Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

La vegetariana by Han Kang

167 reviews

federica1994's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very dark and sometimes unsettling story about a woman that, after a series of disturbing dreams, stops eating meat. When I started reading this book I thought that this was its main story and that it would have revolved on it, but it is much deeper and each turn makes it more and more dream-like, hallucinogenic, sensual. The writing is beautiful and the author was able to describe both beauty and horror

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Eating disorder and Emotional abuse

raspberrymai's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is hard because while I enjoyed the symbolism and literary quality of this book, it also contains numerous instances of gratuitous violence, eating disorders, and abuse. I came into this book thinking it was a horror book based on the cover and implications in the synopsis. It is a horror book but not like I thought. The way women are treated in this book is the truly horrifying part. Rape, abuse, sexualisation, more rape etc. I really enjoyed the intentional slow decent for Yeong-hye into having zero control over her life despite every attempt to prevent it. I think the execution is just so violent that this book is soured for any attempt at resolution. Especially when the resolution is the sister abandoning her child?! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

mareld's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Child abuse

vncavalcanti's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

courtney_scott1025's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I understand why some people may not enjoy this book. I don’t understand why people don’t like this book based on ‘no one would treat a vegetarian that way in real life’ or other ‘unrealistic’ things in this book. I could not put this book down. I loved that it was told through 3 different people in the main characters life. It was definitely horror, and I would closely read the content warnings, because it is a heavy book. But, I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. It is so sad in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief

samihami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I couldn’t find sense in it. +3 stars for the creative narrative style and the theme of culture, traditions, and going against them. -2 because it seems

like vegetarianism is a sign of mental condition (since Yeong-hye ends up having an ed, attempts suicide, dissociates completely, and exhibits unusual behaviour) and because it just didn’t make sense to me. The dream inputs in the beginning were confusing, the characters seemed to have been quite one dimensional and Yeong-hye’s mental state just felt out of place and a little but silly. 

 
Though I must say I enjoyed the depiction of

marital SA as that rarely gets acknowledged or represented and isn’t commonly shown so realistically as it is The Vegetarian.

Overall it’s okay but wouldn’t recommend it to someone out of nowhere or reread it. 

Keep in mind that this can be triggering for some. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Abandonment

blake_bitch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

crazy book and I loved how uncomfy it was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

thomasdj's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Abandonment

gossameralbum's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i can not stop thinking about this book. overall it is about the absence of autonomy for women, in every way imaginable.
definitely check content warnings and do not take them lightly, as most of them are very graphic and haunting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism