Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

251 reviews

chloe_hazel's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• 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: Physical abuse and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual violence

tilder's review

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

jamieholton's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

One of the strangest books I've read in a while with a mysterious and distant protagonist. The writing style is intriguing and gripping. The turn of events bizarre. While the main character detaches herself from society, it seems she holds up a mirror to show that her society may be a bit detached and bizarre itself. Fascinatingly weird.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ainaruizdegauna's review

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.75

Desde un punto de vista objetivo, la puntuación de este libro debería ser mayor, puesto que los temas que trata son altamente relevantes y las metáforas usadas son eficaces al hacerlo. Sin embargo, la puntuación que le doy al libro es de 2,75 ya que hay pasajes extremadamente gráficos y desagradables. Sé que están escritos así a propósito, y consiguen su cometido, pero no es el tipo de cosas que me gusta leer. Por ello, quiero aclarar que la puntuación que le he dado es simplemente por disfrute personal, no refleja lo valioso que es el libro. Si sois sensibles, leed los avisos de contenido y plantearos si realmente queréis leer esto o no.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

laky's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

A short but incredibly captivating book that hooks you. I was unable to stop reading despite the increasingly bizarre and disconcerting events that were taking place. It made me rethink my own desires and if I would ever go too far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Dysphoria

thomasina's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

1.0

I didn't enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

viireads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

christineazopf's review

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

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

emilietje's review

dark tense fast-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

2.25

This book contained a lot of triggers for me. Physical and verbal abuse, rape, obsessive behaviour, gore, self-harm and suicide. This made it a very difficult book to read despite me appreciating the thought that went into this thing.
When I was reading the first two chapters, I was missing reflections and/or explanations. I suppose it makes sense that Yeong-hye’s chapter is the most gorey, because her emotions are the most repressed and she has the worst nightmares. I mean, her chapter isn’t even from her point of view, it’s her husband’s. And I suppose it makes sense that the brother-in-law's chapter contains the most discomforting sexual descriptions and misconduct, because, well, that’s his issue. I ended up enjoying In-hye's chapter the most. It was the most introspective and least gruesome one after all. I liked reading her interpretations and her feelings about life and death. I'd say her chapter felt the most cohesive for this exact reason. The gaps between moments of insanity and despair are filled in with her thoughts, and I think the reading experience would’ve been nicer if it had those from the start.
One other thing that I liked –and this might be a spoiler but whatever– is Yeong-hye's whole wanting-to-become-a-tree thing. It's not something I've read before you know? Being deeply unhappy as a human and as an animal, so you try to become a tree in every way until you die from the effects. Idk, this also really shined in that last and third chapter and I really felt for her. Successful and effective portrayal of passive suicide and insanity? Yes!
Regardless of everything I said here, this book was clearly not aimed at a reader like me who can’t handle shit. I totally get that there aren’t meant to be fleshed-out (get it ha ha) thoughts in the beginning, but it just wasn’t my style. I went into this book blind, because I loved Han Kang's The White Book and Human Acts, but I have to say this was almost nothing like those books. The only overlap I can find is the miserable people and the introspection about what it is to be alive. Props to Han Kang for publishing works with what feels like a completely different writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis