From the Bookshelf of Reading with Namjoon…

The Vegetarian

Han Kang

Start date: April 1, 2021

Finish date: May 31, 2021

Discussion: Novels

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By E L K Y · 3 posts · 75 views

last updated Jul 18, 2023 09:29AM

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last updated Oct 08, 2022 03:07AM

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Mar 30, 2023 Ami 乁⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠o⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠ㄏ (written by Jane Austen) rated it really liked it

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

After a lot of thought and looking into analyses/reviews of the book, I've decided to give it four stars.

I had liked the book quite a lot to begin with, in spite of its terribly dark (and somewhat confounding) subject matter, and the only reason I gave it a tentative 3 stars is because I had to sort through my own thoughts.

Kang's writing and Smith's translation of it gives immense power to the story Kang has chosen to tell and I was so absolutely enthralled by it that I f Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

After a lot of thought and looking into analyses/reviews of the book, I've decided to give it four stars.

I had liked the book quite a lot to begin with, in spite of its terribly dark (and somewhat confounding) subject matter, and the only reason I gave it a tentative 3 stars is because I had to sort through my own thoughts.

Kang's writing and Smith's translation of it gives immense power to the story Kang has chosen to tell and I was so absolutely enthralled by it that I finished the book in a mere three hours. Although, in hindsight, I should have taken it slower, to uncover or at least puzzle on, on all of the layers that this book has. But still, this is a book that is bound to leave some kind of impression on you, whether bad or good, and, as for me, in spite of my rushed reading of it, this book truly stands out to me.

Since the book is divided into three parts (or rather novellas), I think, it's only fair that I review them separately.

The Vegetarian: The title novella is from the pov of Mr. Cheong, Yeong-Hye's husband, and immediately in him, one finds an unsympathetic and somewhat narcissistic personality. This part has an atmosphere of creeping horror, which increases every time Yeong-Hye recalls her dreams, but the true horror is, of course, the reality of Yeong-Hye's life, one that is equally bad, if not worse than her dreams. I read this part in one sitting and was left with a bad aftertaste in my mouth, especially at the way her family members reacted to her decision.

The Mongolian Mark: This novella takes us forward in time, occurring two years after the events of the title novella. This time we get to see Yeong-Hye from the eyes of her brother-in-law, who's incidentally obsessed with her. The brother-in-law is presented as a complex character who wants to pursue something that is forbidden for the sake of his art and to that end, one can still sympathise with him, but ultimately, we find out that his carnal desires were pushing him to what he did. Ironically, this was the novella that both disgusted and intrigued me equally.

Flaming Trees: The final novella is narrated by In-Hye, Yeong-Hye's sister, who seems to be the only one who truly cares for her. This is the most confounding and yet the most lucid of all the three novellas. It parallels the experiences and sufferings of Yeong-Hye and In-Hye, as the latter struggles to, and finally understands, the reason behind Yeong-Hye's dangerous decision. It is all the most powerful of all the novellas and the most engrossing.

Ultimately, I think it's fair to say that this novel is not for everyone. For a number of people, this might just read like gore and mindless horror but, in my opinion, that is exactly the opposite of what Kang has tried to depict through the sufferings of Yeong-Hye. Her desire to shed her humanity, her essence, to be freed from the shackles of the society, and live like vegetation, without all the rage and violence that comes along with being human, is a very powerful message.

Bottom line: Yeah, I have nothing to say, just read the novel if you think it's for you. ...more

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Aug 02, 2023 Léa rated it really liked it

La littérature coréenne reste pour moi en général très particulière. Je l’aime plutôt bien à vrai dire. Les messages sont souvent importants et révélateur de vrais problèmes dans la société.
Ici, l’adultère, le végétarisme, l’anorexie (poussée à son paroxysme) et la maladie mentale que tout cela peut entraîner.
Écrit d’une façon très poétique et fluide, j’ai apprécié ma lecture !

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