Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

277 reviews

emilietje's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.25

This book contained a lot of triggers for me. Physical and verbal abuse, rape, obsessive behaviour, gore, self-harm and suicide. This made it a very difficult book to read despite me appreciating the thought that went into this thing.
When I was reading the first two chapters, I was missing reflections and/or explanations. I suppose it makes sense that Yeong-hye’s chapter is the most gorey, because her emotions are the most repressed and she has the worst nightmares. I mean, her chapter isn’t even from her point of view, it’s her husband’s. And I suppose it makes sense that the brother-in-law's chapter contains the most discomforting sexual descriptions and misconduct, because, well, that’s his issue. I ended up enjoying In-hye's chapter the most. It was the most introspective and least gruesome one after all. I liked reading her interpretations and her feelings about life and death. I'd say her chapter felt the most cohesive for this exact reason. The gaps between moments of insanity and despair are filled in with her thoughts, and I think the reading experience would’ve been nicer if it had those from the start.
One other thing that I liked –and this might be a spoiler but whatever– is Yeong-hye's whole wanting-to-become-a-tree thing. It's not something I've read before you know? Being deeply unhappy as a human and as an animal, so you try to become a tree in every way until you die from the effects. Idk, this also really shined in that last and third chapter and I really felt for her. Successful and effective portrayal of passive suicide and insanity? Yes!
Regardless of everything I said here, this book was clearly not aimed at a reader like me who can’t handle shit. I totally get that there aren’t meant to be fleshed-out (get it ha ha) thoughts in the beginning, but it just wasn’t my style. I went into this book blind, because I loved Han Kang's The White Book and Human Acts, but I have to say this was almost nothing like those books. The only overlap I can find is the miserable people and the introspection about what it is to be alive. Props to Han Kang for publishing works with what feels like a completely different writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

thimbler's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

mistydes1re's review against another edition

i don’t think i’ve ever liked reading at all. the writing and story hasn’t did anything to me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Misogyny, and Blood

Moderate: Rape

hc21's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

kelisabeth's review against another edition

dark tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

angorarabbit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

TLDR: Anything I write is trite compared to this book. I would advise taking it slow and reading something lighter in-between sessions. 

 

A masterclass. It is not just about how others react to the diet a family member but a visceral depiction of the effects of childhood abuse and mental illness on the individual and family members. 

 

There are 4 points of view: Yeong-hye, her husband, brother-in-law, and sister. In the end all four are devastated, though perhaps the husband is the least affected. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time and haunt my dreams.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest and Alcohol

I skipped 5 paragraphs 25% of the way in due to graphic animal abuse/killing. The protagonists thoughts include disturbing depictions of slaughter and molestation of animals. There are graphic depictions of food including meat.

hanyaya's review against another edition

challenging dark

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

leelacey's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Suicide attempt

robyn1998's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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 read this in 2019 and decided to come back to it as it left such a strong impression on me at the time. It's such a strange, horrifying, idiosyncratic book. The switches in perspective and inclusion of Yeong-hye's dreams really round it out. Of all the books that people cite as future classics, I would say this is the one I feel most enthusiastic about  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

rachellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

This was a dark read, which pulls you into the depths of madness and despair. The pain that radiates off this story is intolerable yet too tangible to look away from. It challenges many themes within a South Korean setting and allows readers to experience the horrors of the characters with a self awareness of faults that is triggered by Kang’s style of writing.

It all felt very present. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail