A review by sweetearlgrey
The Vegetarian by Han Kang

4.0

Revisiting ‘The Vegetarian’ for a second read was just as impactful as the first. I admire this novel for its stark and harrowing portrayal of the ways women are both controlled and overlooked. Yeong-hye is practically invisible in her marriage—her husband nonchalantly admits that he settled for her. Yet, when she makes a decision for herself by adopting vegetarianism, it triggers a significant reaction from those around her. She doesn’t even own her narrative; it’s commandeered by the men in her life, making for a compelling use of the unreliable narrator. Throughout the book, she is sexualized, scrutinized, and dictated on how she should behave. Sadly, empathy and assistance are scarce.

Her desire to stop consuming—meat, and more broadly, resources—resonates with me. There are moments when I grapple with immense guilt over consumption, feeling undeserving of it all. Her longing to become one with nature and to cease being a burden mirrors a broader sentiment of not wanting to impose upon the world. Ultimately, her transformation into a natural existence is a sort of self-purification, liberating her from these burdens and the scrutiny of men. 

There's also an interesting conversation to be had about the social pressures and conventions around eating meat. This theme reminds me of Ruth Ozeki's novel 'My Year of Meats' which explores the meat-obsessed cultures in Japan and the U.S. in more detail.