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A review by fallenquills
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
three main takeaways:
1. the way that people can percieve a single person is based entirely on their experiences both with said person and without
2. the role of a woman and the views men have of them in societies so dominated by patriarchy and conform are ones that are profoundly oppressive as much as they are structural
3. i wasn't ready for this book.
largely, my rating comes from the third point - i wasn't ready for this book. yes, it was written in a way that was very curt and confronting until you get to the third chapter. yes it was really interesting to see the different perspectives of yeong-hye from other people and purposefully not from yeong-hye herself, but i went into it only knowing The White Book/Huin by Han Kang and i wasn't ready for what this book presented to me. perhaps one day i'll read it again, but knowing what i know of it, i need to be in a very solid mental place for it.
1. the way that people can percieve a single person is based entirely on their experiences both with said person and without
2. the role of a woman and the views men have of them in societies so dominated by patriarchy and conform are ones that are profoundly oppressive as much as they are structural
3. i wasn't ready for this book.
largely, my rating comes from the third point - i wasn't ready for this book. yes, it was written in a way that was very curt and confronting until you get to the third chapter. yes it was really interesting to see the different perspectives of yeong-hye from other people and purposefully not from yeong-hye herself, but i went into it only knowing The White Book/Huin by Han Kang and i wasn't ready for what this book presented to me. perhaps one day i'll read it again, but knowing what i know of it, i need to be in a very solid mental place for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Rape
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit