Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

39 reviews

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

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

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

annie_arya's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

rachellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

This was a dark read, which pulls you into the depths of madness and despair. The pain that radiates off this story is intolerable yet too tangible to look away from. It challenges many themes within a South Korean setting and allows readers to experience the horrors of the characters with a self awareness of faults that is triggered by Kang’s style of writing.

It all felt very present. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

bridge_to_narnia's review against another edition

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

sharnanigans's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

ixris's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Well paced and fascinating

maiaespiri2's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

abicaro17's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This is hard because while I enjoyed the symbolism and literary quality of this book, it also contains numerous instances of gratuitous violence, eating disorders, and abuse. I came into this book thinking it was a horror book based on the cover and implications in the synopsis. It is a horror book but not like I thought. The way women are treated in this book is the truly horrifying part. Rape, abuse, sexualisation, more rape etc. I really enjoyed the intentional slow decent for Yeong-hye into having zero control over her life despite every attempt to prevent it. I think the execution is just so violent that this book is soured for any attempt at resolution. Especially when the resolution is the sister abandoning her child?! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail