She creates the atmosphere on the island in such a way that we too begin feeling the hopelessness of their lives. Through a complicated series of events that are mostly disconnected but do have a partial bearing on at least one other situation, the author unveils the repercussions of an extremely stifled life under an authoritarian corporation. The brilliance of the author is visible even this time. But the premises of the two novels are very different, and as a result, so are my experiences. So when I saw that there was finally going to be a second work of hers translated, I grabbed the opportunity to read it. All these years, it had been the only novel of Cho Nam-Joo to be translated into English.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is one of my absolute favourite books.

Through the experiences of some of the Saha residents: siblings Do-Kyung and Jin-Kyung, gentle giant Woomi, one-eyed Sara, the old custodian, and many other such characters, we see life under the totalitarian regime. The residents of the illegal Saha housing complex fall in this third category. And then there are those without any permit, the residents who survive via contractual work, those who have no access to insurance or security. The second tier citizens, the L2s, function based on residence permits that they need to renew every two years, depending on their working status. Town takes care of its assets – the top class citizens (those with qualifications and wealth) with the L status. Do not compare it with “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982” – it won’t match up.Ī dystopian town known only as ‘Town’ - erstwhile a fishing village but now purchased and run by a capitalist corporation. This is like a montage of disconnected stories that have a partial bearing on each other. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented dystopian story set on a fictional estate named Saha.

Cho nam joo