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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
dark
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
La poésie de ce roman m’a beaucoup touché, et le message qu’il transmet est à la fois bouleversant et dérangeant. À travers le choix d’être végétarienne, ce sont tous les choix du quotidien et de la société qui sont questionnés, remettant en question les normes, et révélant des envies divergentes.
Je me suis attachée aux personnages féminins tandis que les protagonistes masculins ont réveillé mon dégoût au cours de la lecture.
Au fond, c’est un livre que j’ai beaucoup apprécié lire, qui casse les codes, dans un roman poétique.
Au fond, c’est un livre que j’ai beaucoup apprécié lire, qui casse les codes, dans un roman poétique.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
DNF’ed - The level of weirdness and explicit horror-like elements was not it.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a vegetarian myself and a feminist. these two things are really important in the novel. I thought it was very beautiful done that every year was a different chapter and that it was written from the point of view of a side character in the book.
This book was going to be 3 stars until the last third of the book. Having the sisters point of view really tied everything together. I think that for the first two parts, I was trying to figure out the why behind her vegetarianism more than really understanding what the story was trying to say. As someone who struggles with their mental health, this was a very interesting depiction of it. Instead of exploring it through Yeong-hye's perspective, we see it from the people around her. Her selfish husband doesn't view her as a person, and doesn't want to take the time to listen and understand what she's going through. Yeong-hye is trying to take back control some sense of control in her life, instead of being a bystander, and the only way she know's how is by becoming vegetarian after having a dream that sits with her wrong.
Instead of trying to help her, her husband speaks about all the ways this affects him. Even when he calls her family, it isn't because he's actually worried about her, it's because he wants her to go back to this idea he has of her, this ordinary and boring woman who fits his lifestyle. The same with her brother in law's view of her, he has one purpose for her, and needs to see it fulfilled without necessarily thinking about how it would affect her and her state of mind. The only person who comes close to understanding her, is her sister. After all of this time, she finally thinks about her sisters past, how it all could have culminated to her present. The realisation that this wasn't an experience her sister could have, but one that she could have found herself a part of is sad. She finally recognises that it isn't about being vegetarian, but about finding peace, about escaping all the melancholy and lack of control in her life.
In the end, I found it quite relatable. I hated all the ways that the women were taken advantage of in the name of peace, but unfortunately it is a common truth for many women.
For a while, I didn't expect to feel so deeply about this book. I couldn't tell if I was enjoying it for the first two parts, but once we reached the last third, everything came together beautifully. In-hye has so much empathy, and so much strength to carry on despite the situations that happen around and to her. Having her close us out was the best decision for this book. Despite Yeong-hye technically being the main character, In-hye is our stand out. Her inner monologue remind us what it is to be human. To feel sad and down and dark and yet have to carry on because so many people or things depend on us, and so we just do not have the time or the space to break down. We have to make sure that we show up for the people around us, and so we laugh when we can and try not to cry and breakdown when we want to.
I thought this was going to be more of a spooky thriller about a woman who takes vegetarianism too far, and instead found myself reading a haunting story about womanhood, being human, and trying to survive in a world that tries to take so much from you.
Instead of trying to help her, her husband speaks about all the ways this affects him. Even when he calls her family, it isn't because he's actually worried about her, it's because he wants her to go back to this idea he has of her, this ordinary and boring woman who fits his lifestyle. The same with her brother in law's view of her, he has one purpose for her, and needs to see it fulfilled without necessarily thinking about how it would affect her and her state of mind. The only person who comes close to understanding her, is her sister. After all of this time, she finally thinks about her sisters past, how it all could have culminated to her present. The realisation that this wasn't an experience her sister could have, but one that she could have found herself a part of is sad. She finally recognises that it isn't about being vegetarian, but about finding peace, about escaping all the melancholy and lack of control in her life.
In the end, I found it quite relatable. I hated all the ways that the women were taken advantage of in the name of peace, but unfortunately it is a common truth for many women.
For a while, I didn't expect to feel so deeply about this book. I couldn't tell if I was enjoying it for the first two parts, but once we reached the last third, everything came together beautifully. In-hye has so much empathy, and so much strength to carry on despite the situations that happen around and to her. Having her close us out was the best decision for this book. Despite Yeong-hye technically being the main character, In-hye is our stand out. Her inner monologue remind us what it is to be human. To feel sad and down and dark and yet have to carry on because so many people or things depend on us, and so we just do not have the time or the space to break down. We have to make sure that we show up for the people around us, and so we laugh when we can and try not to cry and breakdown when we want to.
I thought this was going to be more of a spooky thriller about a woman who takes vegetarianism too far, and instead found myself reading a haunting story about womanhood, being human, and trying to survive in a world that tries to take so much from you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes