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cdiamante 's review for:
The Vegetarian
by Han Kang
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
The Vegetarian is a South Korean novel that follows a woman, Yeong-hye, as her decision to become vegetarian begins the slow crumple of her sanity and life. Told from three separate points of view, with none being Yeong-hye's herself, you get an all-encompassing picture of a woman's descent into lunacy.
This book has an incredible ability to make one feel deeply uncomfortable in a wide variety of ways. From the gory dream sequences, the described bodily changes of Yeong-hye, to the sociological horror of her circumstances, the book hits at your psyche from every angle. The ambiguity and overlap of the various mental illnesses Yeong-hye is implied to have felt real, her mental deterioration is realistic and just as saddening as it is unnerving. Although many of the side characters were (intentionally) dislikable, they all felt fleshed out and understandable. For all they repulsed me, their motivations made sense, given their circumstances, creating an incredibly lifelike cast of characters.
I loved this book, read it in one sitting. I would describe it as a perfect combination of body and psychological horror, that plays into the human fear of lacking control, especially as it relates to being a woman in a patriarchal society.
This book has an incredible ability to make one feel deeply uncomfortable in a wide variety of ways. From the gory dream sequences, the described bodily changes of Yeong-hye, to the sociological horror of her circumstances, the book hits at your psyche from every angle. The ambiguity and overlap of the various mental illnesses Yeong-hye is implied to have felt real, her mental deterioration is realistic and just as saddening as it is unnerving. Although many of the side characters were (intentionally) dislikable, they all felt fleshed out and understandable. For all they repulsed me, their motivations made sense, given their circumstances, creating an incredibly lifelike cast of characters.
I loved this book, read it in one sitting. I would describe it as a perfect combination of body and psychological horror, that plays into the human fear of lacking control, especially as it relates to being a woman in a patriarchal society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail