A review by laynemandros
The Vegetarian by Han Kang

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

“The Vegetarian” by Han Kang: 3.5/5 stars 

I’m not sure what to make of this book and based on some of the reviews I’ve seen online, neither did y’all. 

The aspect of this book that was most poignant for me, and one that I noticed immediately, is that the book is never really told from the perspective of the main character, Yeong-hye. The reader sees Yeong-hye go through a series of mental health crises and I suspect the decision to never tell the story from her point of view is intentional, perhaps to convey that folks experiencing mental health crises feel a lack of agency? Or, maybe more largely a commentary about how women are seen as “hysterical” when making decisions that fall outside of the norms of the patriarchy? I’m not really sure. 

For parts one and two the novel is told from the point of view of her husband and then her brother in law respectively, both of whom reinforce patriarchal stereotypes. Her husband loses interest in her because she no longer provides him resources and comfort when she becomes a vegetarian and refuses to cook meat for him. Her brother in law gains interest in her when he becomes sexually fixated on her and exploits Young-hye for “his art.” Each of these men view their relationship with Young-hye in terms of what kind of service she can provide for them. 

Part three is told from the point of view of Young-hye’s sister and has a sharp tonal shift, likely because this is the only point of view we get from a character who actually cares for Young-hye’s wellbeing. This part shows a peek behind the curtain of someone struggling to care for a loved one who is experiencing a severe mental health crisis. 

I think this is the kind of book that the longer you think about it the more it reveals itself to you. It has layers and meat to sink your teeth into (haha, punny). Overall, I enjoyed the writing even if I don’t know that I fully grasped the message.