Name: The Vegetarian
Rating: 3.631539611360239 (669 reviews)
ISBN: 9781846276033

Han Kang

Winner of the Man Booker International Prize 2016. A beautiful, unsettling novel in three acts, about rebellion and taboo, violence and eroticism, and the twisting metamorphosis of a soul

A Novel

The Vegetarian

Brittany

This was the body of a beautiful young woman, conventionally an object of desire, and yet it was a body from which all desire had been eliminated. But this was nothing so crass as carnal desire, not for her—rather, or so it seemed, what she had renounced was the very lite that her body represented.

fæ 

nahis

The feeling that she had never really lived in this world caught her by surprise. 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 successes 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.

laine

oh to be a tree bathing in the sunlight, no?

In-hue couldn’t hold herself back any long. “You!” she yelled. "I’m acting like this because I'm afraid youre going to die!" 

Yeong-hye turned her head and stared blankly at In-hye, as though the latter were not her sister but a complete stranger. After a while, the question came. 

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, In-hye could see that the role that she had adopted back then of the hard- working, self-sacrificing eldest daughter had been a sign not of maturity but of cowardice. It had been a survival tactic. 

time was a wave, almost cruel in its relentlessness.

she'd been unable to forgive her for soaring alone over a boundary she herself could never bring herself to cross, unable to forgive that magnificent irresponsibility that had enabled yeong-hye to shuck off social constraints and leave her behind, still a prisoner. and before yeong-hye had broken those bars, she'd never even known they were there

or perhaps it was simply that things were happening inside her, terrible things, which no one else could even guess at, and thus it was impossible for her to engage with everyday life at the same time. if so, she would naturally have no energy left, not just for curiosity or interest but indeed for any meaningful response to all the humdrum minutiae that went on on the surface

karina

“I have dreams too, you know. Dreams… and I could let myself dissolve into them, let them take me over… but surely the dream isn’t all there is? We have to wake up at some point, don’t we?”

Mara D Alo Fonseca

The summer woods are dense and luxuriant beyond the windscreen of the ambulance. In the waning afternoon light, the rain on the leaves glitters intensely, kindling a green fire.

Lindy

She was no longer able to cope with all that her sister reminded her of. She'd been unable to forgive herself for soaring alone over a boundary she herself could never bring herself to cross, unable to forgive that magnificent irresponsibility that had enabled Yeong-hye to shuck off social constraints and leave her behind, still a prisoner. 

hessensitive

The passive personality of this woman in whom I could detect neither freshness nor charm, or anything especially refined, suited me down to the ground. There was no need to affect intellectual leanings in order to win her over, or to worry that she might be comparing me to the preening men who pose in fashion catalogues, an she didn't get worked up if I happened to be late for one of our meetings.

How on earth could she be so self-centred? I stared at her lowered eyes, her expression of cool self-possession. The very idea that there should be this other side to her, one where she selfishly did as she pleased, was astonishing. Who would have thought she could be so unreasonable?

i’ll kill you. seriously being ragebaited right now.

I’d always liked my wife’s earthy vitality, the way she would catch cockroaches by smacking them with the palm of her hand. She really had been the most ordinary woman in the world.

She hadn’t said a single word on the way here, but I convinced myself that this wouldn’t be a problem. There’s nothing wrong with keeping quiet; after all, hadn’t women traditionally been expected to be demure and restrained?

sometimes i kind of get chills reading the parts from Yeong-hye’s pov

The lives of the animals I ate have all lodged there. Blood and flesh, all those butchered bodies are scattered in every nook and cranny, and though the physical remains were excreted, their lives stick stubbornly to my insides.

One time, just one more time, I want to shout. I want to throw myself through the pitch-black window. …

Nobody can help me. Nobody can save me. Nobody can make me breathe.

Winner of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S "BEST BOOKS OF 2016 SO FAR" ONE OF TIME'S "BEST BOOKS OF 2016 SO FAR" A beautiful, unsettling novel about rebellion and taboo, violence and eroticism, and the twisting metamorphosis of a soul Before 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. From the Hardcover edition.

A powerful exploration of what happens when you disrupt society’s expectations as a woman and give into lust 

Pip Chinn

To say I enjoyed this book would be too much, though I doubt and hope no such a person exists. 

I believe that almost all of this book is written from a male perspective. Even the times where the reader experiences Yeonghye's thoughts directly, the male gaze on her experiences is indistinguishable from her own thoughts, as though she herself is held captive in her mind. 

