Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My rating - 3/5
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Disclaimer: This book is a required summer reading for my upcoming English course. This does not influence my rating in any way.
I would love to give this book a higher rating, since the entire novel did a great job at captivating my interest. However, what I thought would be a main plot point was never well explained, even up until the end. Both in the blurb and the beginning of the novel, Jiyoung's tendency to impersonate other women, including those dead and alive, was introduced to the reader. Her husband, Daehyun, sends her to a psychiatrist in hopes of curing this uncharted "ilness." Albeit the proposed central premise of the novel, the conflict is never resolved, nor is it talked about for the main duration of the book.
What resonated with me was the impact misogyny and sexism had on the main protagonist. Because the vast majority of the book narrated her experiences growing up and assimilating into a chauvinist society, there was barely any time to reveal what was really going on with current-day Jiyoung. The reason this irks me is not because I find the author's choice unintentional, rather it seems unnecessary and almost misleading. Readers are thrown from a mystery novel to a narrative article about Jiyoung's experiences with the patriarchal work industry, (sexual) harassment from men, and male-oriented marriages. Although exploring the double standard of upbringing a child is important and informative, what was advertised to be an eerie feminist thriller turned out to be a novel-length article on the impacts of androcentrism.
If I were to re-write this book, I would either scrap the idea of Jiyoung uncontrollably mimicking the women of her past, or the latter being - explore it further. Every bad encounter Jiyoung had with the men around her had an important story to tell. However, readers are so distracted with the suspense of the introduction and blurb that her experiences only bring discomfort and discouragement. To re-engage with the "central" story-line, I would explain how Jiyoung's history with men contributed to her mental disorder. Perhaps the trauma she endured got out of hand, causing her to spiral into a state of mind beyond her control. And what happens after? That, I find, is one of many questions I had after completing the novel. I wish it could have been answered or at a minimum, implied.
One thing I really enjoyed was the hypocrisy of the narrator: the psychiatrist. It was one line, but one line I think saved the entire novel. One of his workers quit her job due to her pregnancy. Despite listening to and believing Jiyoung's trauma with misogyny, he promises himself behind the curtains to (view spoiler)[hire a woman who wasn't pregnant so that he could avoid the complications of maternity leave. (hide spoiler)] This, I felt, was the first time the book attempted to twist the reader's mind. The rest of the book seemed very linear and had a clear incentive to educate readers about the patriarchy.
The last point I have to make is nit-picky, but important enough to say aloud. I feel like the author's attempt at educating readers about the patriarchy, as I mentioned earlier, could have been done more effectively. Many of Jiyoung's experiences with male-oriented family systems or sexual harassment never were resolved. Although this could have been largely intentional, it only left a bitter taste in my mouth and left me disgusted rather than inspired. I do hope that this isn't a major issue to anyone else, especially male readers. This way, we will learn from the protagonist's biography and better ourselves in our ongoing endeavor for gender equity.
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