Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

187 reviews

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.

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

bloupibloupreads's review against another edition

dark fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Animal death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Domestic abuse

loustat__'s review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Rape, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment

maddeesryan's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

pipchiappa'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hauntingly dark and a very difficult read. Unsettling both in theme and actual writing which makes a little hard to read. Not my most enjoyable read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Animal death, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Sexism

miriamrose's review against another edition

i wish i’d checked the trigger warnings before i read this but even then i think it would have barely hinted at the directions this book goes in. themes of self harm, ed, animal abuse, domestic abuse, rape/sa etc. i’m really unsure how to feel because it does touch on some interesting themes about the female body under the subjugation of men but in the end this is this is. a bleak fucking book and it’s hard to come away feeling anything except depressed 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Misogyny, Animal death, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Forced institutionalization

hallowini's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Eating disorder, Suicide, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

dearbhlanoonan's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Eating disorder, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

azalya01's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This story really captures the tragedy of what it is like for those who just want to break away from the invisible boundaries that trap us in this life. I think the characters of this book felt so real, and I still think about their plights even after I closed the book for the last time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Medical content