The act of starving herself, trying to purify herself by seizing to exist altogether is the most rebellious act Yeonghye could've done. Following her logic, refusing to eat meat, to be constrained by societal conventions (eg. wearing a bra), was the only way for her to free herself from the oppression she experienced. The unidentifiable pressure in her stomach, the pressure on her chest all hint at desperation, even panic induced by having to lead a life not of her own choosing. The violence she witnessed in her childhood, experienced as a girl is so inescapable to her, she doesn't even entertain thoughts that would truly free her, like leaving her family behind or divorcing her husband who sees her as nothing more than a servant to his needs and an object to fulfil his urges with.  

But by giving up her household tasks she makes herself useless; by eating less and not caring about her appearance she makes herself unappealing; by refusing to eat meat she is unable to take part in her family's tradition. 

What starts as a rebellion becomes giving up the moment she subjects herself to yet another man. She lets another man decide over her body, lets him use her as he pleases to fulfil his "artistic vision" and the reader doesn't get to look into her mind for the rest of the book. 

The idea that she wants to become one with nature, the desire to loose all aspects that make her sentient can be seen as the inevitable, when even at her most emancipated men will find a way to use her. 

Though not everyone, I think most people struggling with where they fall in the spectrum of feminism and emancipation should read this book if they are able to deal with the psychological, physical and sexual violence of this book. 

Because, even if jarring, the most valuable part of this book lies in what isn't written directly, but what can be read between the lines.

To say I enjoyed this book would be too much, though I doubt and hope no such a person exists. 

I believe that almost all of this book is written from a male perspective. Even the times where the reader experiences Yeonghye's thoughts directly, the male gaze on her experiences is indistinguishable from her own thoughts, as though she herself is held captive in her mind. 

The act of starving herself, trying to purify herself by seizing to exist altogether is the most rebellious act Yeonghye could've done. Following her logic, refusing to eat meat, to be constrained by societal conventions (eg. wearing a bra), was the only way for her to free herself from the oppression she experienced. The unidentifiable pressure in her stomach, the pressure on her chest all hint at desperation, even panic induced by having to lead a life not of her own choosing. The violence she witnessed in her childhood, experienced as a girl is so inescapable to her, she doesn't even entertain thoughts that would truly free her, like leaving her family behind or divorcing her husband who sees her as nothing more than a servant to his needs and an object to fulfil his urges with.  

But by giving up her household tasks she makes herself useless; by eating less and not caring about her appearance she makes herself unappealing; by refusing to eat meat she is unable to take part in her family's tradition. 

What starts as a rebellion becomes giving up the moment she subjects herself to yet another man. She lets another man decide over her body, lets him use her as he pleases to fulfil his "artistic vision" and the reader doesn't get to look into her mind for the rest of the book. 

The idea that she wants to become one with nature, the desire to loose all aspects that make her sentient can be seen as the inevitable, when even at her most emancipated men will find a way to use her. 

Though not everyone, I think most people struggling with where they fall in the spectrum of feminism and emancipation should read this book if they are able to deal with the psychological, physical and sexual violence of this book. 

Because, even if jarring, the most valuable part of this book lies in what isn't written directly, but what can be read between the lines.



The book is basically a very overwhelming and a disturbing book narrating about the main character's battles with her past and present trauma leading to her getting mentally ill. It does I do like that an important topic is being discussed regarding traumas leading to mental illness, patriarchy and the lack of support provided. The book is also described with 3 povs each being related to the main character. Despite such good meanings, I do find the book pretty disturbing and rather uncomfortable; so its difficult to recommend this book to others. However, it allows you to think alot despite this brutal yet well written book. 

Aarush Arora

The book is basically a very overwhelming and a disturbing book narrating about the main character's battles with her past and present trauma leading to her getting mentally ill. It does I do like that an important topic is being discussed regarding traumas leading to mental illness, patriarchy and the lack of support provided. The book is also described with 3 povs each being related to the main character. Despite such good meanings, I do find the book pretty disturbing and rather uncomfortable; so its difficult to recommend this book to others. However, it allows you to think alot despite this brutal yet well written book. 

Not for everyone.

