Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

La vegetariana by Han Kang

104 reviews

tilder's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

A feminist piece about two sisters and the darkness they share. A testament to patriarchal structures within families and the health system, Kang supplies ample commentary on the nuance of mental health treatment. I reccomend this book to someone who needs a jolt back to the present, beautiful prose and sharp horror this book checks all the boxes of modern magical realism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

libellumartinae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Allora questo libro è la definizione di 'fever dream', perché ammetto che non ci ho capito tantissimo, ma ho trovato molto interessanti le diverse analisi riguardanti i temi discussi. E' un libro decisamente forte e intenso, ma lo stile è molto ben fatto e interessante. Voglio leggere di più di questa scrittrice, di sicuro. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

vilmuska's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment

christineazopf's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

From a literary perspective this book is challenging and thought provoking. There’s a lot of ways to analyze the text. I would not recommend to someone for a casual read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

frostedpetals's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

An unsettling but important read. Even though the content is quite dark most of the time, I still found it compelling and was eager to keep reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

carojust's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It's a given that the hype behind a book really dilutes the experience of reading it, as I kept expecting the wrong things from "The Vegetarian." It wasn't shocking material like reviewers say, but quite the opposite -- a delicate, honest portrait of two sisters dissolving from the construct of reality, and the lost men tethered to them.

This short book is told in three parts, from the perspectives of Yeong-hye's husband, her brother-in-law and her older sister, In-hye. Yeong-hye is the vegetarian, her decision to fiercely avoid meat ends up disrupting her loveless marriage and her already strained relationship with her family. It offends them. Her wasted, bra-less body offends them.

I appreciate the metaphors and message of this story, and there's a lot to deconstruct. Considering the vitriol that comes with any mention of feminism, and women continuing to lack agency and safety, this book's horror feels so dampened by today's reality.

The way this ends will leave you emptier than how it starts, so be warned if you're not into that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

krispyyk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read this book because of the polarized reviews it has and came out of it on the side of those who liked it. Definitely really difficult to read and often very uncomfortable/disgusting, not for everyone. However it was a unique and memorable story about mental health, patriarchy, and shame. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kiri's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pregnancy

kelisabeth's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

angorarabbit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

TLDR: Anything I write is trite compared to this book. I would advise taking it slow and reading something lighter in-between sessions. 

 

A masterclass. It is not just about how others react to the diet a family member but a visceral depiction of the effects of childhood abuse and mental illness on the individual and family members. 

 

There are 4 points of view: Yeong-hye, her husband, brother-in-law, and sister. In the end all four are devastated, though perhaps the husband is the least affected. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time and haunt my dreams.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest and Alcohol

I skipped 5 paragraphs 25% of the way in due to graphic animal abuse/killing. The protagonists thoughts include disturbing depictions of slaughter and molestation of animals. There are graphic depictions of food including meat.