Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

54 reviews

hannaheinhorn's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-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

1.5

because many people with mental health are already silenced when telling their own stories, this book rubbed me the WRONG way. i disliked the author’s choice to describe various violent instances (specifically the multiple rapes) by gratuitously showing it through the brother-in-law’s perspective and the husband’s perspective. i’ve read far grimmer stories but this one grossed me out, especially because of the pedophilic overtones when describing yeong-hye’s emaciated body. i feel like the author did exactly what she was trying to critique, which is ridiculous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Pedophilia, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

abicaro17's review against another edition

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

vncavalcanti'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

courtney_scott1025's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

I understand why some people may not enjoy this book. I don’t understand why people don’t like this book based on ‘no one would treat a vegetarian that way in real life’ or other ‘unrealistic’ things in this book. I could not put this book down. I loved that it was told through 3 different people in the main characters life. It was definitely horror, and I would closely read the content warnings, because it is a heavy book. But, I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. It is so sad in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief

gossameralbum's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense 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

5.0

i can not stop thinking about this book. overall it is about the absence of autonomy for women, in every way imaginable.
definitely check content warnings and do not take them lightly, as most of them are very graphic and haunting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism

ozzy_999's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

2.0

i hate men and this was very, very sad

overall unsatisfying end with a lot of men abusing their power and the psychological effects it has in the women in their lives were mostly highlighted in the last part of the book.

if you were told this was a horror novel you were lied to. it’s not NOT horror but i wouldn’t describe it as such.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Grief

carmentxx's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

i’ve had to sit on this book before i made a review. i’m used to reading bizarre, disturbing and creepy books but this one may take the cake. there is no better way to describe this book other than bizarrely disturbing. 
i was curious to see if we would ever get yeong-hye’s perspective after we got the perspective of the first two men. spoiler- we don’t. it’s just the sister. it’s a bizarre, disturbing account of a woman’s descent into complete and utter madness from the perspective of people around her who may well be slightly mad as well. the book begs the question- how do we know we’re not all really mad in the same disturbing way these characters are? what is madness? what is the difference between madness in men and in women?

the book isn’t perfect. the pacing is kind of weird where some bits are way too slow and some bits are a bit glossed over. but i was incessantly curious about how kang would end the book- and just as i expected, with lots of questions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria

iseefirede's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

The first part of the book was the most interesting. He was an unreliable narrator to me, as he had obvious flaws that he was completely unaware of. 
The second part I feel had the best imagery. The artist was focused on his work and I liked how it intertwined with the story.
The third part was...strange.

when she was hospitalized

I mostly checked out. There was a consistent downward spiral and it devolved into almost randomness. The ending was very ambiguous.
I had a personal connection with the main character as I'm vegetarian as well. However, there was a lot more going on with the main character. Definitely an eating disorder and probably psychosis. It's not really made clear.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Dementia

canonically_k'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

I didn't get this book. I didn't want to finish this book. It was written fairly nicely (given it was a translation) but there were clearly themes and aspects that I just wasn't understanding.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Body shaming, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse and Vomit

monserrot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, 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, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail