Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

418 reviews

circe_08's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.0

Disturbing, odd, I was especially furious about the men leaving his wife Yong-hye behind, not acknowledging her work until she stops doing it, than leaving her even if she needed him most after her mental breakdown, the most uncomfortable I felt after reading a book, not really in a good way as most detailed described scenes left me feeling disturbed 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ohdette's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

My friend Tracy said it best at our bookclub, when she said she wished that the main character had eaten both men in the end. Horrible pathetic men. This book was incredible and will stick with me forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

alyssav20's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Very interesting story telling from different perspectives, very dark. Honestly probably went over my head a bit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

hauntedantiqueshop's review

dark sad 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

2.75

The husbands ain’t shit and sisters are the BACKBONE of our society. I would have rated this higher had the men been less prevalent in the story and focused on the sisters alone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Content warning for marital rape and it being glossed over completely

clechsler's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

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

3.0

All the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Dementia and Alcohol

charlieeew's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

kylamayb's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this book touches on the objectification of women beautifully. 
being seen as acceptable until autonomous. 
being seen as sexual in fantasy but in reality less so. 
being seen as fragile and needing protection but stubborn and annoying. 
never once taking yeong-ho’s perspective and only experiencing her as others do made this more impactful for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Gore, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

sanya_bhatia's review

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

4.0

left me wanting to leave my own skin 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, and Blood

Moderate: Body shaming, Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ashoraighne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Domestic abuse, Blood, and Medical content

emilygoneferal's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

A truly haunting and thought-provoking read. It is a deeply unsettling story, with all of the characters feeling somewhat (or entirely) unlikeable at times. Throughout the entire book, you desire something you can't have - an understanding of the Yeong-hye's POV - and this desire puts you on a similar level as the horrifying characters who tell her story. Both those characters and you as the reader want to understand someone so desperately, with no hope of ever achieving it.

Equally, I found that In-hye becomes somewhat of a secondary main character, with every chapter in the book revolving around her in some way. It really drives home this idea that her and Yeong-hye are deeply connected, and very similar, despite seeming outwardly very different.

It makes the motif at the end of the book where In-hye questions whether it could have been her suffering from these mental health issues even more powerful.

This is a difficult book. Read with caution, and with care for yourself. Kang's prose absolutely makes it worth the read, and the imagery is something which could be dissected a million times over. It dissects the misogyny of daily life and objectification of women in such a casual way that it is hard to swallow. Han Kang, I bow to you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexism and Vomit