Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

La vegetariana by Han Kang

240 reviews

lakeofwords's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

Very well written. Very disturbing. I don't know if I fully "get it", at some point this just feels like... I don't know, torture porn? It feels very weird in a way I can't put my finger on. It's a book about women suffering at the hands of society and men, but it doesn't really get any deeper on its criticism, it's mainly just putting it out there so people see the wreckage and think about it. I understand the choice of not giving us the protagonists perspective at all, giving her even less agency in the whole thing, but I still wish it had, I wish we got to know what she was experiencing. I'm very unsettled about it, some scenes stuck with me and I wish they hadn't. Anyway, fuck men and I am gonna stop reading litfic for a whiiiile.
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minayana's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense 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

3.5

I finished this book in one sitting and wasn’t able to keep my eyes from the page, but I gotta say I don’t think this book is meant to be enjoyed…..more like you’re supposed to be a witness to the events that happen? PLEASE check the triggers before starting.
This was a hella weird read, and was pushing my brain to it’s limit at times lol. I wish there was more I could say to describe it, but everything is so unique to this book that you just need to read it to get it. I will say, this book is not gonna be for everyone.
Han Kang added so many themes, but above all, this book is about familial and societal dysfunction, what happens to a person (especially women) after living not for yourself but just because there is no other option. When you no longer have any control over your life, whether due to a lifetime of societal expectations or pressures from family or spouses, what left is there to do? 
Definitely a book that leaves a lasting impression, and one that I’ll be thinking about for awhile. I’m not 100% about my rating yet, and it might end up changing the longer I have to think about the book. Currently, 3.5 stars.
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shangchunsong's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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iblyth's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense 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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bloupibloupreads's review against another edition

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

4.0

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pipchiappa's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

Hauntingly dark and a very difficult read. Unsettling both in theme and actual writing which makes a little hard to read. Not my most enjoyable read. 
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brb427's review against another edition

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miriamrose's review against another edition

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i wish i’d checked the trigger warnings before i read this but even then i think it would have barely hinted at the directions this book goes in. themes of self harm, ed, animal abuse, domestic abuse, rape/sa etc. i’m really unsure how to feel because it does touch on some interesting themes about the female body under the subjugation of men but in the end this is this is. a bleak fucking book and it’s hard to come away feeling anything except depressed 
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katherine_shelton's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad 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

4.75

I really liked this book. It has The Yellow Wallpaper vibes, but a bit more violent and grotesque. There are definitely elements of body horror and it does a great job at building a sense of disgust and alienation and foreboding. It's a book that you can physically experience. In the first two parts, written from the perspectives of the husband and brother-in-law, there were segments that felt a little repetitive. But overall, I think it's an excellent book. 
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hallowini's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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