I want to die but i still want to eat tteokbokki

$24.50 USD
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WARNING: Low Stock Notice
This product sold out 14 times last year. We encourage you totake advantage of the limited sale and buy now.PS: Only available here
WARNING: Low Stock Notice
This product sold out 14 times last year. We encourage you totake advantage of the limited sale and buy now.PS: Only available here
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I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A RUNAWAY SENSATION ACROSS SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN, THE UK & US

Recommended by BTS's RM and celebrated globally for its honest portrayal of mental health

Written by Baek Sehee and translated by Anton Hur, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a deeply intimate, vulnerable memoir that captures the quiet realities of living with dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder) and anxiety.

Set over twelve weeks, the book records recorded transcriptions of Sehee's private therapy sessions alongside her reflective essays. Sehee—a successful young social media director at a publishing house—appears high-functioning on the outside, yet inwardly struggles with persistent emptiness, extreme self-criticism, and social judgment. The title encapsulates this exact duality: the heavy burden of chronic low-level depression alongside the simple, stubborn human desire for everyday comforts like spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki).

"I wonder about people like me, who seem okay on the outside but are rotting on the inside... Is it normal to feel this way?"

Core Themes & Key Highlights:

  • Dysthymia & High-Functioning Depression: Depicts the subtle, ongoing nature of persistent depressive disorder, where one can maintain a career and social life while battling quiet despair.

  • Raw Therapy Transcripts: Unfiltered dialogues between Sehee and her psychiatrist, showing the messy, non-linear reality of mental health treatment rather than neat solutions.

  • The Power of Everyday Comforts: Highlights how small physical pleasures—like enjoying a favorite street food—act as anchors to life during dark moments.

  • Unpacking Social Expectations: Examines the pressures of appearance, comparison culture, and professional expectations in modern society.

Major Themes & Insights:

Theme Common Misconception Baek Sehee's Reality
Depression Total incapacitation and constant crying Functioning normally in public while carrying an internal sense of emptiness.
Therapy & Healing A sudden breakthrough or overnight fix Incremental, ongoing self-reflection with mixed progress and set-backs.
Self-Worth Dependent on external approval and success Learning to accept one's flaws and practice self-compassion without conditions.

Perfect For:

  • Mental Health & Self-Care Advocates: Readers seeking an authentic, non-preachy exploration of anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional healing.

  • Fans of Asian Literature in Translation: Ideal for readers who enjoyed Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

  • Anyone Struggling with Burnout: A comforting read for those who feel exhausted by perfectionism and societal pressure.

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