Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

32 reviews

birdafterdark's review

challenging dark sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Medical content, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Vomit

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

The Vegetarian is so compelling. It uses the unusual but very appropriate lense of vegetarianism to explore a wealth of other topics, from sexual violence to self-harm to familial abuse. I will have to reread it again at some point, as I definitely did not pick up all its nuances the first time around - it may be short, but it's dense. It is told in three parts, each from a different perspective, and I haven't decided how I feel about the tri-point-of-view yet, which is just about the only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars. Regardless, it is haunting, and my brain will keep wandering back to it, for sure.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Animal death, and Vomit

megselyane's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Rape, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal death, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Eating disorder

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, Infidelity, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Dementia, and Body shaming

bugfriend's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Body horror, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Sexism, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Misogyny

Moderate: Physical abuse, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Animal death, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement and Alcohol

ebrum's review

dark medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abandonment

caitlindoesntread's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Mental illness, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Animal death, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

sennnni's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Abandonment

kayang's review

challenging dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Rape, Body horror, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Mental illness, Body shaming, Child abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Confinement, Abandonment, and Animal death

bitching_bibliophile'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It was quite unsettling and interesting. Didn't hate it but didn't love it either

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Abandonment, Blood, and Infidelity

leonormsousa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.5

REPRESENTATION 

Korean cast, mental health 

QUOTE 

“The feeling that she had never really lived in this world caught her by surprise. It was a fact. She had never lived. Even as a child, as far back as she could remember, she had done nothing but endure. She had believed in her own inherent goodness, her humanity, and lived accordingly, never causing anyone harm. Her devotion to doing things the right way had been unflagging, all her successes had depended on it, and she would have gone on like that indefinitely. She didn't understand why, but faced with those decaying buildings and straggling grasses, she was nothing but a child who had never lived.” 

WHAT I ENJOYED 

• the violence and weirdness → it took me a little aback at first, but I’m here for it!
• the underlying message (and no, this is not a book about vegetarianism)
• the different POVs allow us to see the story from different perspectives but also contribute to the idea that the MC does not have a voice
• it’s a beautifully written book, even when it’s ugly
• the way it stuck on the back of my head and does not let me go
• I know it’s a book that I’m gonna enjoy even more the second time around

WHAT I DIDN'T ENJOY

• very, very minor but there were points, especially in the dreams sections, where it became a bit confusing for me

READ IF YOU ENJOY

• character-focused books
• a dark, bizarre and disturbing vibe
• unhinged women
• hidden meanings
• different views on life
• non-lovable and flawed characters
• underlying critics of sexist societies

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Sexism