I loved Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo and so was really looking forward to this one.

Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories tells the stories of eight Korean women. This Miss Kim's range in age from 10 to 80. One is discriminated at work. Another is gaslit . Another grows old and another finds fame. One suffers domestic violence, another is filmed without consent. This is contemporary Korea as women face injustices throughout life , as they do across the world. Every woman will find something that resonates in one or more or all of these stories.
Cho Nam-Joo does not do subtle messaging, she takes her message and hits the reader in the face with it and I really like this brashness in her writing.
I did find this collection a little uneven, one or two of the stories I didn't enjoy. Two of them I loved and if I could give them separate five star ratings I would and the rest of them I enjoyed in varying amounts. Overall, an enjoyable read. I love her writing style and I look forward to reading more from her.

I am torn between 3 and 4 stars for this collection as a whole. For the originality and universal themes, I will round up to 4 stars.

I loved this, it was such a beautiful story with beautiful writing. I enjoyed this book and it kept me engaged throughout.

Miss Kim Knows & Other Stories is a captivating and timely collection of linked short stories with a feminist edge and portrays the experiences of eight women at different stages of their lives (from 10 to 80) through the beautiful prose of contemporary South Korean writer Cho Nam-Joo. Each of these representative biographies is penetrated by issues that have emerged as often central experiences in women's lives, not just in Korean society but universally: the secret/illegal filming of women in public (e.g. upskirting), hate speech and cyberbullying on social media platforms, online misogynistic hate mobs, domestic violence, gaslighting, care work, patriarchal society, female identity in old age, unequal treatment in the workplace and generational conflict within feminism.

Women who sometimes laugh, often cry, are bold and often broken, immersed in the everyday life in which their lives go on. A high school student experiences mobbing, a daughter tries to understand her father who left the family, a clerk is underestimated in her job, a writer struggles with hate speech, an elderly woman dreams of seeing the Northern Lights, but someone else has a different plan for her life. Nam-Joo also sets her sights on herself, the suddenly world-famous author. On the one hand, her success allows her to lead her life as a writer comfortably, on the other hand, the hate she encounters, especially online, does not leave her indifferent.

This is a powerful, compelling and brave anthology that is loaded with emotion and that will resonate with women and girls the world over. Not one to shy away from important topics, Nam-Joo is one of the most urgent and important voices in world literature at present. Her mastery consists of the crystal-clear language in which she writes her prose and at the same time in the precise view of the injustices of Korea, which she does not veil, but on the contrary, puts down on paper with razor-sharpness and wit. As with Kim Jiyoung, born 1982, the fates of these eight women are not nearly as far away from us as we think and hope. So no matter who you are, where you come from or how old you are, these stories of resilience and strength in the face of adversity are also about you.

I’m trying to expand my reading genre and I’m so glad I picked this up. I was engaged throughout the whole time, so I highly recommend.

3.5. Really good book that I read through pretty quickly. Some of the short stories were better than the others but that's to be expected.

Cho Nam-Joo has explored what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal society in this collection of short stories.

Having absolutely loved Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, and having absolutely hated the more recent, Saha; I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this book. I was pleasantly surprised. Each story has a female narrative and each story is different. The thread that holds them together is the struggle that women face in their respective lives.

"You're the pathetic one, not me." The story, Dear Hyunnam Oppa packed a punch. It was about a woman who had been gaslit and finally had the courage to come out of a toxic relationship.

Night of the Aurora focused on the relationship between a woman and her mother in law and fulfilling a lifelong dream. It also highlighted the lack of identity a woman encounters after having a child.

These were just two of the impactful stories in this collection. In all the stories, Cho Nam-Joo has cleverly highlighted life's challenges and explored different relationships

The collection of stories by Cho Nam-Joo was such a good read! Reading her work, I get the feeling that the author is quite Seoul-centric, but the city makes for a great backdrop to write about women's experiences that are quite universal--gaslighting, workplace discrimination, intimate partner violence, complicated familial relationships.

In my opinion, the diversity of narratives and plots added a lot to the reading experience. The stories are distinct and captivating, as well as current.

I’d read KIM JIYOUNG, BORN 1982 and really liked it for the way that it made you furious at how badly South Korean viewed and treated women. I’d hoped that this short story collection would be more of the same - it isn’t.

