Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

601 reviews

ofavalley's review

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

maddamreads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

In three parts, the most compelling was the first and maybe the last, with the middle only serving to propel the story. It feels like statements and themes were on the beginning of exploration before abandoned to serve what happens next. I think a lot of the effect was missed by the translation into English.

Part 1 The Vegetarian
Definitely a strong but strange opener, the choice to have the story be told primarily through the husbands thoughts is provoking. It touches on themes of duty and expectation for women while also having the reader question “what defines madness.”

Spoiler

You start to empathize with Yeong-hye's desire. How much is it madness and how much is it reaction to her family and husband not respecting her wishes.

Part 2 The Mongolian Mark
I hated this chapter so much I skimmed a bit. Talking about lust, need, and the romanticization of living and mental illness. I found the character to be deeply unsatisfactory and one-dimensional, even though it felt like the point was to make the audience empathize with him.

Spoiler

There could have been an exploration of the meaning of sex, the meaning of art, and the meaning of living fully. But all I got was a horny guy having sex with his sister in law “for the sake of art.”

Part 3 Flaming Trees
A thorough, honest look at mental illness, how it affects one’s duties to others, and grief for someone still alive. It was very introspective, but it could have been way shorter with the flashbacks. The overall tone is melancholy and helpless-which is perfect. It did not make me turn pages the way the first chapter did.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Eating disorder, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Blood, and Sexual violence

May be hard to read if previously suffered from depression and/or an eating disorder.

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Sexual content, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, and Eating disorder

lakeofwords's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

Very well written. Very disturbing. I don't know if I fully "get it", at some point this just feels like... I don't know, torture porn? It feels very weird in a way I can't put my finger on. It's a book about women suffering at the hands of society and men, but it doesn't really get any deeper on its criticism, it's mainly just putting it out there so people see the wreckage and think about it. I understand the choice of not giving us the protagonists perspective at all, giving her even less agency in the whole thing, but I still wish it had, I wish we got to know what she was experiencing. I'm very unsettled about it, some scenes stuck with me and I wish they hadn't. Anyway, fuck men and I am gonna stop reading litfic for a whiiiile.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

leannajade's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Eating disorder

arielstrb's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gore, and Eating disorder

minayana's review

challenging dark tense 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? Yes

3.5

I finished this book in one sitting and wasn’t able to keep my eyes from the page, but I gotta say I don’t think this book is meant to be enjoyed…..more like you’re supposed to be a witness to the events that happen? PLEASE check the triggers before starting.
This was a hella weird read, and was pushing my brain to it’s limit at times lol. I wish there was more I could say to describe it, but everything is so unique to this book that you just need to read it to get it. I will say, this book is not gonna be for everyone.
Han Kang added so many themes, but above all, this book is about familial and societal dysfunction, what happens to a person (especially women) after living not for yourself but just because there is no other option. When you no longer have any control over your life, whether due to a lifetime of societal expectations or pressures from family or spouses, what left is there to do? 
Definitely a book that leaves a lasting impression, and one that I’ll be thinking about for awhile. I’m not 100% about my rating yet, and it might end up changing the longer I have to think about the book. Currently, 3.5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty

rayondesoleil's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

This tale was disturbing and comes in three acts: The Vegetarian, Mongolian Mark, and Flaming Trees.
The Vegetarian was thought provoking: we are unable to truly understand one another. At the end of the day, no matter how vocal we are in explaining our individual experience, the other person's comprehension is limited through their own perspective.

Spoiler

 
The second act was especially hard for me to read through, since this part was from the point of view of In-hye's husband, who fetishized his sister-in law. In-hye's husband wasn't the only one, in fact, all the male characters were disgusting and misogynistic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny

shangchunsong's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Mental illness, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

iblyth's review

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Vomit, Body horror, Animal death, Suicide attempt, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence