Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

La vegetariana by Han Kang

31 reviews

aelunny's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Um wow. I was definitely misled by a book reviewer to this book and it took me completely by surprise.

Very, very well written and this was an excellent translation. It's truly one of those novels thats also a work of art. That being said, the content of this book is most accurately described as disturbing. I have so so so many thoughts and I feel like I need to write an essay about this book, but the number one theme that I keep coming back to to is the objectification of women. Our protagonist (Yeong-hye) is viewed by a different person in each of the three parts and is reduced to a role in each of them. I also think a lot of people are saying her actions in the book are to enact agency on her life, but I think that by viewing it this way we are also objectifying her as a character in a book. The fact we never see the story told from Yeong-hye's perspective and our narrators never have a real conversation trying to understand what is going on in her head, makes me believe we cannot presume what her motivations are.

Please read all content warnings, as a lot of the depictions are really graphic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Body horror, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Rape, Blood, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abandonment and Dementia

lycheejelly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Terminal illness, Blood, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Alcoholism, Cursing, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

feranmi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

Part I known as The Vegetarian was excellent, was terrifying and disturbing and the same time but WTF was Part II. The change was jolting and very unpleasant.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Blood, Self harm, Rape, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Vomit, Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, and Body shaming

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual violence

Minor: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Abandonment, Bullying, Confinement, Eating disorder, and Infidelity

k_aro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

i hated this book. i loved this book. i felt great despair and a certain kind of levity; i feel like i'm going insane, and i feel like i'm the most clear-minded i've been in weeks. i feel the way i think people feel when they talk about finishing ottessa moshfegh. it reminds me of junji ito in style and h.p. lovecraft in feel.

meat make woman sad.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Abandonment, Animal death, Grief, Infidelity, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Moderate: Cursing and Rape

Minor: Alcoholism

uhh... the pivotal character has a sexual encounter which is reacted to as a sexual assault, because the person reacting assumes the pivotal character cannot give consent owing to her mental state. it's really fucking blurry whether it is or not.

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Edit on August 2023: 5 stars ⭐

A very difficult read for me, unbearably graphic and exceptionally dark. I'll probably find myself thinking about the contents of this book for years to come. Unless I'm seriously deluded, this book is not about vegetarianism.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Body horror, Body shaming, Gore, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism

sunsetcity's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Vomit, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Body horror, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Abandonment, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Rape, Infidelity, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

rouxpiacentini's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Suicide attempt

hakeema17h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This didnt really do what i expected, but in a good way?

‘If only ones eyes weren’t visible to others, she thinks. If only one could hide one’s eyes from the world.’

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, and Vomit

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Dementia

alexandrestiles's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Abandonment