risager reviewed The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I've started rereading it immediately.
eBook, 200 pages
English language
Published Feb. 2, 2016 by Hogarth.
The Vegetarian
by Han Kang
- ISBN:
- 978-1-101-90611-8
- OCLC Number:
- 896855397
- ASIN:
- B00X2F7NRI
Copied ISBN!
4 stars
(9 reviews)
Before the nightmare, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary life. But when splintering, blood-soaked images start haunting her thoughts, Yeong-hye decides to purge her mind and renounce eating meat. In a country where societal mores are strictly obeyed, Yeong-hye's decision to embrace a more “plant-like” existence is a shocking act of subversion. And as her passive rebellion manifests in ever more extreme and frightening forms, scandal, abuse, and estrangement begin to send Yeong-hye spiraling deep into the spaces of her fantasy. In a complete metamorphosis of both mind and body, her now dangerous endeavor will take Yeong-hye—impossibly, ecstatically, tragically—far from her once-known self altogether.
A disturbing, yet beautifully composed narrative told in three parts, The Vegetarian is an allegorical novel about modern day South Korea, but also a story of obsession, choice, and our faltering attempts to understand others, from one imprisoned body to another.
admin reviewed The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
First: Before my wife turned vegetarian, I'd always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way.
Last: The look in her eyes is dark and insistent.
bungakumi reviewed The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Intriguing, brutal, erotic. A good start to begin my immersion into Korean literature. I can't wait to read more from Han Kang.
Cheri reviewed The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I just... I have no idea what to say about this book. Everyone and everything is just so... I want to say messed up but that doesn't come close to enough. There were so many different things going on with the interconnected characters that I wasn't sure who was more screwed up or mentally ill or abusive or misogynistic.
I have to say that I did enjoy (although I'm not sure that's the right word for it) how the sisters' characters were unfolded. I honestly never had any idea where this book was going from one chapter to the next. There haven't been many books that have made me have visceral reactions the way parts of this book did. So there's that. Noticing the various cultural differences was interesting too. It's definitely not a book that can be understood as much while applying American mores.
Would I recommend it? Not …
I just... I have no idea what to say about this book. Everyone and everything is just so... I want to say messed up but that doesn't come close to enough. There were so many different things going on with the interconnected characters that I wasn't sure who was more screwed up or mentally ill or abusive or misogynistic.
I have to say that I did enjoy (although I'm not sure that's the right word for it) how the sisters' characters were unfolded. I honestly never had any idea where this book was going from one chapter to the next. There haven't been many books that have made me have visceral reactions the way parts of this book did. So there's that. Noticing the various cultural differences was interesting too. It's definitely not a book that can be understood as much while applying American mores.
Would I recommend it? Not a blanket recommendation, that's for sure. But if you like reading very dark books about dysfunctional families and mental illness, it could be right up your alley. I'm not sorry that I read it but it was a difficult read nearly all the way through.
Sarah Green reviewed The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Within the context of centuries of women's subjugation, the story seems to ask what the point is of having a body you do not get to control. It makes me think of hunger strikes in Abu Graib. The men characters are selfish and entitled, while the titular vegetarian has no voice in the story, but is there to rebel in the only way she can.
