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

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.

fæ 

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 life that her body represented.

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

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

time was a wave, almost cruel in its relentlessness.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

so so good ; my personal take on the book is that it showcases the journey of a woman going through the rebellion of societal standards shown in the form of going vegetarian ; despite doing no harm to others her decision to become vegetarian still stirs a commotion because of others need to “correct” unconventional behaviours and mindset. Lots of what the fuck moments in this book but i would so read it again  

popy

adriftzoey

i find it challenging to begin describing this novel. i suspect that even a year from now, it will still stand out as one of the most haunting, unsettling, and tragic reads i’ve encountered in a long time. although it’s a short book, there’s a wealth of material to contemplate and discuss. the narrative offers various interpretations that go beyond the surface. don’t let the title mislead you; this isn’t merely a story about a woman who gives up meat and animal products. it delves into themes of bodily autonomy and the consequences of its absence. the book scrutinizes the damaging effects of patriarchal societies, violence, and victimization, as well as the complexities of mental illness. there’s so much more to explore

the vegetarian defies conventional storytelling and avoids the typical narrative structure that i often see in fiction. it doesn’t adhere to the familiar pattern of “rising action, climax, and resolution” that i’ve come to expect, even when i can predict the outcome. while there may have been some translation nuances, they didn’t detract from my reading experience. any challenges in translation felt minor to me. i’d suggest this book to anyone interested in exploring unconventional narratives and to those curious about this style of writing. honestly, it left me somewhat at a loss for words, so please forgive the brevity of my thoughts. consider that a genuine compliment

i find it challenging to begin describing this novel. i suspect that even a year from now, it will still stand out as one of the most haunting, unsettling, and tragic reads i’ve encountered in a long time. although it’s a short book, there’s a wealth of material to contemplate and discuss. the narrative offers various interpretations that go beyond the surface. don’t let the title mislead you; this isn’t merely a story about a woman who gives up meat and animal products. it delves into themes of bodily autonomy and the consequences of its absence. the book scrutinizes the damaging effects of patriarchal societies, violence, and victimization, as well as the complexities of mental illness. there’s so much more to explore

the vegetarian defies conventional storytelling and avoids the typical narrative structure that i often see in fiction. it doesn’t adhere to the familiar pattern of “rising action, climax, and resolution” that i’ve come to expect, even when i can predict the outcome. while there may have been some translation nuances, they didn’t detract from my reading experience. any challenges in translation felt minor to me. i’d suggest this book to anyone interested in exploring unconventional narratives and to those curious about this style of writing. honestly, it left me somewhat at a loss for words, so please forgive the brevity of my thoughts. consider that a genuine compliment

I don't have worlds to describe what I'm feeling right now. I bought this book by accident, but it really made me question a lot of things. Who was on the wrong? Is life always have to get so hard? Etc. But I highly recommend it.

Martyna

Maureen

"Time was a wave, almost cruel in its relentlessness as it whisked her life downstream, a life she had to constantly strain to keep from breaking apart."

3.5

My first venture into Korean literature! The book deals with dark and heavy themes; focusing on women's oppression in Korean society. The narrative was fluid and the imagery was great too. I feel like there's much to unpack with regards to the book's use of symbolism—but I'll leave it to Google to help me find answers. Dark and depressing stories aren't really my cup of tea, so that might explain my rating. But overall, reading this was an eye-opening and weird?? experience!

maybe what makes this book so scary and uncomfortable is that it feels very.. possible? the mind deteriorating. the societal burdens getting the best of your sanity. the bizarre gory dreams. 

this brought me to the edge of a self-reflection i usually refuse to engage in. not the kind that has you observe society and culture with a keen, new eye, but the one that coaxes you too close to some well hidden demons.

maybe what makes this book so scary and uncomfortable is that it feels very.. possible? the mind deteriorating. the societal burdens getting the best of your sanity. the bizarre gory dreams. 

this brought me to the edge of a self-reflection i usually refuse to engage in. not the kind that has you observe society and culture with a keen, new eye, but the one that coaxes you too close to some well hidden demons.

