Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Ratings175
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings175
Average rating4.1
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? Rendered in eerie prose, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 announces the arrival of a major international writer.
Reviews with the most likes.
Damn, this book is scathing. It's told like a fable but the story transcends time or even place.
If I had a nickel for every time I read a book about a woman developing psychosis from postpartum depression I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
In all seriousness, I really resonated with Jiyoung's story, especially the special treatment of her brother. I was even sharing excerpts of the book with my sister and we both mulled about the similarities between both Jiyoung's life and ours.
Reading about the experiences and sacrifices that us women have to go through just because we're women made me incredibly sad and disheartened, and usually I use reading as a way to escape from real world horrors, but I truly truly loved this book and was so glad that I read it.
This book made me both mad and sad, but mostly mad. In a good way though!
I love that it's fiction but also kind of non-fiction (the author interweaves some statistics throughout the book), and I absolutely love that it's feminist. It's a pretty short book so I think it would also make for a good book club kind of book.
4.5/5
This book made me both mad and sad, but mostly mad. In a good way though!
I love that it's fiction but also kind of non-fiction (the author interweaves some statistics throughout the book), and I absolutely love that it's feminist. It's a pretty short book so I think it would also make for a good book club kind of book.
4.5/5
