the fact I found this book unremarkable shows how far feminism has come in the last few years. Though, I do wish I’d saved my book token for a meatier novel.

GOOD BITS: This book is good. At under 200-pages, it’s very short and I became invested quickly. I enjoy fiction set in South Korea and loved learning more about the cultural expectations of women. The author does a great job of ensuring the setting is specifically Korean, while keeping the life trajectory of the protagonist relatable to women around the globe. The ending is very clever. Although I’ve seen some reviews give it away, I’m going to keep quiet as I think it’s a bit of a spoiler. It explains the whole framing of the novel and simple, matter-of-fact descriptions, which I really enjoyed.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: Honestly, I found this book a bit underwhelming. I’ve struggled to write this review because I don’t have much to say. This book is fine, but I’m not going to think about it beyond this week and I’ll probably give away my copy.

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘Convenience Store Woman’ by Sakaya Murata, ‘The Mad Women’s Ball’ by Victoria Mas, and ‘How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water’ by Angie Cruz. I don’t think you need to run and get a copy of this book. But, if it’s already on your shelf, then you won’t be upset at finally picking it up.

You can purchase this book and support @aminasbookshelf on my bookshop.org page