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A review by signediza
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Life is such a strange thing, she thinks, once she has stopped laughing. Even after certain things have happened to them, no matter how awful the experience, people still go on eating and drinking, going to the toilet and washing themselves-living, in other words."
I had to go back and forth trying to understand the appeal of this book, especially since it won the 'Nobel Prize in Literature and Booker International Prize. And I kinda see why with its bold-raw-bizarre story and language, its symbolism (mental disorder, the human mind, objectification of women and abuse), its themes, and the polarizing reactions from readers with their perspective on how it feels and means to them.
Writing/Plot; very descriptive, simple, engaging, somewhat hard to follow midway, and disjointed narrative sometimes, unsatisfying conclusion.
Content warning; eating disorder, marital rape, abuse, misogyny, self-harm, suicide attempt, sexual assault, violence, death
Characters: morally ambiguous, Limited character growth, unlikeable and repulsive
Reason For Reading:
The Indulgent bibliophile book club March pick
The first part was very engaging to me though, I was expecting some sort of family secrets, a primary focus on vegetarianism (as it's titled), going against societal and traditional norms/concepts, and challenging the patriarchy. While it indeed reflected those in extraordinary ways... it went beyond and oddly bizarre, overly gratuitous, and dramatic after the first part of the story.
In the end, it was an unsatistying conclusion for me, especially because I couldn't get into Yeong-hye's head to see her perspective and understand her. I wished her pov was written, I NEEDED TO HEAR HER VOICE rather than see her through the perspective of the disgusting men in her life and her sister who was pretty much unmemorable to me
It wasn't for me, but I can see why it could be *appealing* to others
I had to go back and forth trying to understand the appeal of this book, especially since it won the 'Nobel Prize in Literature and Booker International Prize. And I kinda see why with its bold-raw-bizarre story and language, its symbolism (mental disorder, the human mind, objectification of women and abuse), its themes, and the polarizing reactions from readers with their perspective on how it feels and means to them.
Writing/Plot; very descriptive, simple, engaging, somewhat hard to follow midway, and disjointed narrative sometimes, unsatisfying conclusion.
Content warning; eating disorder, marital rape, abuse, misogyny, self-harm, suicide attempt, sexual assault, violence, death
Characters: morally ambiguous, Limited character growth, unlikeable and repulsive
Reason For Reading:
The Indulgent bibliophile book club March pick
The first part was very engaging to me though, I was expecting some sort of family secrets, a primary focus on vegetarianism (as it's titled), going against societal and traditional norms/concepts, and challenging the patriarchy. While it indeed reflected those in extraordinary ways... it went beyond and oddly bizarre, overly gratuitous, and dramatic after the first part of the story.
In the end, it was an unsatistying conclusion for me, especially because I couldn't get into Yeong-hye's head to see her perspective and understand her. I wished her pov was written, I NEEDED TO HEAR HER VOICE rather than see her through the perspective of the disgusting men in her life and her sister who was pretty much unmemorable to me
It wasn't for me, but I can see why it could be *appealing* to others
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment