The Vegetarian

Books | Fiction / Erotica / General

3.4

(790)

Han Kang

Yeong-hye and her husband are ordinary people. He is an office worker with moderate ambitions and mild manners; she is an uninspired but dutiful wife. The acceptable flatline of their marriage is interrupted when Yeong-hye, seeking a more 'plant-like' existence, decides to become a vegetarian, prompted by grotesque recurring nightmares. In South Korea, where vegetarianism is almost unheard-of and societal mores are strictly obeyed, Yeong-hye's decision is a shocking act of subversion. Her passive rebellion manifests in ever more bizarre and frightening forms, leading her bland husband to self-justified acts of sexual sadism. His cruelties drive her towards attempted suicide and hospitalisation. She unknowingly captivates her sister's husband, a video artist. She becomes the focus of his increasingly erotic and unhinged artworks, while spiralling further and further into her fantasies of abandoning her fleshly prison and becoming - impossibly, ecstatically - a tree.Fraught, disturbing and beautiful, The Vegetarian is a novel about modern day South Korea, but also a novel about shame, desire and our faltering attempts to understand others, from one imprisoned body to another.

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More Details:

Author

Han Kang

Pages

183

Publisher

Portobello Books

Published Date

2015-01-01

ISBN

1846275636 9781846275630

Community ReviewsSee all

"Got to the affair/mental asylum part. I have to finish it. "

Kweku Ananse Haki

"Split into three parts this book follows the story of Yeong-Hye, a married woman that suddenly decides she can no longer eat meat. Each part of the book is told through a different perspective but continues along in the plot, giving light to the person Yeong-Hye is most involved with in that time frame. Personally, I found part one to be the most interesting and horror-like (which maybe I misunderstood but I thought this was a horror novel?) and so the next two-thirds of the book I felt kinda let me down. Also, outside of the separated parts, there aren't any chapters in the book, just page breaks, which I dont like and find hinders my progress in a book. Overall, I can't say I'd recommend, but I'd read some 5-star ratings first before deciding if this is for you or not. 3/5🥩🌼"

Mare

""Why are all my edges sharpening - what am I going to gouge?" 2.5⭐ Ugh this book. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, but I've been putting it off due to super mixed reviews. I finally picked it up, and it was a pretty big disappointment for me. The Vegetarian starts off so well. I was intrigued by the beginning - it's strange and dramatic, and definitely makes you curious to see what's going to happen. Then this book does a complete 180, and then goes so far up its own asshole that I completely lost interest. I only finished because it was so short, and I kept hoping it would turn around, but nope. Part 1 was really good, part 2 was okay, and part 3 was just slow and felt unnecessary. This book does not wrap up well, and it didn't work for me."

Emily

"This is a great contemporary novella on social issues in the modern world. Although the story takes place in South Korea many of these issues are relatable and important on a universal scale. This is quickly spiraling tale of feminism, sexuality, control, mental illness, and the meat industry. I was captivated by the imagery and characters. Very valuable read!!!"

Emily

"Sorry I know I didn’t get it. Like it’s not even that it’s too disturbing or too disgusting I just don’t get it, at all. Maybe if I was Korean or married it would make more sense. Reminded me a lot of Nightbitch."

lizard

"A lovely book with a lot to say, and three very distinct, very well developed perspectives. Every time I thought I fully knew and understood Yeong-He, I was reminded that she is a complex and multifaceted being. That I can never claim to deeply know someone else. This resonates with me, as a person who broke free from BS social rules and expectstions before they traumatized me. And it resonates with me as someone who has seen the suffering and misunderstanding refusing to engage in those rules can cause. Socially, emotionally, mentally and else wise. An important warning about how easy it can be to begin a life that will destroy you, if you don’t fight for the one you deserve. If no one shows you how."

"This is a tough one for me to review. There were parts I enjoyed, and parts I really didn't. Part 1 was the best, in my opinion. Part 3 was the worst. I really didn't like the ending. After reading some other reviews, I think I may understand the end a bit more, but I still wish there was more to it."

Shelbie Atwood

"I have some serious thoughts about this book and I am honestly not sure if I can even articulate them well. We follow our main character through three other people's POV's. We see her mental health deteriorating and the way others are reacting to that and in the case of her sister the questioning of if there was anything more that could have been done to help her. This book was dark and moving and overwhelming and poignant and beautifully written. Yes, I know that's a lot of 'ands'. LOL. If I have one gripe I just wish it would've ended differently'ish. However, having said that, the ending pretty much matched the book perfectly. Told you that this book is hard to articulate."

Brandi M

"DNF. It was so short, but I couldn't even make myself finish it. The translation is hard to get through sometimes. I wish I had done more in-depth research before reading. Everyone claims it's profound and had a moving impact on them, but maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it. I wasn't expecting how sexually explicit a majority of the book is, so TW for those of you who aren't into that kind of thing. Beyond that, I just couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters enough to care about what happens to them. Again, maybe it's the translation, and I just don't understand it. Not moving. Not impactful. Not interesting."