Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

233 reviews

mbhcad's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Body shaming, Blood, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Rape, Gore, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Body horror, Suicide attempt, and Forced institutionalization

federica1994's review against another edition

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

4.0

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Rape

Moderate: Eating disorder and Emotional abuse

tmpate255's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

abicaro17's review

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

3.0

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?! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Mental illness, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Body horror, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexism, Gaslighting, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child abuse, Eating disorder, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

courtney_scott1025's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

I understand why some people may not enjoy this book. I don’t understand why people don’t like this book based on ‘no one would treat a vegetarian that way in real life’ or other ‘unrealistic’ things in this book. I could not put this book down. I loved that it was told through 3 different people in the main characters life. It was definitely horror, and I would closely read the content warnings, because it is a heavy book. But, I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. It is so sad in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Animal death, Sexual violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Grief

beatriceb_'s review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Eating disorder

gillibean's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Sexual violence

samihami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I couldn’t find sense in it. +3 stars for the creative narrative style and the theme of culture, traditions, and going against them. -2 because it seems

like vegetarianism is a sign of mental condition (since Yeong-hye ends up having an ed, attempts suicide, dissociates completely, and exhibits unusual behaviour) and because it just didn’t make sense to me. The dream inputs in the beginning were confusing, the characters seemed to have been quite one dimensional and Yeong-hye’s mental state just felt out of place and a little but silly. 

 
Though I must say I enjoyed the depiction of

marital SA as that rarely gets acknowledged or represented and isn’t commonly shown so realistically as it is The Vegetarian.

Overall it’s okay but wouldn’t recommend it to someone out of nowhere or reread it. 

Keep in mind that this can be triggering for some. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and Body shaming

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Abandonment

blake_bitch's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.5

crazy book and I loved how uncomfy it was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape

thomasdj's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment