SOS Book Club Pick: I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir

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The South of Seoul Volunteer January Book Club 2023 recommendation is I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir by Baek Sehee. Check out this deeply personal memoir of conversations between the author and her therapist.

About the South of Seoul Virtual Book Club

Looking for book recommendations? Welcome to the South of Seoul book club. We recommend a book every month. Such recommended books explore topics like 1) South Korean history or culture, 2) the complexity of cross-cultural life, or 4) the exploration of life within the diaspora experience.

Commitment to Accessibility

South of Seoul volunteers take book accessibility into consideration when recommending titles. We consider:

  • Purchasable in English In Korea: Many translated titles can’t actually be purchased in English in Korea,
  • Audio Version Available: Many people find audiobooks easier to consume.
  • Online Versions.: International residents can’t afford to travel with many books and many books may not be available in digital form from within Korea.

Commitment to Diverse Lived Experiences

South of Seoul volunteers seek to put lived experiences at the forefront of their recommendation choices. When considering authors we look for such things as:

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  • Korean authors writing about their lived experiences in Korea.
  • International residents writing about their lived experiences in South Korea.
  • Ethnic Koreans writing about their lived experience in other countries.

Reading about Korean culture from a variety of perspectives may provide readers with a greater understanding of the country and culture.

Commitment to Supporting Mental Health

South of Seoul also includes book recommendations that support the lives and mental health of our community. This means that books may tackle the issues related to living between cultures. This may include topics such as culture shock, language, relationships, and more.

Book Recommendation by KimchiRednecks

December’s book club recommendation is brought to you by our content partner, Melissa Whittington from KimchiRednecks. I have experienced bouts of depression since I was in my teens and adding the struggles of Multiple Sclerosis on top of that means I am no stranger to this topic. Whether you have experienced mild depression or deep depression, this book is a great respite in that she is simply sharing her reflections and experiences which make you feel less alone in your own struggles.

About “I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir”

“I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir” by Baek Sehee is an open and honest look into the author’s experiences dealing with depression and seeking professional help. The author has transcribed her sessions with her therapist and intersperses some additional essays with humor and self-reflection as she works to resolve her harmful behaviors.

Although she has a successful career at a publishing house, Baek Sehee seeks out a therapist to help her delve into her issues. She isn’t quite sure how to categorize her feelings as just depression or hopelessness at first. Though she tries to connect with others, she often has trouble forming deep relationships and sometimes feels very judgmental of others.

“I wonder about others like me, who seem totally fine on the outside but are rotting on the inside, where the rot is this vague state of being not-fine and not-devastated at the same time.”

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, Baek Sehee

I really enjoy how she explores her issues, questions and concerns and works to find ways to remove those harmful behaviors of self-abuse. The author is open about her struggles and frustrations which is refreshing since mental health issues often still feel very stigmatized.

If you have ever felt depressed or alone or frustrated with yourself, you may find more hope and understanding reading this memoir. Though I am not millennial or Korean, there are some universal struggles and frustrations that connected me to the author and her feelings.

This translation was just released in November of this year. I was intrigued by the title because the dark humor was relatable and it was a good read.

More Commentary and Reviews

For more on “I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir,” read the Japan Times review ‘I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’: Compelling confessions of an exhausted millennial.

Online Purchasing Link

You can purchase “I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir” on Amazon.

Find More Book Club Recommendations

Did you like this recommendation? Be sure to explore our other volunteer-recommended books.

What Books Do You Recommend?

Feel free to share your own book recommendations on our Facebook page or in the blog post comments at the end of this post.