Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Kim Čijong — ročník 82 by Cho Nam-joo

39 reviews

rnbhargava's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is as informative as it is engaging and heartbreaking. I’m mostly leaving it at 4.5 rather than a 5 because there’s always another side or opinion to any highly accurate fictional depiction of a certain time period

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

The whole narrative of this novel is about ways that women in South Korea aren’t valued, even abused in their professional and personal lives by various males in their lives. From fathers, brothers, partners, husbands, coworkers even if they’re subordinates to them or generally younger (age is a big thing in Korea in interpersonal relationships) This book is fantastic, especially given its brief length. Jiyoung could be any woman you know and she just wants to be valued and acknowledged as a person but she isn’t just because she’s a woman, a hard worker, a mother, among any number of things she could also be. Fantastic novel.

mrlsdevos's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

cicizzy's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book describes the life of a south Korean woman representative of the life of most women there. It was basically a description of systematic sexism and misogyny. I wish more men read books like that but the ones who would need it aren't the men who would read books like that. 
The story about her mental breakdown or whatever this was, was honestly a bit weird to me and felt incomplete. I would have liked it better if it had been left out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body shaming, Stalking, and Alcohol

tessalovespanda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The ending is weird with perspective shift. A different lense to womanhood from a different culture. The article referring makes sense now with the ending. Relatable as a woman and very poignant to the reality of women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Still a 5 star slay

‘The world wants our uterus to be drug-free. Like sacred grounds in a virgin forest.'

‘The girls stowed away repulsive, frightening experiences with males deep in their hearts without even realising it.’

'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’

‘Do laws and institutions change values, or do values change laws and institutions?’

‘People who pop a painkiller at the smallest hint of a migraine, or who need anaesthetic cream to remove a mole, demand that women giving birth should gladly endure the pain, exhaustion and mortal fear.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

kathshiroma's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion

claukv's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Dementia

anh_read's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A novel about being a woman in South Korea. However, it is universal story, as women from other countries and cultures suffer under similar situations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, and Gaslighting

Minor: Bullying

bethancy's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A social commentary through the biography of Kim Jiyoung. This book was informative and thought-provoking, and would make a great book club pick. Dark at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Abortion

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body shaming and Alcohol

crybabybea's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

My first time reading literary fiction, and my first time reading a translated work. I picked this up after reading Flowers of Fire and learning that it was one of the first novels published in South Korea written by a woman, about a woman, critiquing patriarchal society. 

Following Kim Jiyoung's story was heartbreaking, and made even more emotional with the understanding that her fictional experience was common, if not milder, than what most women in South Korea experience. The misogyny she faces starts early and gets worse as she ages, and as a reader, all you can do is watch as it compounds upon her and drives her to madness. 

I liked how this was written, with an interesting narrator whose identity is only revealed at the end, and for my first piece of literary fiction, I'm really satisfied that I chose this, and it's sparked for me an interest in literary fiction and translated works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment