Read this when
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki
Wanting to die and wanting spicy rice cakes at the same time? Same, says the bestseller that is basically real therapy transcripts. 🌶️
Who it's for
Baek Se-hee, a social media director at a publishing house, shares transcripts of her sessions with a psychiatrist after being diagnosed with dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder, as named in the book), followed by short reflective essays.
Feelings it meets
What it is
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a memoir by South Korean writer Baek Se-hee, published in Korean in 2018 and in English in 2022, translated by Anton Hur. Baek, who was working as a social media director at a publishing house when she began psychiatric treatment for dysthymia, presents records of her conversations with her psychiatrist.
Where to find it
In print (Bloomsbury); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. A sequel is also translated.
Before you start
Heads up: Passive suicidal thoughts.
Age: Ages 16+
I felt a funeral in my brain, And mourners, to and fro, Kept treading, treading, till it seemed That sense was breaking through.Emily Dickinson, Poems by Emily Dickinson, Three Series
