Review by henrytinker - The Vegetarian

henrytinker 's review for:

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

2.0

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really enjoyed the first section and thought this was going to be a 5 star read, but it began to get very repetitive as it went on despite the perspective changes. e.g. the numerous descriptions of Yeon-Hye's body and how unknowable and mysterious she is because she's mentally ill. It's also very ableist to frame mental illness as a choice to 'let go' of societal expectations, and that's not even getting into all the descriptions of the patients at the hospital and what a 'problem' they are for the staff and family members.

Content Warnings