“The world had changed a great deal, but the little rules, contracts and customs had not, which meant the world hadn't actually changed at all.”
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
My rating
5 / 5
Listened to Audiobook
Author
Cho Naam-Joo
Publisher
Anansi International
Genre
Domestic Fiction
Number of Pages
176
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Summary
Kim Jiyoung has a problem no one can explain, not even doctors. Each day she becomes a different woman, a woman known to her in some way, either living or dead.
Although no one can explain what the problem exactly is, maybe we would be able to tell why it exists.
We are taken back to the time Kim Jiyoung was born.
Kim Jiyoung was born to parents and grandparents who were hoping for a boy. Once, her grandmother hit her so hard that she choked while trying her baby brother’s formula. And she was hit for eating something that was meant for him. She shared a room with her sister, while her brother got an independent room.
In college, her father blamed her for getting harassed on a bus. At work, she was pushed aside for promotions because everyone believed women would not work for long. After marriage, she was lucky to have an understanding husband, but she had to sacrifice her career and independence, so she could begin a family.
Kim Jiyoung suffered from postpartum depression. Once while walking her baby, while sipping coffee, she hears some employees from a corporation mocking her for being a stay-at-home wife and enjoying coffee at her husband’s expense. The incident disturbs her deeply.
Are these patriarchal traditions, and rampant discriminations enough reasons to account for her strange behavior?
My Review
This book is as wittier as it is disturbing. There is something about this unemotional kind of writing that has you gripped.
The subtle peek into Korean every day, their culture and customs didn’t seem very different from the life we live in India, or worldwide for that matter and these commonalities were a major reason why I loved this read so much and could relate to it.
Don’t miss out on this revolutionary piece of feminist writing from a place we hardly ever see glimpses of.
This South Korean bestseller made it to the 100 must-read books of 2020 curated by The Time Magazine.
I am thankful to Jasmine for introducing me to one of her favorite reads. We had a read-along with Medhawee and were supposed to read this short book over three days. But the writing had me so glued that I finished it in one day – last Sunday.
Top Quotes from Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
“The world had changed a great deal, but the little rules, contracts and customs had not, which meant the world hadn't actually changed at all.”
“The fact that they have families and parents,” Eunsil retorted, “is why they shouldn’t do these things, not why we should forgive them.”
“While offenders were in fear of losing a small part of their privilege, the victims were running the risk of losing everything.”
“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.”
“Some demeaned it as “bumming around at home,” while others glorified it as “work that sustains life,” but none tried to calculate its monetary value. Probably because the moment you put a price on something, someone has to pay.”
“You’re right. In a world where doctors can cure cancer and do heart transplants, there isn’t a single pill to treat menstrual cramps.’ Her sister pointed at her own stomach. ‘The world wants our uterus to be drug-free. Like sacred grounds in a virgin forest.”
“How can you say something so backward in this day and age? Jiyoung, don’t stay out of trouble. Run wild! Run wild, you hear me?”
Cho Nam-Joo
Cho Nam-joo is a former television scriptwriter. In the writing of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 she drew partly on her own experience as a woman who quit her job to stay at home after giving birth to a child.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is her third novel. It has had a profound impact on gender inequality and discrimination in Korean society, and has been translated into 18 languages.
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