Brief book review time! So I’d be lying if I said this gorgeous cover didn’t draw me in initially. But Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, lived up to the stark beauty of its wrapping, though not in the way you’d expect. It’s effect is far subtler than that. Kim Jiyoung is a young woman with a husband and little girl who suddenly begins behaving oddly, speaking in the voices of other women in her life or in the lives of those close to her with seemingly no awareness of having done so. The narrative begins there, then goes back to trace the life of this young Korean woman as she grows up and experiences the death by a thousand cuts that is the casual misogyny of her culture. This book was galvanizing for the South Korean feminist movement, and it supports its narrative with use of footnotes from studies on gender discrimination and women’s roles in South Korea. The very ending will piss you off, in a good and effective way. Despite the misogynistic culture Jiyoung contends with, I love that the women are written as strong and complex, and many of the men in their lives are truly kind and sympathetic. Even the “good” guys make assumptions about gender roles from time to time, and Jiyoung feels guilty for making the path for other women employees harder by working so hard while pregnant. From privileged brothers to school bullies, from predatory boys and teachers to discriminatory bosses, this book shows why feminism is essential for all cultures where misogyny exists, including my own. I wish I’d gotten more Korean books to read for #koreanmarch - if you have suggestions, drop them in the comments! Also tell me what you thought of this book if you’ve read it! #koreanliterature #koreanbooks #feminism #chonamjoo #korea #southkorea #bookstagram #instabooks #bookcovers #bookreviews #books #ilovereading #bookshelf #womenauthors #feministauthors #intersectionalfeminism #instabooks #bookrecommendations https://www.instagram.com/p/CbfRM0XO-VK/?utm_medium=tumblr
