Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Die Vegetarierin, by Han Kang

147 reviews

sunfleurbelle's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Eating disorder and Medical content

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

The Vegetarian is so compelling. It uses the unusual but very appropriate lense of vegetarianism to explore a wealth of other topics, from sexual violence to self-harm to familial abuse. I will have to reread it again at some point, as I definitely did not pick up all its nuances the first time around - it may be short, but it's dense. It is told in three parts, each from a different perspective, and I haven't decided how I feel about the tri-point-of-view yet, which is just about the only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars. Regardless, it is haunting, and my brain will keep wandering back to it, for sure.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Blood, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Body horror, Child abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

Moderate: Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Animal death, and Vomit

renegadegrocerycart's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

Challenging and darkly fascinating exploration of obsession, bodily purity, mental illness, and societal control. It’s very difficult to read, but worth it, I think.

Yeong-hye is reminiscent of Anna of The Wonder by Emma Donoghue in her obsession to purify her body in response to trauma; it’s interesting to read them side-by-side. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Grief, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Rape

All of the aforementioned trigger warnings are integral to the story. If you are sensitive to any of them, consider taking a pass on this story.

cat_d's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Mental illness, and Sexism

Moderate: Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Infidelity

megselyane's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Rape, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Animal death, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Eating disorder

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, Infidelity, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Dementia, and Body shaming

sop__'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, Animal death, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Sexual content

charlotteroach's review against another edition

dark mysterious

3.25

I’m really confused by this book. I think I liked it? But also don’t ask me what happened.

What I took from this book was to be a woman’s descent into a deadly eating disorder, with the catalyst being her decision to become vegetarian. Every character is very much disgusted by this choice, and believes it to be a sign of her mental state deteriorating. Within the three sections, each is narrated by a different character, and we do not hear directly from Yeong-hye, the title character. These characters are very much unreliable narrators, and so I believe they are completely overlooking the mental distress pressing in on her, believing her vegetarianism to be the sole cause of it. 

I also believe that a large theme of this book was the exploitation of women’s vulnerability, particularly in the middle section, and how women are seen as deviant if they are not conforming to gender roles and playing at being a good housewife. The first section highlights this largely, with Yeong-hye’s husband being a complete asshole in every respect. 

I feel a bit deflated by this book, and I think it is because I expected it to go a bit of a different way after the first third, as tension and intrigue was built, leading to a horror-esqus climax, which was not met. 3.25⭐️, but I will be reading lots of reviews and theories to hopefully give me more clarity. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Eating disorder

finleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, and Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Medical content

Minor: Medical content, Vomit, Body horror, Child abuse, and Blood

bugfriend's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Body horror, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Sexism, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Misogyny

Moderate: Physical abuse, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Animal death, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement and Alcohol