Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (Cho) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Cho’s clinical prose is bolstered with figures and footnotes to illustrate how ordinary Jiyoung’s experience is.… When Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, was published in Korea in 2016, it was received as a cultural call to arms….  Cho’s novel was treated as a social treatise as much as a work of art.… The new, often subversive novels by Korean women, which have intersected with the rise of the #MeToo movement, are driving discussions beyond the literary world.
Alexandra Alter - New York Times


This novel is about the banality of the evil that is systemic misogyny.… [Jiyoung] feels so overwhelmed by social expectations that there is no room for her in her own body; her only option is to become something—or someone—else.
Euny Hong - New York Times Book Review


Cho Nam-joo’s third novel has been hailed as giving voice to the unheard everywoman.… [Kim Jiyoung] has become both a touchstone for a conversation around feminism and gender and a lightning rod for anti-feminists who view the book as inciting misandry…. [The book] has touched a nerve globally…. The character of Kim Jiyoung can be seen as a sort of sacrifice: a protagonist who is broken in order to open up a channel for collective rage.
Sarah Shin - Guardian (UK)


Cho Nam-Joo points to a universal dialogue around discrimination, hopelessness, and fear.
Time


In this fine―and beautifully translated―biography of a fictional Korean woman we encounter the real experiences of many women around the world.
Spectator (UK)


Following the life of the titular character from her mother’s generation through her own childhood, young adulthood, career, marriage and eventual "breakdown," the book moves around in time to subtly uncover how patriarchy eats away at the psyches and bodies of women, starting before they’re even born.
Seattle Times


While Cho’s message-driven narrative will leave readers wishing for more complexity, the brutal, bleak conclusion demonstrates Cho’s mastery of irony. This will stir readers to consider the myriad factors that diminish women’s rights throughout the world.
Publishers Weekly


A relatively quick read at under 200 pages, the novel… is credited with launching Korea's own #MeToo moment. It effectively communicates the realities Korean women face,…and the nearly impossible challenge of balancing motherhood with career aspirations. —Faye Chadwell, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis
Library Journal


(Starred review) Cho’s narrative is part bildungsroman and part Wikipedia entry…. Cho’s matter-of-fact delivery [and]…Jiyoung’s therapist’s report―his claims of being "aware" and "enlightened" only [damn] him further as an entitled troll―proves to be narrative genius.
Booklist

[T]here's nothing revolutionary here—it's basically feminism 101 but in novel form, complete with occasional footnotes.… But the story perfectly captures [misogyny]…  recognizable to many. A compelling story about a woman in a deeply patriarchal society.
Kirkus Reviews