A review by snarkycrafter
The Vegetarian by Han Kang

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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