The Vegetarian
Books | Fiction / Psychological
3.6
Han Kang
WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE • “[Han] Kang viscerally explores the limits of what a human brain and body can endure, and the strange beauty that can be found in even the most extreme forms of renunciation.”—Entertainment Weekly “Ferocious.”—The New York Times Book Review (Ten Best Books of the Year)“Both terrifying and terrific.”—Lauren Groff“Provocative [and] shocking.”—The Washington PostBefore the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams—invasive images of blood and brutality—torture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. It’s a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. As her husband, her brother-in-law and sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the choice that’s become sacred to her. Soon their attempts turn desperate, subjecting first her mind, and then her body, to ever more intrusive and perverse violations, sending Yeong-hye spiraling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her, but also from herself. Celebrated by critics around the world, The Vegetarian is a darkly allegorical, Kafka-esque tale of power, obsession, and one woman’s struggle to break free from the violence both without and within her. One of the Best Books of the Year—BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, Wall Street Journal, Time, Elle, The Economist, HuffPost, Slate, Bustle, The St. Louis Dispatch, Electric Literature, Publishers Weekly
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More Details:
Author
Han Kang
Pages
208
Publisher
Random House Publishing Group
Published Date
2016-02-02
ISBN
0553448196 9780553448191
Ratings
Google: 4
Community ReviewsSee all
"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."
"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."
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