Review by edwinjarvis - The Vegetarian

edwinjarvis 's review for:

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

3.5

dark emotional 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

Written from three perspectives, we only see how our vegetarian is viewed by her family members. Her husband and brother-in-law view her body in varying ways, to disgust and lust. Even as she grapples into the descent of mental illness, she is only seen as something to be controlled and used. Her older sister is racked by guilt as she tries to figure out what could have been done differently to change the new circumstances of what happened to her sister and comes to acceptance of what might have caused her sisters instability, as their lives become similiar. It's a short read, and I found the flow to be great even with the first two men POV being irreproachable. The translation makes sense, and lets you enter the home of the characters.

Content Warnings