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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.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Blood
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Misogyny, Vomit
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
The Vegetarian is a book I’ve struggled to gather my thoughts on. It’s the story of a young woman named Yeong-hye, whose life is told from every perspective but her own. While she says her transition to vegetarianism (well, veganism really) followed a dream she had, the audience can deduce it is so much more than that. Yeong-hyes life is rife with abuse, abuse she clearly refuses to inflict herself. She’s weak, struggling under patriarchy and strict social norms, and her only defiance seems to be shrinking herself, shedding all that makes her human and returning to a pure, natural state. We learn through the men that use and abuse her, being her husband, her sisters husband, and briefly her father, that no matter what perception others have of her, the result of her vulnerability will be the same: abuse. Through her sister, In-hye, we see a more direct reckoning with the past they shared, and by the end both she and the audience may wonder what absurdity keeps them going. It’s bittersweet.
My small interpretation is all I can glean from this book. There’s likely a lot that I missed, though I may argue the metaphors were a bit too vague to fully grasp. Granted, I get the impression a lot was lost in translation, because there were many parts that felt clunky and strangely written. Still, there were beautiful passages, especially in the last part, though I thought the sentiments were repetitive after a point. I found the end disappointing and abrupt. I appreciated the authors capacity to write despicable characters, though it felt hard to attach oneself to any character at all. I found some of the choices the characters made confusing. At the very least, the pacing was good, the writing was generally good too, and I don’t feel I wasted my time. I just didn’t connect to it much.
In summary, it’s an odd little book. Worth a read, though it will likely be a let down to many. I still mostly enjoyed it though.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal cruelty
This is clearly a novel that was written with the intention to make readers think and reflect, I think it is a testament to Han Kang's skill as a writer that everyone comes away from this experience with different thoughts and analyses.
The writing is super allegorical and it's clear that each event happens for a reason and is designed to make the reader reflect and analyze. I found the writing style to be the main issue that kept me from giving it 5 stars; it jumped around in POV and tense, which, although it was written very well, became hard to follow at times.
I definitely feel like there were bits that went over my head and this is a book that deserves a reread with more concentration and reflection.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Incest
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt
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, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault
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, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Incest, Alcohol