The only story in the vein of Kim JiYoung is “Dear Hyunnam Oppa” in which an ex-girlfriend takes her truly horrible ex-boyfriend to task over how he’d treated her. The story of boys up-skirting girls is told by such a wimpy narrator, there’s just no anger at the abuse which was a missed opportunity. Many of the other stories were somewhat forgettable.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a look at the lives of different women and each story has a little focus that women struggle with in life (aging, motherhood, sexual assault etc). Some stories I ‘enjoyed’ more, but this could be due to my own age and life experiences. My favourite was the fifth story: Dear Hyunnam Oppa. This was a letter addressed to the narrators ex-boyfriend and how he gaslit her during their relationship. It was very simple and showed why I enjoyed Kim Jiyoung so much when I read it.
I found myself giving this 3.75. I liked the book in general but I think the nature of short stories left me disconnected or wanting more.

Cho Nam-Joo's Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories provides contemporary glimpse into modern day life for Korean women (though a lot resonate as being a very general experience for all women regardless of culture) and the struggles faced be that mortality, family or relationships. It's a great read book for dipping in and out of e.g. on the commute and as a 30 something woman some of the tales resonated massively with me, particularly the short story which shares the title of the book Miss Kim Knows. If you like Cho Nam-Joo's previous offering or enjoy feminist leaning fiction this book is one I'd recommend to be on your reading list this year.

Cho Nam-joo’s collection continues her exploration of the personal experiences of Korean women, at work, at home and in their relationships with family, partners and other women they encounter. Overall, these eight pieces are pleasingly lucid, often poignant, and sometimes wryly funny, frequently couched in a direct but fluid style that sometimes reminded me of Park Wan-suh writing about earlier generations of Korean women. In the bittersweet “Under the Plum Tree” Dongju who’s close to eighty reflects on her past as she strives to come to terms with loss and a growing awareness of her own mortality, comforted by the unexpected symbol of hope represented by a plum tree that somehow manages to flourish despite its unlikely, urban environment. “Dead Set” which has a distinctly semi-autobiographical flavour, centres on an author grappling with the downsides of sudden fame after the publication of her controversial novel; while “Dear Hyunnam Oppa” is a stirring account of a woman’s glorious act of rebellion against her controlling boyfriend. The title story documents the strange happenings at an exploitative company after the seemingly indispensable Miss Kim is summarily fired; and “Night of Aurora” brims with emotion as it details a middle-aged woman’s final realisation of a lifelong dream. Like others here, “Grown-up Girl” probes into the dynamics of mother and daughter interactions, highlighted when an act of school violence threatens to divide a family and a community. “Puppy Love, 2020” is the final entry and, for me, the weakest in a surprisingly strong, compelling assortment, set during the early days of the Covid pandemic it’s more of interest as historical document than as fiction. But, on the whole, I really liked these stories, far more than I did Cho’s bestselling Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 – I could see why that book was culturally significant but it didn’t capture my attention as much as these shorter, pithier narratives. Translated by Jamie Chang

Eight short stories providing glimpses of contemporary Korea from the unique perspectives of eight different women. Although very Korean, these stories nevertheless have deep universal relevance transcending any single country. I could have rated the collection overall at five stars on the basis of my two personal favourites. Instead I have opted for 3.5 stars as all the stories are at least three-plus stars. Special thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a no obligation advance review copy.

𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠°•

❥・ Good gracious! Miss Kim Knows and other stories by Cho Nam-Joo blew me away! It's all about these eight Korean women at different stages of life, and let me tell you, their stories hit hard. They go through some serious stuff, from birth to dealing with domestic violence, workplace discrimination, and society's messed-up views on women. Cho Nam-Joo's writing is so sharp, she doesn't hold back on exploring every little detail.

❥・ And get this, she doesn't just focus on the characters. She digs deep into her own perspective too, which adds a whole new layer to the collection. But here's the thing, even though it's based on Korean culture, the themes and struggles totally resonate with women everywhere. It's like we're all connected, you know?

❥・ The best part is how easy it is to read. The stories are yeah! Short! And amazing! I finished the whole thing in one evening! But I have to admit, some of the stories left me wanting more. They had the potential for deeper exploration and development.

❥・ Overall, Miss Kim Knows is a heartbreaking but super important read. It shines a light on the oppression women face, not just in Korea but everywhere. Cho Nam-Joo really captures the struggles with so much authenticity and empathy.

I really wanted to love this one, but I just didn't! The writing was engaging and the stories creative, I just struggled with the short form, I think some stories were stronger than others but it all just felt fine to me, nothing stood out unfortunately!

A lot of these stories felt incomplete. I wish there was more of a theme running through each of them.

Cho Nam-Joo examines the life cycle of the Korean everywoman in 8 unflinching tales about females ranging in age from 10 to 80 years. Like her more famous novel about Kim Jee-Young, this set of stories delivers a forensic examination of attitudes towards women in contemporary South Korea.

From deeply buried prejudices, to the dismissal and denial of such attitudes, to the acceptance and normalisation of discrimination, it is evident that misogyny is alive and well in the 21st century.

Many readers will find some aspect of the stories relatable. Whether it is a young woman who has had enough of being gaslighted by her boyfriend of 10 years, or the experience of cyberbullying at school, or the utter invisibilisation of older women, none of these themes are entirely unique to South Korea - even if misogyny often expresses itself in different forms and with varying levels of intensity in different countries. This is definitely a collection worth reading.

I previously enjoyed Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 which made me get Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories. I did enjoy a few of the stories and felt like they were really well written but some of them I didn't find as enjoyable.

On the surface, the book has eight stories, all of them told about women, and from the perspective of women, living in contemporary South Korea. The stories are powerful and memorable.

The first, "Under the Plum Tree", describes a relationship between two elderly sisters, one of whom is slowly waning due to Alzheimer's. It's an exploration of aging, and what family means once one ages. It's also the story of what it means to be a sister, despite, or because, of all the difficulties early in life.

The second, "Dead Set", is a story of an author who decides to tell a story of personal trauma. More than anything, it's the story of how the story of personal trauma transcends the individual and affects others. It's also the story of how difficult it is to face such trauma, talk about it, and face the consequences, not just from family and friends, but from others, who fail to see how trauma can be not just theirs. A powerfully emotive and touching story, with a philosophical undertone.

The third, "Runaway", is about a young woman whose father runs away from home, and how her mother and two elder brothers deal with it. This is the story of a daugther, first and foremost, and how she deals with the tension between losing a somewhat controlling father, and getting on with life. It's not a tragedy, but rather a story of release and freedom, gained by all involved. A truly joyful read.

The fourth, "Miss Kim Knows", is the story of an office employee struggling at her first place of employment. She learns about office politics, professional relationships, and what a newly hired can expect. There is also a mystery involved at some point. It's also the story of how young female employees are treated at work, and how devastating it can be to a woman, even if she tries her best to be helpful, when she doesn't play the "workplace game".

The fifth, "Dear Hyunnam Oppa", is a letter from a woman in her 30s who's breaking up with her controlling boyfriend. It's an emotional exploration of what a domineering relationship feels like, and how difficult it is to break the cycle. It's also well balanced and nuanced, clearly making the boyfriend out to be not the villain, but rather misguided.

The sixth, "Night of the Aurora", is a story of what getting old feels like, and how a woman can find happiness even in her 60s and 80s, let alone 30s. There are three women here, all mothers, and each of them figuring out what makes her happy, in isolation from motherhood. It's also a story of friendship, and realising dreams and aspirations. It's subtle, aesthetically pleasing, and emotive. The best story of the bunch, in my view.

The seventh, "Grown-up Girl", is another gem in this collection. It describes how casual sexual harassment of boys in middle impacts girls' self-esteem and motivation. It also talks about how difficult it is for these girls to fight back, not just because of the structural difficulties they face in their schools and societies, but, more than anything, the expectations of their parents, especially in light of how vastly they differ between girls and boys. It's also a story of motherhood, and how, despite everything, it bridges gaps and heals wounds, even if the mother and daughter are different people.

The eighth and the last, "Puppy Love", describes, on its surface, how friendships and love start in one's teens, and how easy they also break and fall apart. It is also a story of the impact of Covid on young relationships. More than this, it's also a story of how expectations and shame fuel miscommunication even at an early age, and the difficulty of young girls to be honest and upfront about things they feel others might judge them for.

I cannot recommend this book enough. The stories, taken together, weave a fantastically complex and nuanced narrative of what it means to be a woman in contemporary society. While South Korea is the background for the stories, the messages and nuances are pan-cultural, and equally emotive regardless of the reader's nationality. Each story has its charm, and some are perhaps among the best short stories I've ever read, not inferior to Akutagawa, Chekhov, and Tanizaki.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Phenomenal. This collection of short stories were perfect. I really hope there is another anthology coming as I would purchase it in a heartbeat!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories' by Cho Nam-Joo

'Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories' is a bunch of short stories from Cho Nam-Joo, the author of the renowned 'Kim Jiyounh, Born 1982.'
Now I haven't read said renowned book but this collection of short stories was interesting to read and I did enjoy it! It's always hard to review translated work because different languages have specific nuances that cannot be translated but I did enjoy this one.