Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

44 reviews

sharnanigans's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

lydiamcleod's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Self harm, and Sexism

soaprie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death

This book follows a woman’s journey through debilitating and quickly onset psychosis. As time progresses the narrator shifts from the main character to her brother-in-law and then to her sister.

regent_ace's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

1.5

So this book started off in the first part, mildly disturbing and confusing but it had potential. It had me interested but than it quickly fell off from there and the second part was just gross and a slog to get through with the final part being mildly interesting but boring at the same time with a unsatisfying ending 

So my initial warning is don't go into this expecting to like any of the characters and wanting consistency.There were things I felt the author set up that didn't go anywhere

I kind of get the thematic points the author was trying to go for but it ultimately fell flat for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death and Physical abuse

bonkyboot's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

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

iloveboogie's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.25

intense, graphic look into the struggles and breaking point of women forced into submission 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting

camereseparate's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

lemonadecat's review against another edition

5.0

Have you ever read a book that, when you finish, you just have to sit there and chew on it for a while? Like, the rest of your day is sort of a fog because it's so heavy on you? That's this book.

I was drawn to this book immediately because of the themes; I'll admit that I'm a sucker for books about deranged and somewhat violent women. However, what I got when reading this was miles different than what I was expecting. I still feel unsettled about the content a month later writing this review, but to my best knowledge, that's the intent. To make you question society, women's place in it, how mental health is treated, and to haunt you a bit. And it does that excellently and tastefully without sacrificing grit and nuance.

I will warn readers in advance that there is some potentially triggering content. The book has mentions and some brief depictions of rape, sexual assault, abuse, and eating disorders. A massive theme in this book is "the male gaze" and the subjugation of women who are seen as "other" or less than. There are sections that are written from the perspective of, without spoiling much, a male who is sexually violent in bursts. Typically, I struggle to get through rape/sexual assault scenes and mentions of it in literature. However, the writing in this book is masterfully done and does not lean sympathetically or gratuitously in any way when referencing such violence. In fact, it made me feel seen as a survivor, even if it was a deeply upsetting topic to push through.

Honestly, this book left me at a loss for words. I say that as a compliment. It is few and far between that a book leaves me this shaken. There is so much to unpack in such a short book that I feel like I could dedicate a day to mulling it over and still be left with a feeling of unease.

***** - Five stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

heybrownberry's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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: Death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt