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Capitalists Must Starve
From the writer and translator duo of A Magical Girl Retires, a powerful historical novel about labour activism in Japanese-occupied Korea.
Set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Korea, Capitalists Must Starve follows a sharp-tongued, big-hearted heroine who dares to love, rebel, and carve out space for working-class women in a world determined to silence them. Echoing the unflinching narratives of Alias Grace and the sweeping historical vision of Pachinko, this feminist historical novel balances raw grit with unexpected tenderness and a defiant streak of dark humour.
A stirring portrait of resistance from fierce, funny, and full of fight.
Set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Korea, Capitalists Must Starve follows a sharp-tongued, big-hearted heroine who dares to love, rebel, and carve out space for working-class women in a world determined to silence them. Echoing the unflinching narratives of Alias Grace and the sweeping historical vision of Pachinko, this feminist historical novel balances raw grit with unexpected tenderness and a defiant streak of dark humour.
A stirring portrait of resistance from fierce, funny, and full of fight.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
89 people are currently reading
2636 people want to read
About the author
Park Seolyeon
9 books126 followersPark Seolyeon (1989-) is a South Korean novelist. She made her literary debut in 2015 when her short story “Mikimauseu keulleob” (미키마우스 클럽 The Mickey Mouse Club) won the Silcheon Munhak New Writer’s Award. In 2018, she won the 23rd Hankyoreh Literature Award with the novel Chegongnyeo gangjuryong (체공녀 강주룡 Kang Juryong, the Woman in the Air). She uses love and the voices of the underprivileged, such as women, the elderly, and sexual minorities, who are excluded and hidden from society, as the subject of her works.
박서련(1989~)은 한국의 소설가다. 2015년 단편으로 신인상을 받으며 작품활동을 시작했다. 2018년 장편으로 제23회 한겨레문학상을 수상했다. 작가는 여성, 노인, 성소수자 등 배제되고 은폐되는 약자의 목소리를 사랑을 매개로 작품의 주제로 삼고 있다.
박서련(1989~)은 한국의 소설가다. 2015년 단편으로 신인상을 받으며 작품활동을 시작했다. 2018년 장편으로 제23회 한겨레문학상을 수상했다. 작가는 여성, 노인, 성소수자 등 배제되고 은폐되는 약자의 목소리를 사랑을 매개로 작품의 주제로 삼고 있다.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 3, 2025
An extraordinary story hampered by a very poorly edited English translation - typos, inconsistent spellings, grammar issues on every page that made the prose basically unreadable on top of just being clunky - not to mention they've accidentally put "Seolyeon" on the upper right hand side of every page instead of "Park", which is baffling for a press like Tilted Axis. I have no choice but to assume that they accidentally typeset the first draft translation instead of the final version and then it was just too late to reprint everything. Please god do something to save independent publishing.
August 21, 2025
A banger.
December 23, 2025
Factory owners capitulate!
Victory through workers’ unity!
If those who do not work must starve
Then capitalists must starve!
Capitalists Must Starve is Anton Hur's translation of 체공녀 강주룡 (2018) by 박서련 (Park Seolyeon), published by Tilted Axis Press, and is their entry for the 2026 Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize.
The same author/translator duo had previously published A Magical, a reimagination of the Magical Girl genre (no, me neither) for a world of violence against women, economic insecurity and climate change.
This is a change in tone - and publisher - political historical-fiction.
The novel is based on the real-life story of 강주룡 (Gang Juryong), a Korean independence and, later, workers-rights activist. In 1931, and aged 30, she led a strike at a rubber-factory, and the first-ever rooftop protest by a worker on the 을밀대 (Eulmildae) tower in what is now North Korea, and died one year later, weakened from hunger strikes.
And the novel follows what is known of her life and her activism.
Now Anton Hur is an accomplished, the prize-recognised, translator as well as a novelist in his own right in English, so I think this must be a deliberate, stylistic decision, perhaps to match the era ... but it's hard not to comment on the stilted nature of the prose (and not just in direct speech):
“If I hadn’t insisted on following you into the movement, what mission could I have accomplished? So my accomplishment is also my husband’s, isn’t it?”
Not what she wanted to say at all, but not untrue, either.
She has no desire to take sole credit and let her name be known throughout the land. Just like Jeonbin had once said, the reason she wants liberation is for the happiness of the one she married.
She loves him and wants him to live in a liberated country.
주룡은 공을 독차지하고 이름을 떨치고 싶은 마음이 없다. 전빈이 언젠가 했던 말처럼 주룡이 독립을 원하는 것은 제 임자 때문이다.
당신이 좋아서, 당신이 독립된 나라에 살기를 바라는 마음.
Which makes for an interesting, but rather dry, and at times awkward, read.
As a positive, 주룡, who name is often abbrievated by comrades to 룡 (ryong, which could denote dragon) is a well crafted character - she stumbles into independence activism out of loyalty to her younger husband, but, as the quote above suggests, soon surpasses him, and someone who is driven by loyalty to her comrades and colleagues and, above all, determined to win and to change the status quo.
This is the October 2025 book from the brilliant Republic of Consciousness Book of the Month club, which raises funds that support the UKs most exciting annual book prize, as well as showcasing a collection of books from the vibrant small independent press scene.
The publisher - Tilted Axis Press
Tilted Axis Press is an independent publisher of contemporary literature by the Global Majority, translated into or written in a variety of Englishes.
Founded in 2015, our practice is an ongoing exploration into alternatives - to the hierarchisation of certain languages and forms of translation, and the monoculture of globalisation.
강주룡 historical speech from the rooftop
(+ ChatGPT's translation, where I asked it to preserve a fiery, archaic tone)
우리는 49명 우리 파업단의 賃金減下(임금감하)를 크게 여기지는 않습니다. 이것이 결국은 平壤(평양)의 2,300명 고무직공의 賃金減下(임금감하)의 원인이 될 것임으로 우리는 죽기로써 반대하랴는 것입니다. (…) 나는 平元(평원) 고무 사장이 이 앞에 와서 賃金減下(임금감하)의 선언을 취소하기까지는 결코 내려가지 않겟습니다. 끗까지 賃金減下(임금감하)를 취소치 않으면 나는 (…) 노동대중을 대표해 죽음을 명예로 알 뿐입니다. 그러하고 여러분, 구타여 나를 여기서 (집웅) 강제로 끄러내릴 생각은 마십시오, 누구든지 이 집웅 우에 사닥다리를 대 놓기만 하면 나는 곳 떠러저 죽을 뿐입니다.
We, the forty-nine of this strike band, do not make much of our own wage cuts. Yet this, in the end, will be the cause of wage cuts for the 2,300 rubber workers of Pyongyang — and so we oppose it unto death. (…) I shall never come down until the president of Pyeongwon Rubber stands before me and withdraws his declaration of wage cuts. If to the last they refuse to withdraw it, then (…) as the representative of the working masses, I shall count death as my only honor.
And hear me, comrades — do not think to beat me or drag me down by force. Should anyone dare set a ladder against this rooftop, I will cast myself down and meet death at once.
Victory through workers’ unity!
If those who do not work must starve
Then capitalists must starve!
Capitalists Must Starve is Anton Hur's translation of 체공녀 강주룡 (2018) by 박서련 (Park Seolyeon), published by Tilted Axis Press, and is their entry for the 2026 Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize.
The same author/translator duo had previously published A Magical, a reimagination of the Magical Girl genre (no, me neither) for a world of violence against women, economic insecurity and climate change.
This is a change in tone - and publisher - political historical-fiction.
The novel is based on the real-life story of 강주룡 (Gang Juryong), a Korean independence and, later, workers-rights activist. In 1931, and aged 30, she led a strike at a rubber-factory, and the first-ever rooftop protest by a worker on the 을밀대 (Eulmildae) tower in what is now North Korea, and died one year later, weakened from hunger strikes.
And the novel follows what is known of her life and her activism.
Now Anton Hur is an accomplished, the prize-recognised, translator as well as a novelist in his own right in English, so I think this must be a deliberate, stylistic decision, perhaps to match the era ... but it's hard not to comment on the stilted nature of the prose (and not just in direct speech):
“If I hadn’t insisted on following you into the movement, what mission could I have accomplished? So my accomplishment is also my husband’s, isn’t it?”
Not what she wanted to say at all, but not untrue, either.
She has no desire to take sole credit and let her name be known throughout the land. Just like Jeonbin had once said, the reason she wants liberation is for the happiness of the one she married.
She loves him and wants him to live in a liberated country.
주룡은 공을 독차지하고 이름을 떨치고 싶은 마음이 없다. 전빈이 언젠가 했던 말처럼 주룡이 독립을 원하는 것은 제 임자 때문이다.
당신이 좋아서, 당신이 독립된 나라에 살기를 바라는 마음.
Which makes for an interesting, but rather dry, and at times awkward, read.
As a positive, 주룡, who name is often abbrievated by comrades to 룡 (ryong, which could denote dragon) is a well crafted character - she stumbles into independence activism out of loyalty to her younger husband, but, as the quote above suggests, soon surpasses him, and someone who is driven by loyalty to her comrades and colleagues and, above all, determined to win and to change the status quo.
This is the October 2025 book from the brilliant Republic of Consciousness Book of the Month club, which raises funds that support the UKs most exciting annual book prize, as well as showcasing a collection of books from the vibrant small independent press scene.
The publisher - Tilted Axis Press
Tilted Axis Press is an independent publisher of contemporary literature by the Global Majority, translated into or written in a variety of Englishes.
Founded in 2015, our practice is an ongoing exploration into alternatives - to the hierarchisation of certain languages and forms of translation, and the monoculture of globalisation.
강주룡 historical speech from the rooftop
(+ ChatGPT's translation, where I asked it to preserve a fiery, archaic tone)
우리는 49명 우리 파업단의 賃金減下(임금감하)를 크게 여기지는 않습니다. 이것이 결국은 平壤(평양)의 2,300명 고무직공의 賃金減下(임금감하)의 원인이 될 것임으로 우리는 죽기로써 반대하랴는 것입니다. (…) 나는 平元(평원) 고무 사장이 이 앞에 와서 賃金減下(임금감하)의 선언을 취소하기까지는 결코 내려가지 않겟습니다. 끗까지 賃金減下(임금감하)를 취소치 않으면 나는 (…) 노동대중을 대표해 죽음을 명예로 알 뿐입니다. 그러하고 여러분, 구타여 나를 여기서 (집웅) 강제로 끄러내릴 생각은 마십시오, 누구든지 이 집웅 우에 사닥다리를 대 놓기만 하면 나는 곳 떠러저 죽을 뿐입니다.
We, the forty-nine of this strike band, do not make much of our own wage cuts. Yet this, in the end, will be the cause of wage cuts for the 2,300 rubber workers of Pyongyang — and so we oppose it unto death. (…) I shall never come down until the president of Pyeongwon Rubber stands before me and withdraws his declaration of wage cuts. If to the last they refuse to withdraw it, then (…) as the representative of the working masses, I shall count death as my only honor.
And hear me, comrades — do not think to beat me or drag me down by force. Should anyone dare set a ladder against this rooftop, I will cast myself down and meet death at once.
March 2, 2026
The strength of this book is definitely character writing and development, as the main character Juryong carries the story on her back.
It was very educative to learn more about unions and protests in Korea during the Japanese occupation as well as the role and pressure that women were subjected to at that time. It never felt like a book that was teaching us something but it was more intended to walk us though Juryong life and her struggles.
Ever arc of this book felt needed and necessary to lead Juryong to where she has to go and what she needs to accomplish. Despite being only 200 pages, it is very thorough with every step of Juryong’s life and everything she learned from each step of the way.
Despite having interesting side characters, their story felt very second to Juryong’s and it was some very good writing from the author to have her main character completely carry the whole book by herself.
I would have loved to spend a few more pages just reading everything Juryong is able to accomplish by learning through her experiences and meetings.
It was very educative to learn more about unions and protests in Korea during the Japanese occupation as well as the role and pressure that women were subjected to at that time. It never felt like a book that was teaching us something but it was more intended to walk us though Juryong life and her struggles.
Ever arc of this book felt needed and necessary to lead Juryong to where she has to go and what she needs to accomplish. Despite being only 200 pages, it is very thorough with every step of Juryong’s life and everything she learned from each step of the way.
Despite having interesting side characters, their story felt very second to Juryong’s and it was some very good writing from the author to have her main character completely carry the whole book by herself.
I would have loved to spend a few more pages just reading everything Juryong is able to accomplish by learning through her experiences and meetings.
January 27, 2026
The story follows the life of the protagonist Kang Juryong and deals with themes like sexism, gender-based violence, national liberation movements, and workers rights struggles, against the backdrop of a Japan-occupied Korea and Manchuria in the early 20th century.
I enjoyed the story and felt emotionally invested in the windy road that Juryong's life takes her down.
One thing that made me struggle with the translation quite a bit was that many words were left in the original Korean, without any explanation.
I studied a bit of Korean in uni so the honorifics people use to address each other, and a few of the other words were familiar to me. But there were still many names of clothes, rooms in the house, professions of people etc that I would have loved to have a short explanation for.
Sometimes certain words are very specific and can not be translated, so I'm not against leaving them in the original Korean, I just wish there had been a list of those words with explanations somewhere.
I read the ebook, so if there was a list of words that was more easily accessible in the print version, I wouldn't know it.
I enjoyed the story and felt emotionally invested in the windy road that Juryong's life takes her down.
One thing that made me struggle with the translation quite a bit was that many words were left in the original Korean, without any explanation.
I studied a bit of Korean in uni so the honorifics people use to address each other, and a few of the other words were familiar to me. But there were still many names of clothes, rooms in the house, professions of people etc that I would have loved to have a short explanation for.
Sometimes certain words are very specific and can not be translated, so I'm not against leaving them in the original Korean, I just wish there had been a list of those words with explanations somewhere.
I read the ebook, so if there was a list of words that was more easily accessible in the print version, I wouldn't know it.
December 19, 2025
"No matter how weak and vulnerable a beast, they will still find a way to survive."
This is based on a real woman, Kang Juryong, who lived and died in the early 1900s after becoming martyred for the labour movement. She was a pioneer in many senses of the word, and although this book is fiction, I felt that this reimagining really brought her to life and made me curious about her story. She was more than a historical figure; she was also a person with a mother who loved her, a husband she fought for, and a community she was willing to die for. She was poor, uneducated, a working-class farmhand, born into an extremely misogynistic society during an extremely misogynistic era, and yet she resisted.
Another thing that I really liked about this book is its depiction of other women from that era and class. What Juryong faced was not isolated by systemic. The intersection between class, gender, and politics is made clear through emotionally charged scenes of ordinary women struggling to make it through the months when quite literally everything around them—their husbands, employers, and country's colonisers—threatens their survival in a very real and imminent way. It was inspiring to read about these women banding together, risking life and limb for a greater cause, in spite of being so downtrodden.
Similar reads:
- 'A Woman of Pleasure' by Kiyoko Murata
- 'Flowers of Fire' by Hawon Jung
- 'Delicious Hunger' by Hai Fan
This is based on a real woman, Kang Juryong, who lived and died in the early 1900s after becoming martyred for the labour movement. She was a pioneer in many senses of the word, and although this book is fiction, I felt that this reimagining really brought her to life and made me curious about her story. She was more than a historical figure; she was also a person with a mother who loved her, a husband she fought for, and a community she was willing to die for. She was poor, uneducated, a working-class farmhand, born into an extremely misogynistic society during an extremely misogynistic era, and yet she resisted.
Another thing that I really liked about this book is its depiction of other women from that era and class. What Juryong faced was not isolated by systemic. The intersection between class, gender, and politics is made clear through emotionally charged scenes of ordinary women struggling to make it through the months when quite literally everything around them—their husbands, employers, and country's colonisers—threatens their survival in a very real and imminent way. It was inspiring to read about these women banding together, risking life and limb for a greater cause, in spite of being so downtrodden.
