Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

36 reviews

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

leilorenzo's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

4.0

This one packs a punch. Rather, multiple ones. There are MANY trigger warnings, check them out before starting it. 
It was interesting reading a piece from a South Korean author (I believe it is a first for me) and I enjoyed how the culture was portrayed throughout the book. 
We are shown the slow degeneration of the FMC from three perspectives: her husband's (and a bit of hers), her brother in law's and, finally, her sister's. It deals with themes such as family, nature and humanity, mental illness, being an outcast, and more.

It is very well executed, but I don't think I'll be reading it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

vilmuska's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment

amris's review

dark emotional sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Abandonment

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

nekomata's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

7.71 avg score

This book was challenging to read. Lots of heavy themes and darker tones.
The main theme for me was autonomy; is it truly ours or do we have to make decisions still thinking of how it'll affect those around us? 

The physical and bodily violence is not as horrendous as the violence that goes on within our mind. Most of which are self-inflicted, which is that much sadder to admit out loud.

Watching Yeong-hye's descend into madness through the eyes of those around her was fascinating, liberating, yet heartbreaking all at the same time. The last part told from her older sister's POV, In-hye, was the most difficult to read. Overall, this was an amazing experience, but it's not a book for everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

bxnny's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

arieslofi's review

dark reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment

anenome's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

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