Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

46 reviews

sharnanigans's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Rape, Eating disorder, Medical content, Sexism, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal cruelty, Suicide, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Gore, Death, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual assault, and Addiction

ronnieb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Rape, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Grief

hannaheinhorn's review

challenging dark 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

1.5

because many people with mental health are already silenced when telling their own stories, this book rubbed me the WRONG way. i disliked the author’s choice to describe various violent instances (specifically the multiple rapes) by gratuitously showing it through the brother-in-law’s perspective and the husband’s perspective. i’ve read far grimmer stories but this one grossed me out, especially because of the pedophilic overtones when describing yeong-hye’s emaciated body. i feel like the author did exactly what she was trying to critique, which is ridiculous.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Vomit, Physical abuse, Self harm, Mental illness, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

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?! 

---

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

vncavalcanti's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

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.

---

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

gossameralbum's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

5.0

i can not stop thinking about this book. overall it is about the absence of autonomy for women, in every way imaginable.
definitely check content warnings and do not take them lightly, as most of them are very graphic and haunting.

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Alcoholism

ozzy_999's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

2.0

i hate men and this was very, very sad

overall unsatisfying end with a lot of men abusing their power and the psychological effects it has in the women in their lives were mostly highlighted in the last part of the book.

if you were told this was a horror novel you were lied to. it’s not NOT horror but i wouldn’t describe it as such.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

carmentxx's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

i’ve had to sit on this book before i made a review. i’m used to reading bizarre, disturbing and creepy books but this one may take the cake. there is no better way to describe this book other than bizarrely disturbing. 
i was curious to see if we would ever get yeong-hye’s perspective after we got the perspective of the first two men. spoiler- we don’t. it’s just the sister. it’s a bizarre, disturbing account of a woman’s descent into complete and utter madness from the perspective of people around her who may well be slightly mad as well. the book begs the question- how do we know we’re not all really mad in the same disturbing way these characters are? what is madness? what is the difference between madness in men and in women?

the book isn’t perfect. the pacing is kind of weird where some bits are way too slow and some bits are a bit glossed over. but i was incessantly curious about how kang would end the book- and just as i expected, with lots of questions. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Grief, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Death, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Self harm, Rape, Sexual violence, and Eating disorder

iseefirede's review

dark emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

The first part of the book was the most interesting. He was an unreliable narrator to me, as he had obvious flaws that he was completely unaware of. 
The second part I feel had the best imagery. The artist was focused on his work and I liked how it intertwined with the story.
The third part was...strange.

when she was hospitalized

I mostly checked out. There was a consistent downward spiral and it devolved into almost randomness. The ending was very ambiguous.
I had a personal connection with the main character as I'm vegetarian as well. However, there was a lot more going on with the main character. Definitely an eating disorder and probably psychosis. It's not really made clear.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Bullying, Grief, Misogyny, and Self harm

Moderate: Medical content, Vomit, Dementia, Rape, Blood, and Domestic abuse