Similar reads:
- 'A Woman of Pleasure' by Kiyoko Murata
- 'Flowers of Fire' by Hawon Jung
- 'Delicious Hunger' by Hai Fan
January 22, 2026
Kiinnostava historiallinen biofiktio korealaisesta nuoresta leskestä, joka erilaisten vastaliikkeiden ja aviomiehen kuoleman jälkeen päätyy Pjongjangiin tehdastyöntekijäksi, ja hieman myöhemmin koko työväen ammattiyhdistystaistelun suureksi esikuvaksi.
Seolyeon seuraa taiten mitä ilmeisemmin historiallisiin faktoihin perustuvaa tietä, jonka kumitehtaan työntekijä Kang Ju-ryong kulkee matkallaan työläisten oikeuksien taistelijaksi. En tiedä katoavatko jotkin (ajalliset) siirtymät käännökseen vai kaunokirjallisen muodon ulottumattomiin, mutta lukukokemusta häiritsee paikoin hieman ajallisten etäisyyksien hahmottamisvaikeudet – sekä osin myös hahmojen ohuus. Toisaalta teos on nopealukuinen, feministis-viihteellinenkin sukellus Japanin vallan aikaiseen Koreaan melko visuaalisessa, jopa elokuvamaisessa muodossa – tämä olisi hyvinkin suuri merkkiteos valkokankaalle päästessään.
Seolyeon seuraa taiten mitä ilmeisemmin historiallisiin faktoihin perustuvaa tietä, jonka kumitehtaan työntekijä Kang Ju-ryong kulkee matkallaan työläisten oikeuksien taistelijaksi. En tiedä katoavatko jotkin (ajalliset) siirtymät käännökseen vai kaunokirjallisen muodon ulottumattomiin, mutta lukukokemusta häiritsee paikoin hieman ajallisten etäisyyksien hahmottamisvaikeudet – sekä osin myös hahmojen ohuus. Toisaalta teos on nopealukuinen, feministis-viihteellinenkin sukellus Japanin vallan aikaiseen Koreaan melko visuaalisessa, jopa elokuvamaisessa muodossa – tämä olisi hyvinkin suuri merkkiteos valkokankaalle päästessään.
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January 31, 2026Kang Juryoung deserved better
better editing, better writing, and perhaps a better translation
better editing, better writing, and perhaps a better translation
January 21, 2026
the title is better than the book
February 23, 2026
3.75/5
Kang Juryoung, you will always be remembered.
Kang Juryoung, you will always be remembered.
February 21, 2026
translated fictionalization of the life of kang juryong, a farmhand daughter who became factory worker and then a labor union activist during the japanese colonization of korea. very glad I picked this up despite the back cover description being a bit pithy. absolutely ripped
March 7, 2026
3.5☆. I like the premises but I don't feel the punch of it. I like the ending, even tho a bit sad.
February 12, 2026
Bad ass bitch who cries a lot but you can never say she doesn’t get stuff done
January 18, 2026
Factory owners capitulate!
Victory through worker’s unity!
If those who do not work must starve
Then capitalists must starve!
Banger book, that is all
Victory through worker’s unity!
If those who do not work must starve
Then capitalists must starve!
Banger book, that is all
November 16, 2025
"We have done nothing wrong, and the factory owner here has no clout. ... The police were deployed to intimidate us, but they have no excuse to arrest us, that's what."
Kang Juryong! Aku mencintai kisahmu ini!
Benar sosok dia mengingatkan saya pada Marsinah Indonesia.
Kalau kalian ada budget beli buku, kalian harus beli ini.
January 7, 2026
fuck capitalism till the day i die!!! honestly park seolyeon is kinda… onto something with her writing. this and a magical girl retires really hit on hard subjects in fun ways
February 1, 2026
3.5 the story was fantastic especially in the second part, however the translation let this book down so much. it keeps too much of its korean nature and doesn’t take enough liberties to make the writing more natural in english. i felt like i was stumbling over many of the sentences and as a result it felt like it lacked depth. this just became too frustrating for me to properly get into it :(
November 10, 2025
if those who do not work must starve then capitalists must starve
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October 17, 2025i'm thoroughly obsessed with park seolyeon! her ability to write characters who are going through the most bizarre (magical girl series) or historic, high-stakes (capitalists must starve) events who also feel so real -- like you've met them sometime somewhere -- is incredible. she isn't trying to write a manifesto or "novel" that's just thinly veiled theory but manages to lay out capitalism as it is, which comes down to how it preys on people, puts them into a corner that feels inescapable, yet demands that you keep living through all of it.
that being said, i wish she would write longer books. i really didn't mind how short the two magical girl books were (even though i'm really hoping she's working on more books for the series 🤞🏻) but i do think it takes away from the story for this book.
"capitalists must starve" is about kang ju-ryong, who is the first korean woman to do a 고공농성 which is when you occupy a space really high up until your demands are met (not sure what the english term is). i did some very short research and found out that most of the characters and what happens is based on real historic events, but park took the liberty to add meat and character to the story. as one of the reviews attached in the book says, she does a good job of balancing research and imagination.
there is a lot of ground to cover in the book. i won't spoil anything (i think you should read it!), but it follows the main character through major life events, several moves across the country, and career changes. i loved how naturally the writing incorporated the northern dialect and speech from the early 1900s, and feel a little sad that that will not be as present/obvious in translation. like wow, it was so good that it felt effortless but i know how much research that must've taken.
i think the book would've benefited a lot by some more pages dedicated to character and world building. taking a moment to describe the space the character is in, the atmosphere, just a general vibe would've complimented the writing a lot and helped with the pacing imo. this is why i would say the short length is the biggest "flaw" of the book -- i would love to see future works from the author that takes more time. i get that witty and snappy is kind of her style, but for me this was a story that deserved a build up that pushes the reader to sit through slow tension and complex relationships.
overall, such a fun read, and i'm happy i have more park seolyeon books to read
that being said, i wish she would write longer books. i really didn't mind how short the two magical girl books were (even though i'm really hoping she's working on more books for the series 🤞🏻) but i do think it takes away from the story for this book.
"capitalists must starve" is about kang ju-ryong, who is the first korean woman to do a 고공농성 which is when you occupy a space really high up until your demands are met (not sure what the english term is). i did some very short research and found out that most of the characters and what happens is based on real historic events, but park took the liberty to add meat and character to the story. as one of the reviews attached in the book says, she does a good job of balancing research and imagination.
there is a lot of ground to cover in the book. i won't spoil anything (i think you should read it!), but it follows the main character through major life events, several moves across the country, and career changes. i loved how naturally the writing incorporated the northern dialect and speech from the early 1900s, and feel a little sad that that will not be as present/obvious in translation. like wow, it was so good that it felt effortless but i know how much research that must've taken.
i think the book would've benefited a lot by some more pages dedicated to character and world building. taking a moment to describe the space the character is in, the atmosphere, just a general vibe would've complimented the writing a lot and helped with the pacing imo. this is why i would say the short length is the biggest "flaw" of the book -- i would love to see future works from the author that takes more time. i get that witty and snappy is kind of her style, but for me this was a story that deserved a build up that pushes the reader to sit through slow tension and complex relationships.
overall, such a fun read, and i'm happy i have more park seolyeon books to read
March 25, 2026
"I shall consider it an honor to die for the laboring class who struggle underneath the boots of capitalists."
A moving historical novel about women's participation in the Korean labour liberation movement during the time of Japanese-occupied Korea. Capitalists Must Starve is told from the perspective of Kang Juryong, a character based on a real historical labour activist who fought for workers' rights in the 1930s. This book follows Kang's life from the time of her marriage to Choi Jeonbin up until her infamous rooftop strike (the first high altitude strike in Korean history), and does a phenomenal job at depicting both the abusive work conditions people were subject to and the extent which Korean women contributed to everyday society while simultaneously being little thought of.
Before reading this book I had never heard of Kang Juryong and knew very little about labour activism in Korea, but I have been inspired to learn more. An amazing follow-up to Magical Girl; I will be happy to read anything else Park authors in the future.
A moving historical novel about women's participation in the Korean labour liberation movement during the time of Japanese-occupied Korea. Capitalists Must Starve is told from the perspective of Kang Juryong, a character based on a real historical labour activist who fought for workers' rights in the 1930s. This book follows Kang's life from the time of her marriage to Choi Jeonbin up until her infamous rooftop strike (the first high altitude strike in Korean history), and does a phenomenal job at depicting both the abusive work conditions people were subject to and the extent which Korean women contributed to everyday society while simultaneously being little thought of.
Before reading this book I had never heard of Kang Juryong and knew very little about labour activism in Korea, but I have been inspired to learn more. An amazing follow-up to Magical Girl; I will be happy to read anything else Park authors in the future.
October 27, 2025
A striking title for a novel that drew my attention when I saw it in a bookshop. Only on page 149 do we find the context. Striking workers have turned round one of the factory owners' slogans 'If you don't work you won't eat'. On their banner it reads 'if those who do not work must starve, then capitalists must starve'.
Very fortunate to have read the book in time to attend an event in Manchester with the author and translator.
Not many novels of historical fiction in the setting of a strike and for me stands alongside Sembene Ousmane's 'Gods Bits of Wood' and James Plunkett's 'Strumpet City'.
Very fortunate to have read the book in time to attend an event in Manchester with the author and translator.
Not many novels of historical fiction in the setting of a strike and for me stands alongside Sembene Ousmane's 'Gods Bits of Wood' and James Plunkett's 'Strumpet City'.
January 27, 2026
As a recounting of Kang Juryong's life and her fight as an activist I found this very effective. I was really drawn into her story and found myself flying through the pages to know what would happen next in her life.
However I do wish this book discussed the ideologies in a bit more depth. I understand that as an uneducated woman the technicalities of the ideologies were not a major concern to Juryong compared to her desire to simply fight for the people that mattered to her, but I would have liked to see just a bit more of the beliefs of these groups at the time.
anyway,
if those who do not work must starve, then CAPITALISTS MUST STARVE
However I do wish this book discussed the ideologies in a bit more depth. I understand that as an uneducated woman the technicalities of the ideologies were not a major concern to Juryong compared to her desire to simply fight for the people that mattered to her, but I would have liked to see just a bit more of the beliefs of these groups at the time.
anyway,
if those who do not work must starve, then CAPITALISTS MUST STARVE
January 31, 2026
4.5/5
the worst part of this book is that it is so short- I wish it had gone into further detail about the main characters early childhood.
god, I think I will remember Juryong for the rest of my days; her life was so short and sorrowful, but she did something so meaningful. I hope to be as half as remarkable of a person as she was.
I do not regret buying this book, and I encourage others to read as well. you will learn what it means to be united, and you will also feel every bit of anguish she feels.
historical fiction is a fav for a reason
the worst part of this book is that it is so short- I wish it had gone into further detail about the main characters early childhood.
god, I think I will remember Juryong for the rest of my days; her life was so short and sorrowful, but she did something so meaningful. I hope to be as half as remarkable of a person as she was.
I do not regret buying this book, and I encourage others to read as well. you will learn what it means to be united, and you will also feel every bit of anguish she feels.
historical fiction is a fav for a reason
January 12, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was heartbreaking, intense, and inspiring. The protagonist is the epitome of feminist rage and determination. It was an eye opening experience to really see the cultural aspects of the protagonist and understand how those practices shaped her.
January 2, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I basically read it in one sitting. It's a fictional account of a real activist from 1930 Korea. The writing is excellent and the protagonist is engaging. Highly recommend
January 10, 2026
Good short book about how one can be brought into activism through the right messaging and motivation
January 25, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
February 5, 2026
CAPITALISTS MUST STARVE. SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMRADES
February 14, 2026
good, not what i expected! not the greatest translation though
February 25, 2026
THE WOMAN KANGGGGG!!!!
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