Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

192 reviews

ximevillarejo's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

i didnt connect with the characters or the situation, it was a good story but i felt that the way it is narrated by 3 different povs didn’t make you fully understand neither. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, and Abandonment

bepu's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

danimacuk's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Blood

Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

jessicamusch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

bex4dayz's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape

bookcook's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.75

I don't want to rate this book. I am just glad it's fucking over.

UPDATE: 
I have now had a bit to think about why this book affected me the way it did and I can explain why I didn't like it. First, I want to say that this book is well written. It's translated so I can understand that there are bound to be some differences and some choices made that alter how I received this story vs how it's written in the author's native language. But even with this barrier I understand I'm consuming something that was made be a skilled person.

That being said the reasons for me not liking this book are largely plot related. I did not like that we were witnessing this woman's abuse from all angles from her father, her husband, and her brother in law. This woman has been violated in every way her whole life and the first 2 parts of the book go into this in unforgiving detail. We also almost never see what is happening from Yeong-hye's perspective making her feel like less of a character and more of a plot device. The way this book is marketed and described by other reviewers places Yeong-hye's decision to stop eating meat as the inciting incident for all that happens, which is giving her a misleading amount of autonomy. The lack of perspective from Yeong-hye must be a deliberate choice but as another reviewer pointed out, since when is eliminating the perspective of the mentally ill a ground breaking decision?

The book does bring in her sister, In-hye, as a refreshing perspective towards the end. In-hye does understand what is happening with her sister and sees the abuse inflicted on her for what it is but it's almost too little too late after reading about Yeong-hye's multiple assaults for the first 2/3 of the book. I felt for both of these women who had been let down by so many people but then the book ends before anything is finished leaving you with a dry, terrible taste in your mouth.  

I'm not sure this obsession with giving the most miserable books awards but this book was a great reminder why I don't often leave my sci fi/fantasy hole. At least when bad things happen there you get to read about a dragon or an alien doing something cool.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

tilder's review against another edition

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

libellumartinae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

Allora questo libro è la definizione di 'fever dream', perché ammetto che non ci ho capito tantissimo, ma ho trovato molto interessanti le diverse analisi riguardanti i temi discussi. E' un libro decisamente forte e intenso, ma lo stile è molto ben fatto e interessante. Voglio leggere di più di questa scrittrice, di sicuro. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

iamamockingbird's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

It's visceral. Certain images stays with u. It's meant to make the reader feel uncomfortable, grossed out and Marvel at the ways in which a human brain can function to madk trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

snarkycrafter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is Lit Fic, and a very good one at that. But as with all Lit Fic, there are many layers that caused you to critically think and discover the true meaning of the novel. It’s a great book, but not for those who like to have everything spelled out. This book requires you to uncover the meaning of things, the purpose of certain literary choices. It’s not an enjoyable, fluffy read. You will be uncomfortable, you will be confused, you won’t know how you feel sometimes. That’s how I felt, and yet I could not deny that I saw myself in certain things. 

I think it’s a very interesting and compelling commentary on gender, norms and societal expectations (especially for women) in South Korean culture.

“Her calm acceptance of all these things made her seem to him something sacred. Whether human, animal, or plant she could not be called a person…” 

So dehumanizing of women. Only sacred as long as we remain submissive and pliant. 

Her brother in law wants to film her having sex with a man. And is talking about it like it’s a done deal, “if he were to choose a man to have sex with his sister in law it couldn’t be him[self]…” he assumes simply that she’ll be ok with it if he corners her into the situation.

“It’s your body. You can treat it however you please. The only area where you’re free to do just as you like, and even that doesn’t turn out just as you want it.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Medical trauma