Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

95 reviews

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

iamamockingbird's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It's visceral. Certain images stays with u. It's meant to make the reader feel uncomfortable, grossed out and Marvel at the ways in which a human brain can function to madk trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

karmachamillionaire's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Vomit

keraturner20's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.5

Just boring and weird (the bad weird). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming

nadiarausa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

Before I share a few initial thoughts, for anyone interested in reading the book, please be aware of a few TW/CW: there are two instances of SA, the first in part one and the other in part two, as well as a few instances of self-h*rm and su*c*de attempts. 

As for my initial thoughts: I think a lot of people missed the point of this book. It certainly wasn’t about convincing anyone to be vegetarian or vegan, it wasn’t even just to relay gory and creepy things (though much of the “creepy” imagery in this book was honestly quite beautiful to me); it’s about the harm of misogyny, patriarchy, and the lack of autonomy women have, and how this affects the physical and mental health of women in patriarchal societies. 

Han Kang did a beautiful job weaving a story that gives a fantastical horror vibe to the very real world that women (or women-raised folks) live in. I would love to read this in Korean as well! I’d be interested to see how similar or different things are between translations. 

One thing on translation that I will note: I wish they’d used the names of the dishes rather than listing ingredients. I get that they were trying to clarify if there was meat in this or that dish, but it felt so weird to read something like japchae (잡채) translated as “stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and meat.” It’s like saying “wheat noodles with tomato sauce and meat” instead of just saying spaghetti. But otherwise, with only having read the English translation, the translator seemed to do a good job.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

linnybear's review

Well that was a reminder to check trigger warnings from time to time :x

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

bridge_to_narnia's review

dark 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

2.25

Well written, but I don't think it was for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

dawndiscusses's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

The most endearing part was Han's exploration of the impossibility of a truly ethical life, the impact of which I think has softened to some of the other perceived flaws others have pointed out. I'm generally not a fan of art that requires extra research (e.g. author interviews, discussion threads etc) to get a grasp on, but in this case I'm glad I followed my curiosity. Having watched Han discuss the project and reading a lot of the wonderful clarity provided by people in this community, I am moved by her willingness to open herself up and confront a subject matter that has plagued her for so long. Not in attempt to find a solution, but in the desire to explore what it means to be human. For that alone and the earnestness with which both she and translator Deborah Smith carried this project out, I really enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Domestic abuse

rachaelcandoit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

alexiasp's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

What did I just read? I am disturbed.
This is marketed as a "feminist" novel (I guess?), but it seems to be more about Yeong-Hye's mental illness? 

Yeah I am confused. Also, this has literally every trigger warning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Medical content