Kang Han

Deciding to renounce eating meat in the wake of violent dreams, Yeong-hye, a woman from a culture of strict societal mores, is denounced as a subversive as she spirals into extreme rebelliousness that causes her to splinter from her true nature and risk her life.

read this for ib eng lit and WOW and also FUCK my HLE

charlowwe

Someone I talked to about this book didn't pick up on unversality of violence. They made it a Korean thing. How can you be Croatian and think like that is fascinating to me. I keep thinking about this book and the mediocre (if not straighforwardly bad) guy artist from the second part with his fucking flowers. Blood boils.

Dora Tominic

Disclaimer: this is not a review.

Someone I talked to about this book didn't pick up on unversality of violence. They made it a Korean thing. How can you be Croatian and think like that is fascinating to me. I keep thinking about this book and the mediocre (if not straighforwardly bad) guy artist from the second part with his fucking flowers. Blood boils.

What i interpret from the story was that how society oppresses women for making a simple life choices. Like shifting to vegetarianism is not that big as the people around her make fuss about. It was not about vegetarianism it was about a women choice that how can she stopped being ordinary and make her own life decisions... Her job is to serve everyone, her husband, her father, her mother everyone wants her to be ordinary woman just like mr. Cheong said many times.

Nobody talks about the trauma she faced in her childhood, nobody cares about her desires, her sex life, her works, but everyone expect her to serve them just like any ordinary woman.

Yash garg

What i interpret from the story was that how society oppresses women for making a simple life choices. Like shifting to vegetarianism is not that big as the people around her make fuss about. It was not about vegetarianism it was about a women choice that how can she stopped being ordinary and make her own life decisions... Her job is to serve everyone, her husband, her father, her mother everyone wants her to be ordinary woman just like mr. Cheong said many times.

Nobody talks about the trauma she faced in her childhood, nobody cares about her desires, her sex life, her works, but everyone expect her to serve them just like any ordinary woman.

Greg Talbot

"The Vegetarian" gives strong support for Kang's win of the Nobel Prize in literature in 2024. There are many themes in here the reader could draw from: ecology, feminism, patriachial socieities, familial failings, mental illness and artistic transformations. At times it had me wondering about the larger narrative themes in Korean society, such a the dwindling birth rates and 4B movement against traditional heteronormative patterns. I wonder how many women reading this story will relate to this story of the voiceless Yeong-hye. She is the object of a marriage, an object of an artist, and object of a family, but makes a decision to herself that ultimately may be her undoing. Inexpressability is at the heart of "The Vegetarian". Like many readers, I was emotional stirred by a Hang King's writing. Yeong-hye, our protagonist, is revealed through the perspective of three relationships: her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister. These bonds and their related conflicts pull the narrative thread, and give us insights into Yeog-hye. We are not given coherence, but something messier and more human. [spoilers removed]

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.

тревожная, эмоциональная и беспросветная история о том, как сложно не потерять себя, когда противостоишь жестокости патриархального общества. хочется кричать от того, как Ёнхе дегуманизируют все мужские персонажи. и очень больно от того, что она смогла выдержать это давление лишь таким деструктивным способом, отказавшись не только от проявлений жестокости, но и от самой своей человеческой сущности.

отношения с сестрой показались мне очень глубокими, тёплыми и правдоподобными. особенно последняя часть книги, в которой Инхе наконец понимает и принимает сестру, несмотря на всю боль, которую это принятие ей принесет

A distressing, emotional, and bleak story about how difficult it is to hold onto oneself while resisting the cruelty of a patriarchal society. It makes you want to scream seeing how all the male characters dehumanize Yeong-hye. And it is incredibly painful that she could only withstand this pressure through such a destructive path, by rejecting not just manifestations of cruelty, but her very human nature.

The relationship with her sister felt deeply nuanced, warm, and authentic to me. The final part was particularly powerful, with In-hye finally understanding and accepting her sister, despite all the pain that this acceptance inevitably brings her. 

Anikonda

тревожная, эмоциональная и беспросветная история о том, как сложно не потерять себя, когда противостоишь жестокости патриархального общества. хочется кричать от того, как Ёнхе дегуманизируют все мужские персонажи. и очень больно от того, что она смогла выдержать это давление лишь таким деструктивным способом, отказавшись не только от проявлений жестокости, но и от самой своей человеческой сущности.

отношения с сестрой показались мне очень глубокими, тёплыми и правдоподобными. особенно последняя часть книги, в которой Инхе наконец понимает и принимает сестру, несмотря на всю боль, которую это принятие ей принесет

A distressing, emotional, and bleak story about how difficult it is to hold onto oneself while resisting the cruelty of a patriarchal society. It makes you want to scream seeing how all the male characters dehumanize Yeong-hye. And it is incredibly painful that she could only withstand this pressure through such a destructive path, by rejecting not just manifestations of cruelty, but her very human nature.

The relationship with her sister felt deeply nuanced, warm, and authentic to me. The final part was particularly powerful, with In-hye finally understanding and accepting her sister, despite all the pain that this acceptance inevitably brings her. 

Very disturbing and raw. Han Kang’s writing is immaculate and I enjoyed the three perspectives. Some parts were so absurd though that I was a bit confused but also made me reflect which I guess was the point. Definitely reading more of her stuff! 

Klara Hansen 

cats

2.5/5 stars rather than uncomfortable the book mostly had me confused because the second i thought i almost understood the subtext, i’d lose it all over again. 2.5 stars for now until i can hopefully get a better understanding of wtv the fuck was going on in this book.

Steph

The writing's brilliant and I know this book has a deeper meaning to it, but I just find it hard to connect with the book. It may not be my cup of tea, but I recommend it to those who are inclined towards experimental literature.

Winner of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Publisher's Weekly • Buzzfeed • Entertainment Weekly • Time • Wall Street Journal • Bustle • Elle • The Economist • Slate • The Huffington Post • The St. Louis Dispatch • Electric Literature Featured in the New York Times selection of "15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century" A beautiful, unsettling novel about rebellion and taboo, violence and eroticism, and the twisting metamorphosis of a soul Before 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.

cass

wasn’t really for me, however i do understand why it is so loved. i struggled with the first passage, however the second part was phenomenal and kept me hooked. it seemed to loose momentum as it progressed into the final part. i was left wanting answers, and tbh a bit confused, i wish that a few questions were tied up properly. overall an okay read, the writing style was really good!!

One of the most memorable books I’ve ever read in years. It touches on very heavy themes, don’t read if you’re in a bad mental state. But wow…the 3 narrative writing style was refreshing and the terror I was going through while reading this book, especially the first part even made me think my future partner could be thinking all those about me too and there is no way I’ll really ever know…

April M

erin

this book made me viscerally sick. men should all be killed and i am so serious. it was a difficult read, but at the end inhye's support towards yeonghye made my heart feel warm.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful... Haunting...

Man, I don't care how hard it was to get through the first two parts (not implying that they're bad at all) with its subject matter, getting to "Flaming Trees" was 100% worth it. Such a cathartic experience for me.

Audric Kan

IBDP HL English Book:

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful... Haunting...

Man, I don't care how hard it was to get through the first two parts (not implying that they're bad at all) with its subject matter, getting to "Flaming Trees" was 100% worth it. Such a cathartic experience for me.

not unlike a dream in the way you almost never get to fully wrap your head around each occurance when the story progresses further _ Moving forward ? backward ? downward ? ... disorienting in an unfortunate, beautiful way

plantdad

I am still overwhelmed by the Tragic depths of this book, but I think this review of the Nobel Prize for Literature captures it beautifully: Kang’s “poetic prose exposes the fragility of human life”. So incredibly well deserved 

Lili

Yeong-hye's ultimate desire to shed her human form and become part of nature is a complete rejection of the patriarchal, violent society that suffocated her.

"He couldn't ask: why did you use to bare your breasts to the sunlight, like some kind of mutant animal that had evolved to be able to photosynthesize? Was that because of a dream too?"

Eva Cace

Yeong-hye's ultimate desire to shed her human form and become part of nature is a complete rejection of the patriarchal, violent society that suffocated her.

"He couldn't ask: why did you use to bare your breasts to the sunlight, like some kind of mutant animal that had evolved to be able to photosynthesize? Was that because of a dream too?"



Reminds me of Sayaka Murata’s theme and intensity, except this one uses the perspective of people surrounding women. it’s intensity propelled readers to keep reading while flinching on its claustrophobic but beautiful writing.