Anjorin Molayo 

terrific, disturbing, heavy, wild, and verdant. it was a tough read, as if walking slowly through an overgrown forest in a dream. 

i was first confused, then angry, then disturbed, then upset and moved... i need some time to process my feelings overall. i read In-Hye's perspective in one go, tragic but finally reaching some sense of compassion and understanding, freed from the constraint of the men's egos and desires. 

her part 3 really gave the book it's core, which was of course missing before. rather timely to be reading this now, an examination of the female body through an initially (upsettingly grossly) male lens and focus on vegetarianism (a woman's body through themes of consumption, deviance, sexuality). blinded by this, the characters miss the early symptoms and growing signs of a woman who is descending into mental illness. this was uncomfortable to read, and the central character is vastly misunderstood and mistreated, except for glimpses, right until the end.

check the TW before reading! 

4.25/5.

Marz 

I don't think I understood this book at all, perhaps I shall revisit it someday and it'll all fall into place

Lindy

The first section is excellent, very well paced with a controlled tone, and then it just runs of out steam.

Isabella 

what did i just read?? i was so confused the whole time but the last chapter made me understand it a little better?? very uncomfortable to read, but interesting which made me keep going.

** spoiler alert **
           Review CW: Death, suicide

Mad, gripping, and powerful TT I love how it jumps from pov to pov. The people who looked ordinary and dull as a third person turn out to have so many things going on in their internal and external life, every time the spectacles are shifted to them. In fact, In Hye, who's almost an NPC for 2/3 of the book, is suddenly my favorite character with her loving motherhood and fatigued relentlessness after we finally see her pov. She's a thin layer away into her own black hole too but she drags herself through life only for the sake of 1, 2 things she cares about. That's relatable for most people, I think. My heart breaks for both sisters tbh.

The issues on Yeong Hye's conversion to vegetarianism are pretty convoluted. At first, I just want everyone to leave her alone as they should. Whatever her reason, she's free to do whatever she wants as long as nobody's harmed in the process. But then SHE's harmed in the process and in an effort to protect YH against her wishes, other people ended up harming themselves. If only they just left her to waste away as she wishes, right? But that's a delicate issue. Can we ever have the heart to let a family member go to die like that? But can we ever strip agency away from someone, especially adults, and make decisions for them instead? Where's the line? Anyhow once our rationale doesn't work in their reality, what's good for us won't be good for them, and vice versa. Is what she thinks wrong because it's so weird for us and we disagree? It sucks that we just won't be able to understand each other. So what should we do? What should we do? 

I don't think it's her conviction that should be fixed, it's not even up to her. She changed psychologically and perhaps also neurologically. Her behavior is just a consequence, a symptom. That's why I really can't with the parents who threw her under the bus like just because of how she acted. And I love IH for tackling the actual problem by getting her to professionals (assuming that they gave her psychiatric drugs, not just locking her up because she's 'crazy') although perhaps it's already too late. But even in the end, they literally shove food into YH against her wishes. Can they do that? Can they not? Can we keep people alive when they wish for death? But what if wanting to die is also just a symptom? Can't we keep them alive and medicated lest they change their mind later? Is it so bad to be selfish? But EVeryone is selfish so is it not just a matter of fighting it out? But if being alive is so painful for YH, is it not better for the stronger/the healthier one to handle more sadness (for being left behind)? But if we know that there's more to life, is it not acceptable to try giving them a taste again and again? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Tbh, I only have questions and no answers for this. What should we do really, what should we do?

Love this book for stimulating such discussions. I'll be on the look out for her other books.

While reading this, I’ve thought multiple times that this would be a stunning captivating piece if it was made into a short film. And surely enough, I learnt that there was a movie adaption in 2010. I would love to see another film remake with today’s film resources & a more gothic horror approach that I got from this book. Someone should reach out to A24 about this!

Cristina S

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.

This book was really surreal and oddly disturbing. The graphic descriptions turned me off throughout, and I would not recommend for that alone. I honestly am not really sure how I feel about it, but there were many moments that just made me feel icky and I almost DNF’d a few times. I ended up finishing it because it was short, but can’t say I enjoyed it much due to the nature of the story.

