A review by laurbretz
The Vegetarian by Han Kang

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

3.0

This has been on my TBR list for a while, but it was only ok. The two parts told through male POVs was  interesting, as we have no idea who Yeong-hye is until her sister's section. She is "insane" and "self-centered to her husband for becoming vegan (why was the title translated to vegetarian?) which makes you wonder what is left out of the narrative through the inherent unreliability of a male character who doesn't value or care for his wife and feels justified in his treatment of her. Veganism as a metaphor for female agency is obvious in her family's treatment of her, where she is treated as a criminal for her refusal to eat meat. The second male character's POV has her as an object of desire---she is an object for all the men in her life and it's little wonder she goes crazy. Her descent to madness is kinda yellow-wallpaperesque in that I felt I might have reacted the same way in their positions. I like the ambiguity of the dreams, and the dreams are the only place we get first-person insight into Yeong-hye. However, I was still a little bored while reading, so even though I appreciate the book it wasn't my favorite. 
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