Kaddurix reviewed Vejetaryen by Han Kang
Forêt noire
Sécher comme une feuille Au milieu des bêtes
188 sivua ; 22 cm, 188 pages
English language
Published 2015 by Hogarth.
Aaron reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
The Vegetarian
4 stars
One of my favorite short stories which I read in college was Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivner." But Bartleby's got nothing on Yeong-hye. Her decision to become a vegetarian sends her family into a tailspin, as Han explores how an effort to renounce violence and reject the world's demands provokes a more and more violent reaction from those around her. Aspects of the story are absurd, but are told in a straight, just-the-facts-ma'am style that heightens the sense of how stark (yet simple) Yeong-hye's actions are. She determines, for her own reasons, to live as she wants, and the novel illustrates how challenging it is to take such a stance.
lennart reviewed Vegetarianen by Han Kang
Vacker och skrämmande
5 stars
Otroligt vacker bok, med målande beskrivningar. Realism och surrealism på samma gång. Kommer att läsa om framöver, känns som det finns mycket att finna i texten som kanske inte kommer fram direkt.
oatmilk_alex reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
First read: Finished this in two sittings, which is a record for me.
This literally had me in a chokehold… So so emotional and thought provoking (and difficult to read).
Definitely read the trigger warnings before reading
Second read: Holy shit I forgot how insane this book is
First read: Finished this in two sittings, which is a record for me.
This literally had me in a chokehold… So so emotional and thought provoking (and difficult to read).
Definitely read the trigger warnings before reading
Second read: Holy shit I forgot how insane this book is
This literally had me in a chokehold… So so emotional and thought provoking (and difficult to read).
Definitely read the trigger warnings before reading
Second read: Holy shit I forgot how insane this book is
ミズ reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
die ersten zwei teile des buches waren für mich eine klare 4/5, aber dann kam der dritte und letzte teil (flaming trees) und das war für mich einfach soul crushing heart breaking gut wrenching, like i felt the pain and emptiness of this woman as it was my own - ich weine eigentlich selten wegen büchern, aber this one had me sobbing. for rememberance hier (out of context) ein paar textstellen, die mich besonders gebrochen haben, einfach nur für mich selbst
[it was a fact. she had never lived. even as a child, as far back as she could remember, she had done nothing but endure. she had believed in her own inherent goodness, her humanity, and lived accordingly, never causing anyone harm. her devotion to doing things the right way had been unflagging, all her success had depended on it, and she would have gone on like that indefinitely. …
die ersten zwei teile des buches waren für mich eine klare 4/5, aber dann kam der dritte und letzte teil (flaming trees) und das war für mich einfach soul crushing heart breaking gut wrenching, like i felt the pain and emptiness of this woman as it was my own - ich weine eigentlich selten wegen büchern, aber this one had me sobbing. for rememberance hier (out of context) ein paar textstellen, die mich besonders gebrochen haben, einfach nur für mich selbst
[it was a fact. she had never lived. even as a child, as far back as she could remember, she had done nothing but endure. she had believed in her own inherent goodness, her humanity, and lived accordingly, never causing anyone harm. her devotion to doing things the right way had been unflagging, all her success had depended on it, and she would have gone on like that indefinitely. she didn't understand why, but faced with those decaying buildings and straggling grasses, she was nothing but a child who had never lived.]
['was that it, mum? was this what made you laugh?']
['you see, it was just a dream.' but was that really true? right then, in the ambulance, she wasn't sure. had it really been just a dream, a mere coincidence? because that had been the morning when she turned her back on the sun as it rose over the silent trees and retraced her steps back down the mountain, wearing her faded purple T-shirt.]
[it's your body, you can treat it however you please. the only area where you're free to do just as you like. and even that doesn't turn out how you wanted.]
Optional reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Skip the meat and go straight to this.
4 stars
Yes, this plot is going places. But it finds very natural ways to take the reader along and experience this wild series of events in a believable way. Full review here.
Woordenaar reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
The Patients zou ook een goeie titel zijn geweest
2 stars
Vaag verhaal. Eerder drie sterk met elkaar verbonden verhalen dan een roman. Erg sombertjes en depressing. Het gaat meer over psychische toestanden dan over het al dan niet eten van vlees. Wel een goeie inkijk in de Zuid-Koreaanse maatschappij.
Martinza reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
About mental illness and abuse. Partially out of the perspective of the abusers.The description on the cover of my edition is grossly misleading. Be aware of the content warnings
About mental illness and abuse. Partially out of the perspective of the abusers.The description on the cover of my edition is grossly misleading. Be aware of the content warnings
janson reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
Black, reminiscent of South American fantastique but with the mundanity of daily life.
Black, reminiscent of South American fantastique but with the mundanity of daily life.
Erin reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
More than I ever wanted to hear about nipples …
PlaySomethingAwful reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
Brilliantly executed
brenticus reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
None
4 stars
This was weird and much different than I expected. And it took me much longer to read than anticipated; not sure what was up with that.
I believe the frontmatter of the book indicated this was originally three novelettes that have been stuffed together, and I'd say that's fairly obvious even if they do all flow together fairly well. This book is about Yeong-Hye, a woman who decided to be a vegetarian one day based on a strange dream she had, but it's told from the perspective of her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister, with the POV switching for each novelette. Each one sees Yeong-Hye in a different light, each one has different opinions about her vegetarianism, and each one seems to give up on her by the end.
The thoughts and actions of Yeong-Hye are left obscure throughout the book, and the tension around her strange actions and …
This was weird and much different than I expected. And it took me much longer to read than anticipated; not sure what was up with that.
I believe the frontmatter of the book indicated this was originally three novelettes that have been stuffed together, and I'd say that's fairly obvious even if they do all flow together fairly well. This book is about Yeong-Hye, a woman who decided to be a vegetarian one day based on a strange dream she had, but it's told from the perspective of her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister, with the POV switching for each novelette. Each one sees Yeong-Hye in a different light, each one has different opinions about her vegetarianism, and each one seems to give up on her by the end.
The thoughts and actions of Yeong-Hye are left obscure throughout the book, and the tension around her strange actions and statements seems to push this almost into thriller territory. We don't know why she's doing this, but it's having huge effects on her health and her relationships and she just doesn't seem to care. As things get worse and worse, we wonder more and more how much she really understands what she's doing.
Bodily autonomy is a huge theme in this book, with Yeong-Hye's autonomy violated more and more perversely as time goes on, but there's a lot of ambiguity around the morality of it. Is she being healthy? Is she capable of consent? Should she be allowed to starve herself even to the point of death? Is she capable of making these decisions for herself? The people around her vary in exactly how selfish their actions are, but the way that the violations get more intense alongside the question of whether Yeong-Hye can make these decisions for herself is really well done.
This book almost viscerally rips into its themes in a way that makes them stick with you for a bit. On the surface it seems like a fairly straightforward story, but Han Kang did a fantastic job of showing us what lies inside.
I believe the frontmatter of the book indicated this was originally three novelettes that have been stuffed together, and I'd say that's fairly obvious even if they do all flow together fairly well. This book is about Yeong-Hye, a woman who decided to be a vegetarian one day based on a strange dream she had, but it's told from the perspective of her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister, with the POV switching for each novelette. Each one sees Yeong-Hye in a different light, each one has different opinions about her vegetarianism, and each one seems to give up on her by the end.
The thoughts and actions of Yeong-Hye are left obscure throughout the book, and the tension around her strange actions and statements seems to push this almost into thriller territory. We don't know why she's doing this, but it's having huge effects on her health and her relationships and she just doesn't seem to care. As things get worse and worse, we wonder more and more how much she really understands what she's doing.
Bodily autonomy is a huge theme in this book, with Yeong-Hye's autonomy violated more and more perversely as time goes on, but there's a lot of ambiguity around the morality of it. Is she being healthy? Is she capable of consent? Should she be allowed to starve herself even to the point of death? Is she capable of making these decisions for herself? The people around her vary in exactly how selfish their actions are, but the way that the violations get more intense alongside the question of whether Yeong-Hye can make these decisions for herself is really well done.
This book almost viscerally rips into its themes in a way that makes them stick with you for a bit. On the surface it seems like a fairly straightforward story, but Han Kang did a fantastic job of showing us what lies inside.
Hilo reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
Hmm, kann meinen Eindruck nicht beschreiben irgendwie wars ein bisschen zu lange aus der Perspektive ekliger Typen. Das Ende mochte ich
Molly Foust reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This was a raw and wrenching, quick read, with stark, excellent writing. It made me very curious about South Korea. I hope someone writes a good introduction to it in future updates, because for once I would not skip a preface. However, even without a background, there is something relatable for anyone who refuses to comply with the expectations of others for
This novel is not so much about vegetarianism, though it makes for a convenient starting point. A seemingly small act of rebellion, committed by a previously docile wife, becomes a familial crises born solely by the youngest females. It is a lonely book, as the Vegetarian cannot rest in her self and create her own roots(she has some issues with trees) outside of the projections of herself pushed on her from others.
The writing is clear and lovely though, so while I am sure I missed a lot, …
This was a raw and wrenching, quick read, with stark, excellent writing. It made me very curious about South Korea. I hope someone writes a good introduction to it in future updates, because for once I would not skip a preface. However, even without a background, there is something relatable for anyone who refuses to comply with the expectations of others for
This novel is not so much about vegetarianism, though it makes for a convenient starting point. A seemingly small act of rebellion, committed by a previously docile wife, becomes a familial crises born solely by the youngest females. It is a lonely book, as the Vegetarian cannot rest in her self and create her own roots(she has some issues with trees) outside of the projections of herself pushed on her from others.
The writing is clear and lovely though, so while I am sure I missed a lot, I certainly enjoyed it.
greeny reviewed The vegetarian by Han Kang
Review of 'The Vegetarian' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Great book. Reminded me to Kafkas 'The Metamorphosis'.