Nate

bro idc what anyone says like this book ATE!!! and the sociology major in me will never stop talking about it

alice

still trying to grapple everything that has happened in this book

insanely written, i’d like to think that the whole intention of yeong-hye’s transformation of becoming a tree symbolises her desire to return to something pure, non-human, and untouched by violence. her journey isn’t a tragedy of mental illness, but a radical escape from a dehumanising world. and the ending showed how yeong-hye’s madness had somehow been passed on to in-hye’s as she starts to understand the world yeong-hye has built for herself. this book is so powerful in its correlating context not only between man and nature but also man transforming into nature wow just wow

there was this quote in this book that talked about the Mongolian Mark on yeong-hye where it said “.. or else perhaps a mark of photosynthesis, and he realised to his surprise that there was nothing at all sexual about it; it was more vegetal than sexual” — this is where it all came to me that this book was about the most beautiful and compelling story about man slowly transitioning into nature and its symbolic significance in declining humanity to embrace a fully vegetal life signifying how much she’s willing to sacrifice to push away all the violence and destruction of what humanity has to offer.

soooo good so incredible this is my first han kang book and im so excited to read more of her stuff

still trying to grapple everything that has happened in this book

insanely written, i’d like to think that the whole intention of yeong-hye’s transformation of becoming a tree symbolises her desire to return to something pure, non-human, and untouched by violence. her journey isn’t a tragedy of mental illness, but a radical escape from a dehumanising world. and the ending showed how yeong-hye’s madness had somehow been passed on to in-hye’s as she starts to understand the world yeong-hye has built for herself. this book is so powerful in its correlating context not only between man and nature but also man transforming into nature wow just wow

there was this quote in this book that talked about the Mongolian Mark on yeong-hye where it said “.. or else perhaps a mark of photosynthesis, and he realised to his surprise that there was nothing at all sexual about it; it was more vegetal than sexual” — this is where it all came to me that this book was about the most beautiful and compelling story about man slowly transitioning into nature and its symbolic significance in declining humanity to embrace a fully vegetal life signifying how much she’s willing to sacrifice to push away all the violence and destruction of what humanity has to offer.

soooo good so incredible this is my first han kang book and im so excited to read more of her stuff

explores themes of what it means to be a woman through body horror. loved how it was through the eyes of other people; it truly robs yeong hye of her voice. 

jade shen

“She had never lived. Even as a child, as far back as she could remember, she had done nothing but endure.”

I don’t think I have the brain capacity to write a comprehensive review about this book. But okay. 

The Vegetarian is definitely one of my most emotionally challenging, yet thought-provoking reads. It made me sad and angry. It reminded me how disgusting patriarchy is and why abused women should be allowed to shoot at least one man every day.

“She had never lived. Even as a child, as far back as she could remember, she had done nothing but endure.”

I don’t think I have the brain capacity to write a comprehensive review about this book. But okay. 

The Vegetarian is definitely one of my most emotionally challenging, yet thought-provoking reads. It made me sad and angry. It reminded me how disgusting patriarchy is and why abused women should be allowed to shoot at least one man every day.

han kang has an incredible ability to describe violence -- from the societal down to the personal. in one particular description of an instance of retribution i had to put the book down to take a breath. to me, this book is not just about patriarchy but also about rebellion, from the social to the personal. following dreams of intense violence, she decides to become vegan. 

faced against society, people guffaw and take in-hye for a laughing stock. against the family, a disgrace, an invalid, even ending with her father assaulting her, forcing her to eat meat, proving her point precisely that violence begets violence. on the personal level, she struggles as well. her body, the last refuge, seems to refuse to do what she wants it to do. "idiot", she calls it.

on this, i think of asceticism, its sheer negativity as a paradoxical force. it recurs eternally, eventually collapsing on itself and rendering itself pointless. the beginning and end of asceticism is its end.

Ghee

han kang has an incredible ability to describe violence -- from the societal down to the personal. in one particular description of an instance of retribution i had to put the book down to take a breath. to me, this book is not just about patriarchy but also about rebellion, from the social to the personal. following dreams of intense violence, she decides to become vegan. 

faced against society, people guffaw and take in-hye for a laughing stock. against the family, a disgrace, an invalid, even ending with her father assaulting her, forcing her to eat meat, proving her point precisely that violence begets violence. on the personal level, she struggles as well. her body, the last refuge, seems to refuse to do what she wants it to do. "idiot", she calls it.

on this, i think of asceticism, its sheer negativity as a paradoxical force. it recurs eternally, eventually collapsing on itself and rendering itself pointless. the beginning and end of asceticism is its end.

The Vegetarian A Novel

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