Review by whitneysch - The Vegetarian

whitneysch 's review for:

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

4.0

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“I have dreams too, you know. Dreams…and I could let myself dissolve into them, let them take me over…but surely the dream isn’t all there is? We have to wake up at some point, don’t we? Because…because then…”

This is a provocative book…and was, as many other reviewers will tell you, very disturbing. At times crossing lines of comfort to describe grotesque body horror and the equally disturbing unfiltered violent thoughts and actions of the characters. This was both a strength and a downfall of the book. At some points I was so disturbed that it no longer felt like a message was being conveyed and instead was just unnecessary description of the torture a character. Although I must admit that I do agree that often novels need to cross a line to make a point. Thus, this book was a very challenging book for me because the message of the story was very profound and meant to be unsettling, but at what point was that narratively reached… and the disturbing narrative decoration of that message… just grotesquely unnecessary.

Overall this book discussed how female choices affect a collection of people, and the subsequent cruel variety of punishments women are subjected to for their choices. This is juxtaposed by male characters’ freedom of choice. Women have to occupy so many roles: caretakers, lovers, breadwinners, and muses and are labeled for their roles… as mother’s, business owners, art, wives, and…vegetarians, although it’s all dehumanizing. Unfortunately, the main character shows us that the alternative isn’t much better: to be consumed by the awareness and rejection of roles, deemed “mad” for defying societal convention.

I still have so many thoughts on this story…but as one of my friends said to me… “it was atmospheric read” and I think it’s best to leave it there than further explain anything else.

Content Warnings