Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

**This Great Books class will be held virtually over Zoom**

featuring I. Jonathan Kief, Assistant Professor of Korean Studies

The bestselling novel that triggered a fierce sexism battle in South Korea

—A global sensation, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 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 Guardian

—This novel is about the banality of the evil that is systemic misogyny….Jiyoung, like Gregor Samsa, 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. —The New York Times Book Review

—Cho wisely sticks to a cold, antiseptic narration, free from any whiff of “feminine hysteria.” But don’t think the book falls flat due to its format: It is a fascinating, terrifying, and necessary read. —Washington Independent Review of Books

—In a chilling, eerily truncated third-person voice, Jiyoung’s entire life is recounted to the psychiatrist—a narrative infused with disparate elements of frustration, perseverance, and submission. Rendered in minimalist yet lacerating prose, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 sits at the center of our global #MeToo movement and announces the arrival of a writer of international significance. —National Book Foundation

—[Kim Jiyoung is] an everywoman in Korea’s punishingly patriarchal society. —NPR

Meeting Date: Tuesdays, October 26 and November 2

Cost: $35, includes a copy of the book shipped to your home

Register online or call 919.962.1544