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weelasswithabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
🌟 Contemporary fiction
🌟 Translated from Korem
🌈 Set in Korea
🌈 Mental health representation
This was... I don't even know the best word to describe it. It was more than uncomfortable.
The Vegetarian follows Yeong-hye's spiral into an acute mental health crisis through three perspectives. Her husband, her brother in law, and her sister.
This was complicated, equal parts horrifying and fascinating, seeing it play out from these perspectives, yet feeling like you get to know who she is from these perspectives.
It touches on so many different aspects of life, from autonomy and agency, to mental health, complicated family dynamics, misogyny, and perception from those who only see the world in black and white,
This review would be an essay itself if I had to touch on all these points so I'm going to attempt to be brief.
From child abuse to marital abuse, it's easy to see why Yeong-hye's spiral began, although it is hinted to that there has always been the predisposition to mental health issues within the family, but red flags were ignored. We get to see this through her sister's perspective as she herself seemingly begins to spiral, and she constantly asks herself "what if" as she reflects on all these red flags seen throughout their childhood.
Yeong-hye has never really had that sense of agency and autonomy afforded to anyone else in the novel. She's always to do what is expected and if not, received beatings as a child (and subsequent as an adult), she experienced marital rape, and nobody would respect her finally reclaiming part of herself by choosing to adopt a vegan diet, the only thing she can really take control over. The family reaction to the veganism was so extreme, and it's clear that it wasn't the veganism they held issue with, but the inability to coerce and control. Particularly from the male members of her family and social circle.
The symbolism of the trees, from both a literary perspective, and cultural perspective, reinforces these themes of agency, as trees often symbolise strength, rebirth, and resilience. So in her moments of clarity where she expresses she wishes to become a tree, it read to me that she wished for that strength, that resilience, and the desire to be reborn as her true self with autonomy.
One of the most beautiful things about this novel, is that nothing is ever explicitly stated motive-wise. And from others reviews and reading experiences, everyone seems to have taken something different away from the book. Whether surface level, or on a deeper scale, everyone's interpretation is so different and that in itself is fascinating.
I think you should read this if you're looking for something really outwith the norms of contemporary fiction. I'd definitely take heed of the trigger warnings as it's very disturbing throughout.
My only wish is that I could read Korean to have experienced it without the potential skews that can happen in translation.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
moondlila's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Vomit
pcalifornia's review
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt
jwtii2004's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cursing, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, and Suicide attempt
jtredd05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Rape and Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
mintgcf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
libellumartinae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kat_jack's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Sexual content
kelisabeth's review against another edition
- 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
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
alexiasp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is marketed as a "feminist" novel (I guess?), but it seems to be more about Yeong-Hye's mental illness?
Yeah I am confused. Also, this has literally every trigger warning.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Medical content