Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

83 reviews

lpython's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

m4eson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

FIRST AND FOREMOST - i do think this book can be HIGHLY triggering to some and would advise to check for a list. ive done my best to tag them in this review because they are reoccurring and graphic. 

reading this book was such an experience. i dont know whether i could label that experience as good or bad as the topic was complex and deeply layered. 

i was a little lost at first and then i took into account a few things that i feel are important when talking about this book. first, the book was originally written in korean — this meaning the translation was done as best as possible but as an asian woman with my first language not being english i am all to aware that some things are not easily translated. second, that this book was written by a woman which i always like to take note of but that detail in specific to this book feels extremely important. 

the main character in this book was mostly treated as a 3rd person, i found this to be super strange at first but as we get to know her, i see exactly why she was created in the eyes of those around her. this book represents the harmful narratives of patriarchy — specifically in asian cultures. the main character is othered, abused and truly discarded by those around her because she had chosen to live a life no one understood. the fact that all that followed stemmed from her choosing to change her diet speaks so strongly of how women are seen ESPECIALLY by men. the men are awful, they are absolutely horrible to their wives (the main character and her sister and even their mother). not only does this touch on the value of women determined in a patriarchy but this also covers the aspect of food and the relationship women have to it. i thought this was a brilliant choice as food in many asian cultures stands as a deeply woven and sacred aspect to our identity and histories but this was the first time ive seen it discussed as something that could be negative. 

i think in time my brain will sit with this and i will only continue to peel back more and more of how important this book is and i think thats a makes this read all the more meaningful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

tfry1994's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

florapatricia's review

dark hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Confinement and Abandonment

whitneysch's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

“I have dreams too, you know. Dreams…and I could let myself dissolve into them, let them take me over…but surely the dream isn’t all there is? We have to wake up at some point, don’t we? Because…because then…” 

This is a provocative book…and was, as many other reviewers will tell you, very disturbing. At times crossing lines of comfort to describe grotesque body horror and the equally disturbing unfiltered violent thoughts and actions of the characters. This was both a strength and a downfall of the book. At some points I was so disturbed that it no longer felt like a message was being conveyed and instead was just unnecessary description of the torture a character. Although I must admit that I do agree that often novels need to cross a line to make a point. Thus, this book was a very challenging book for me because the message of the story was very profound and meant to be unsettling, but at what point was that narratively reached… and the disturbing narrative decoration of that message… just grotesquely unnecessary. 

 

Overall this book discussed how female choices affect a collection of people, and the subsequent cruel variety of punishments women are subjected to for their choices. This is juxtaposed by male characters’ freedom of choice. Women have to occupy so many roles: caretakers, lovers, breadwinners, and muses and are labeled for their roles… as mother’s, business owners, art, wives, and…vegetarians, although it’s all dehumanizing. Unfortunately, the main character shows us that the alternative isn’t much better: to be consumed by the awareness and rejection of roles, deemed “mad” for defying societal convention. 

 

I still have so many thoughts on this story…but as one of my friends said to me… “it was atmospheric read” and I think it’s best to leave it there than further explain anything else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

daisydays128's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

kadinelouise's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

bestsoph123's review

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

3.75

SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING

Overall, I really liked the book for its strong parts on detailing Korean society, the role of women and the deterioration of Yeong-Hye. I feel for her because nobody cared to fully understand what she was going through and what her dreams were, they just wanted to use her for their own advantage, except maybe In-hye. I really like the writing style too, it emerses you into what the characters are thinking and feeling.  

Overall, what brings it down for me is the mention of animal abuse in a dream was  completely unnecessary and it didn’t add to the plot, imo. That’s one of the only dreams that gets shown, and I just feel like it could’ve been done in a better way yk?

Additionally what let it down was the whole Yeong-Hye fetish/sister-in-law trope. I understand why it’s there, it’s In-Hye’s husband’s motivation, but at times it kinda felt too weird…? I think that’s just me though.

I also thought that at the end when In-Hye’s husband sneaks in after they’ve broken up and rapes her and then never comes back was really weird? It didn’t add anything and I was genuinely confused on why it was there. 

Overall, I enjoyed it, and would recommend to read, but uf you’re sensitive to animal abuse, rape etc, I wouldn’t. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Confinement, Gore, and Blood

carodonahue's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Vomit, and Medical content

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts

_claudia_rie's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Blood