Erin Goss

JoAnna

Everything in this novella felt so visceral. I had to stop eating as I was reading this book because I couldn't stomach food while taking in all the gore. The first narrator was captivating immediately; that he was so unlikeable drew me into the book quickly, as well as the bizarre-ness of the situation. I didn't take as quickly to the second narrator, but his absolute obsession with his vision and art made the strange things that took place feel believable, to the point where it stopped raising any red flags in my head re: "Hold up, is this normal?". The last narrator is less gripping, and I found my interest waning a bit in the beginning of the novella's final third. 

The amount of tense-switching that went on was confusing at first, but ultimately seemed to deliver the story in a logical way. 

I am confused as to why a non-Korean with six years of Korean language experience translated the book, but I guess that's just publishing for you.

Aboobacker Sidheeq M

Ned Summers 

Very little clue how I felt about this book but I couldn't put it down. I think I liked it.

Shalini Basu

Haunted by every page, every paragraph I read! Absolutely brilliant. Humanity and our inherent violence explored so beautifully!

not hot girl weird at all !!! just regular weird and creepy and boring

petrina

Cait🪼

Bizarre, but in a good way...
DNF at 66% purely due to a lack of interest on my part. I could feel myself avoiding picking the book up in case it disappointed me. Regardless, I do want to come back to it in a few months - maybe it will grow on me...
🌟I would recommend The Vegetarian for a slightly unsettling and obscure short read, but definitely check out the TWs beforehand as there were a few moments where I had to put it down and take a breather - a little gesture of preemptive self-care :)

hileahrious

** spoiler alert **
           All in all, a weird mf of a book. Once you get past the rocky translation mistakes in the beginning, it is a very interesting book that takes you, I think, where most people aren’t willing to go when it comes to discussing the human mind and mental illness. Kang makes you empathize with the characters in a way you might not think possible. 

The book is split into three perspectives, none of which are of Yeonghye, the main character... in a way I wish this perspective was explored, but at the same time I can appreciate that it isn’t. It accentuates the mystery behind Yeonghye’s personal experience, which is a very realistic way of depicting how it might be to deal with someone who has, in a very literal way, lost their mind (to being simply a tree).

Syahla Aurel

I know there’s like a deeper meaning behind the story, but I just I couldn't figure out what the author was trying to say with such disturbing explanations (probably due to a lack of critical thinking, but I've previously read the explanations on reddit and am still dissatisfied with how the "deeper meaning" was expressed.)

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.

I feel like I have to gather my thoughts on this one. However, one thing is for sure, this is truly a bizarre book. I dived into it blindy and did not know what I was getting myself into.

As I went into the book, I was greeted by the atmospheric setting. I would want to call it a dysfunctional family but then, when I think about it... the book is trying to portray how traditional Asian families are like. From what I can gather, this book tackles themes of body-autonomy and patriarchy. These themes are recurring in asian (mostly east-asian literature) that I've read so far. These experiences are somewhat familiar but also distant... but also reflects a collective experience that everyone can emphathize with. I am nkt truly sure whether I should be happy or not about that. 

It also amazes me how Han Kang, like other authors, are able to tell the narrative in their own unconventional ways. It was unsettling and there were moments where I had to put the book down because I was utterly flabbergasted. Also, Han Kang has a talent for making horrible male characters to the point that I wanted to commit arson because they were so despicable. 

All in all, I would rate it 4/5 stars! Truly a remarkable read for this this year.

Phoenix Tesni 

trigger warnings:

explicit gore and violence, graphic sex and rape scenes, blood and violence, eating disorders, mental disorders, heavy misogyny, self harm and suicide.

-

i truly don't know how to rate this book. this was the ugliest, most terrifying, horrendous book, and somehow i don't mean this in a bad way. every second of reading this was hell and yet i couldn't put it down. womanhood is exhausting. men are terrible, as i'm reminded over and over again with south korean feminist literature.

The Vegetarian A Novel

Reviews

Highlights