Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

267 reviews

kayleepopovich's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.25

A beautifully written read about the tragedy of being a woman. Being the object of men's desires, anger, derision, amazement, mystery, and all the classic but ever relevant aspects of being a woman Different from the Others are front and center in this story, but in a biting and mocking way at the expense of the men and society at large. The extreme degree to which Kang takes the notion that a woman is mentally ill for wanting bodily and psychological autonomy illustrates how simply perverse the things we as a society expect of women and the things we let men get away with. It was a compelling and emotionally difficult read, and all the more powerful. I actually think the pace could have slowed down a bit, and the book could have been 20 to 30 percent longer to really build the climax up. Would recommend to someone wanting a tense but rather quick read that packs a punch. Beautifully translated as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

husky's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

louiseka's review against another edition

challenging tense

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

celestialwillow's review against another edition

medium-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

1.75

According to the publishing info, this was originally three "novelettes" now combined into this book.
1) Main characters husband - he's horrible
2) Main characters brother-in-law - he's also horrible
3) Main characters sister - she's just weak and has her own issues.
You don't get anything from the POV of the main character.  She's a vegan, not a vegetarian.
It's just awful. At least it's short.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body shaming

Minor: Medical content

ebp's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Dysphoria

spookybenji's review

challenging dark 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

not_another_ana's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

2.25

Parecía contentarse con presenciar como una espectadora las cosas que le sucedían a su persona. O quizá en su interior ocurrían cosas tan terribles, cosas tan inimaginables que ya tenía más que suficiente con tener que convivir con ellas en la vida diaria y por eso no le quedaban energías para mostrar curiosidad, explorar o reaccionar a lo que ocurría a su alrededor.

Un día Yeonghye despierta de una terrible pesadilla y toma una decisión súbita con consecuencias monumentales: de ahora en adelante es vegetariana. Suena como algo distinto pero no controversial, un cambio de hábito alimenticio es algo personal al fin y al cabo, y aún así su rechazo a consumir carne ocasiona una brecha entre ella y su familia, ella y la sociedad, ella y lo esperado, lo común, el deber ser. Esta no será la última acción controversial de Yeonghye quien cada día se separa más de la vida terrenal y de las normas sociales en busca de algo que ella misma no puede describir.

Este libro está contado en tres partes, cada una de ellas desde un punto de vista diferente. Iniciamos con el punto de visto del esposo de Yeonghye quien narra el inicio del comportamiento extraño de su mujer y cómo evoluciona la situación. Es un punto de vista un tanto desagradable, que pretende exponer el machismo sur coreano y las expectativas del matrimonio sobre las mujeres en esa sociedad, queda muy claro que la presión y el mal trato por parte de su marido es una de las razones por las que Yeonghye sufre y pierde la cordura. Es un ambiente donde no existe ningún tipo de apoyo emocional, o de ningún tipo, y claramente lo podemos observar a través de los ojos del esposo. En vez de preocuparse por la salud mental de su pareja, este hombre está asqueado por la necesidad de su esposa y rápidamente piensa cómo sacársela de encima.

Seguimos con el segundo punto de vista y el que menos me gustó: el cuñado de Yeonghye. Este hombre está casado con la hermana mayor de la vegetariana y se obsesiona con ella después de un evento inesperado en la novela

donde toda la familia fuerza a Yeonghye a comer carne y acto seguido ella atenta contra su propia vida con un cuchillo.

Él es un artista visual aburrido de su rutina diaria y que ha perdido la chispa creativa hasta que se cruza con Yeonghye y su extraño comportamiento despierta en él deseos sexuales y la necesidad compulsiva de crear una obra artística en la que participe su cuñada. Aquí la novela me perdió del todo por una razón particular y es que nunca oímos a Yeonghye, ni desde su punto de vista ni en conversación con nadie. Cuando aparece es como algo efímero y moldeable, un ente en el cual otros proyectan sus ideas. Puedo entender esa intención de la autora mas no me gustó, y menos en este punto de vista

donde ella está claramente en una posición vulnerable y es abusada por este hombre de múltiples formas. Desagradable y, al mismo tiempo, soso.

La novela finaliza con el punto de vista de Inhye, la hermana mayor de Yeonghye. Este fue sin duda mi punto de vista favorito y el que más sentido tuvo. Las dos hermanas son personajes contrastantes. Yeonghye es considerada menos bonita y menos dedicada a su vida en general, mientras que su hermana pareciera ser la mujer que lo tiene todo: trabajo con buena paga, matrimonio feliz, maternidad, un buen hogar, etc. Cuando su hermana menor se vuelve vegetariana y desata descontento en la familia Inhye parece tenerlo todo bajo control, pero a medida que pasan cosas podemos ver que es mentira. Al igual con Yeonghye, Inhye tiene sobre sus hombros una pesada carga y es posiblemente la persona que más entiende la situación de su hermana menor.

Hay una escena que me pareció excelente donde Inhye sale de su casa decidida a tomar su propia vida. Es una escena muy serena, suave, hasta callada, reflexiva. Al final no lo hace pero, no es una resolución triunfal, es más bien una resignación. Esto contrasta con el intento de suicidio de Yeonghye: violento, audaz. Terminé con la sensación de que era Inhye la que estaba atrapada.

Simplemente me hubiera gustado un momento donde Yeonghye se expresara libremente y sin ser interpretada por otros, tuviera o no sentido. En fin, no entendí o no es para mí.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Blood

Minor: Vomit

anorexia, basically suicide by refusing to eat, terrible attitudes towards women, physical violence against children done by their parents, character has sex but can't really consent due to severe mental illness, a dog is killed and eaten.

alyssatuininga's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I am not sure that I have the words to review this book yet. I can absolutely see why it was awarded The Novel Prize and The Booker Prize. It was heartbreaking, rage-inducing, disgusting, visceral, raw and painfully real. This is not a simple book about a woman who decides to become a vegetarian. This is a book about society,  bodily autonomy, patriarchy, family structure and responsibilities, abuse, mental illness. The list could go on and on. The writing is gorgeous and the characters are so real it is almost painful. I will have more to say at some point but for now I know that this book will be on my mind for a VERY long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

witcheep's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infidelity and Murder

itssosarah's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Self harm

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis