Scan barcode
A review by branson
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
2.0
The Vegetarian is about the tug between a "primal" self and a “refined” self. The latter is shaped by society and the pressures of family.
The prose and story are poetic, but I found that I was never fully pulled into the book.
Its message was not one I could relate to, and as an ultimatum, I don't enjoy seeing mental illness used as a device in this story. Even though the metaphor makes sense to me, I find it hard to accept mental illness as a likeness to primal, or even freeing side of self. I think mental health is something that deserves to be humanized, and viewed in a personal light, and I didn't feel that here.
This all being said, I would be interested to talk about this book with others. Perhaps it is one I simply didn't understand. Please reach out with your own takes!
So although I would love to hear what others would think, it is hard for me to recommend this as an enjoyable read.
The prose and story are poetic, but I found that I was never fully pulled into the book.
Its message was not one I could relate to, and as an ultimatum, I don't enjoy seeing mental illness used as a device in this story. Even though the metaphor makes sense to me, I find it hard to accept mental illness as a likeness to primal, or even freeing side of self. I think mental health is something that deserves to be humanized, and viewed in a personal light, and I didn't feel that here.
This all being said, I would be interested to talk about this book with others. Perhaps it is one I simply didn't understand. Please reach out with your own takes!
So although I would love to hear what others would think, it is hard for me to recommend this as an enjoyable read.