Through a spare and bleak writing style, this book goes deep and is dark. It's strange and unsettling but do not be surprised if the main characters' actions, which are rather taboo, feel more acceptable as the book goes on.
Apr 19, 2023RebBehrens rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I can appreciate the many difficult matters this book tackles and I always take interest in how other cultures (than my own) perceive and/or express things. However, I found the characters here to be unlikable (though not unsympathetic)…
Feb 23, 2023oliversansweet rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I think the beginning of this novel is incredibly engaging and like one of those stories that is so horrifying that you can't look away, but I stopped reading it about halfway through because I'm not the biggest fan of books degrading…
Feb 15, 2023Lrb0135 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
It's hard to divorce this book from Hiroko Oyamada's The Hole. They're both Korean works, less focused on a rounded plot and more on a moment-by-moment aggregation of tension and dread. However, The Vegetarian never manages to release its…
Sep 10, 2022kelseyjohe rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I was really rooting for this story to have some culminating satisfaction at least ONCE… and then it never came. I give it a 3 because of the inability to put it down. be warned It’s pretty graphic at times. TW: sexual assault, eating…
Jun 06, 2022pluto_134340 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books, I've had trouble getting into back into casual reading again but I couldn't put this book down. It is my go-to read no matter my mood. It is really interesting and engaging. I love how Yeonghye, though she hardly…
Sep 07, 2021vampirehelpdesk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Extremely upsetting and gut-wrenching in the best way. A story of a woman's autonomy being threatened over and over, and not so much about her dietary preferences. Be warned this book has sexual assault and graphic animal abuse, which I…
Dec 29, 2020SaturdayMorning rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I finished this book in one sitting. While this book may seem short, Kang's writing is effective, elegant in its bare-bones sentences and delivers so many emotions. I admire writers who can deliver much without being superfluous. Her…
This book was haunting for so many reasons. It was one of those books where you feel off for the entirety. One of the many amazing feats by Kang in this work is creating a medium for so much allegory. This does not have to just be about…
Apr 16, 2020JCLMattC rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I listened to the audiobook, which was pretty well done. A sort of three-section literary exploration of slow-burn body horror. Of course there's much more to it than that.
Aug 07, 2019WoodneathTaylor rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Horror and literary fiction fans will conjoin with "The Vegetarian". This dark little book explores what would happen if one day you decided to not eat meat as a Korean person. Horror fans will soak up all the terrifying things that one…
Jul 24, 2018ArapahoeJohanna rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Haunting and poetic, this Korean psychological thriller builds on themes of isolation, violence, and control to construct a compelling story in three parts. This book is not for the faint of heart; the author delves deep into people's…
Mar 11, 2018ranvapa rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Vegetarian is a dark, yet beautifully written book about a woman's decline into mental illness.
You feel such pity for its protagonist, seeing how she simply withdraws from life. You hope the best for her, yet are left feeling…
Feb 09, 2018vegandoc rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I thought the nuances of Book One were well done.
I felt interface of the brother-in-law's artistic drive and his life was too artificial. It lacked the reality of either perversion or artistic drive. If it was the combination that…
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The Vegetarian