I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were your overall impressions of this book’s depiction of depression? Were you familiar with dysthymia before reading it? How does this text challenge or confirm your ideas about mental health issues?

2. This book uses a non-traditional format. What did you think of the way the author weaves actual therapy transcripts with personal narrative and essay? Was it more or less effective, in your view, than a more traditional memoir?

3. Have you read other memoirs that chronicle mental health issues or detail the therapeutic process? How does this one compare?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Does this book connect to your own experiences in any way? Have you or someone you care about dealt with depression or anxiety?

2. Did you have empathy for Sehee? How did you respond to her as a figure as she narrated her mental health journey?

3. Sehee finds comfort in writing, believing that it helps her work through her feelings and self-reflect. Do you have an activity that serves the same role in your own life? 

4. The psychiatrist helps Sehee gradually confront and work through the various challenges that she faces with depression. Have you ever had a figure in your own life who helped you change the way you see yourself and/or your life?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The way that various cultures approach mental health has changed since the turn of the century. How does this book speak to the present moment in particular? How does it contribute to our current understanding of mental health issues and their treatment?

2. How does Korean culture shape the way that Sehee understands mental health? What differences or commonalities can you find between your culture and Sehee’s?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss Sehee’s changing personal relationships. How do her friendships and familial relationships evidence her therapeutic progress?

2. Does this memoir challenge typical attitudes towards depression, anxiety, medication, and therapy? How?

3. What role does Sehee’s therapist play in the narrative? How are they characterized? How does their own chapter compare or contrast with the rest of the memoir?

4. Other than the ones discussed in this guide, which prominent symbols and motifs did you find, and how did they help Sehee to explore her primary themes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.



1. Sehee has written a sequel to this memoir. What do you think happens to her during this second installment?

2. Do you think that this memoir would make a good film? Why or why not? How might the filmmaker overcome the challenge of adapting a text that relies so heavily on therapy transcripts?