Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - The Vegetarian

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

617 reviews

tangerinejellies's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

alskua's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

kelsjargon's review against another edition

3.0

dark 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

Content Warnings

mbhcad's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I’m not entirely sure what this novel is about, but that doesn’t stop it from being gripping the entire way through. Han Kang creates a subject whose very existence upends the lives of those around her, laying out like spilt entrails the inescapable violence of patriarchy. Yeong-hye, the titular housewife-turned-vegetarian, is constantly manipulated and violated by the men around her who have decided her expression of autonomy is an unbearable offense. A spectacularly written read that left me feeling hollow, but not in a bad way.

Content Warnings

federica1994's review against another edition

4.0

dark 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

Very dark and sometimes unsettling story about a woman that, after a series of disturbing dreams, stops eating meat. When I started reading this book I thought that this was its main story and that it would have revolved on it, but it is much deeper and each turn makes it more and more dream-like, hallucinogenic, sensual. The writing is beautiful and the author was able to describe both beauty and horror

Content Warnings

raspberrymai's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

Content Warnings

abicaro17's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is hard because while I enjoyed the symbolism and literary quality of this book, it also contains numerous instances of gratuitous violence, eating disorders, and abuse. I came into this book thinking it was a horror book based on the cover and implications in the synopsis. It is a horror book but not like I thought. The way women are treated in this book is the truly horrifying part. Rape, abuse, sexualisation, more rape etc. I really enjoyed the intentional slow decent for Yeong-hye into having zero control over her life despite every attempt to prevent it. I think the execution is just so violent that this book is soured for any attempt at resolution. Especially when the resolution is the sister abandoning her child?!

Content Warnings