{"id":3374,"date":"2024-03-23T10:28:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-23T10:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3374"},"modified":"2024-03-23T10:28:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-23T10:28:09","slug":"korean-book-recommendation-the-vegetarian-by-han-kang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3374","title":{"rendered":"Korean Book Recommendation: The Vegetarian by Han Kang"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hi Readers! The third book I read for Korean March<\/strong><\/mark> was The Vegetarian by Han Kang. I went in blind with no idea what the book was about and I was amazed! I finished it in three work days and I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it when I was not reading it. Every time I was doing a chore or travelling or watching TV, something would strike me about the book. It would be a parallel interpretation or striking revelations or some abstract concept of pseudo-reality. You see how I am still so enticed by it? Anyway, check it out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the nightmare, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary life. But when splintering, blood-soaked images start haunting her thoughts, Yeong-hye decides to purge her mind and renounce eating meat. In a country where societal mores are strictly obeyed, Yeong-hye’s decision to embrace a more \u201cplant-like\u201d existence is a shocking act of subversion. And as her passive rebellion manifests in ever more extreme and frightening forms, scandal, abuse, and estrangement begin to send Yeong-hye spiraling deep into the spaces of her fantasy. In a complete metamorphosis of both mind and body, her now dangerous endeavor will take Yeong-hye\u2014impossibly, ecstatically, tragically\u2014far from her once-known self altogether.
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~~TRIGGER WARNINGS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Violence, abuse, rape, mental illness, eating disorder, misogyny, cheating, self-harm.
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~~THOUGHTS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Vegetarian is an audaciously insane book. Reading it was like living a fever dream. Do you enjoy it? Not really. But, are you thoroughly spellbound by how much you can push your imagination? Absolutely! And, when you are awake and well, you wonder if all of that even happened and at the same time you simply can\u2019t stop fixating over its contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This book is divided into three parts. <\/strong><\/mark>The first part is husband and Yeong-hye universe told from husband\u2019s perspective. The second part is brother-in-law and Yeong-hye universe told from the brother-in-law’s perspective. The third part is sister and Yeong-hye universe told from the sister\u2019s perspective. This in itself captures how the perspective of someone who does something out of the ordinary is never taken into account. It\u2019s always how the society views the person and the collective perspective which is considered as the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this book, we read about Yeong-hye\u2019s decision to become a vegetarian in a culture where that rarely ever happens. Such a decision leads to critique from her husband and family. People are willing to accept it if there is a logical reason to it, such as health or environment reasons. But, the moment a woman\u2019s decision about her own body and her own life doesn\u2019t tick the boxes of society\u2019s logical reasons, she is ridiculed and eventually thrown into social isolation.<\/strong><\/mark> In this book, it\u2019s about being a vegetarian, but the brilliance of the book is such that you can replace that act with any other act and it would still write the same way. A woman who does not want to marry. A woman who does not want children. A woman who is pro-choice. A woman who earns more than her husband. A woman who has a child and works. A woman who has a child and does not work. The list goes on, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after sitting with my thoughts for over two days, I am still finding insights about this book. It is multi-layered and thematically enriching to read. It is certainly unlike any book I have ever read before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~~THREE PARTS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the first part<\/strong><\/mark>, we see how Yeong-hye\u2019s husband is a product of patriarchal society. He doesn\u2019t love his wife. She is just someone who prepares his meals, washes his clothes, makes an appearance with him to events and someone he can forcefully have sex with. So, when she decides to take a stand and become a vegetarian, his whole life tumbles. I think that\u2019s what the first chapter represents. How one tiny decision made by a woman destroys decades of patriarchy.<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second part<\/strong><\/mark>, we see how Yeong-hye explores sex outside of her marriage. Reading this chapter felt like a change of shift from the first part, because it is so vividly different. It\u2019s about desire and exploration of sex through art. <\/strong><\/mark>Yes, male artists have been doing it all along. There are nude sculptures of women that date back centuries. And yet, the way it is written here is truly revolutionary especially being set in Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then part three<\/strong><\/mark> which was perhaps the most unhinged<\/strong><\/mark>. A lot of readers have different interpretations for this one. To me, it was like looking inside the mind of someone living with a mental illness \u2013 schizophrenia. I have seen movies\/shows that portrayed people with schizophrenia. While it is different for each person, Yeong-hye\u2019s case mirrored so poignantly towards reconnecting with nature. <\/strong><\/mark>Painting flowers on her body made her breathe easier. Doing a handstand made her relate to the trees. Being intimate with a man who had flowers painted on him aroused her. Who knows what else was happening inside her mind. But, it really made me wonder about mental health and the climate crises.<\/p>\n\n\n

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~~TO READ OR NOT TO READ~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I must say that this book is not for everyone.<\/strong><\/mark> If you are someone who reads diversely, then you should definitely read this book. If you read across genres and are up to reading something new, go for it! If you like plot-based books, then you might not enjoy this. If you love literary fiction, then you should read this book. If you want to read something unlike anything you have read before, you should definitely pick this! I can\u2019t wait to read Han Kang\u2019s other books, Greek Lessons and Human Acts! I have rated The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith at 4\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi Readers! The third book I read for Korean March was The Vegetarian by Han Kang. I went in blind with no idea what the book was about and I was amazed! I finished it in three work days and I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it when I was not reading it. Every time I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,23,3],"tags":[41],"class_list":["post-3374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-books","category-book-reviews","category-mindscape-reviews","tag-korean-books"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PXL_20240322_075258456-01-02.jpeg?fit=2268%2C2267&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3387,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3387","url_meta":{"origin":3374,"position":0},"title":"March 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"March 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! I love March and I loved March this year too. I read a lot of good books. I spent time with family and friends. I travelled. I planned another trip. I went to the Van Gogh 360\u00b0 immersive experience. I overperformed at work. I watched terrible movies. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2940,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2940","url_meta":{"origin":3374,"position":1},"title":"Women in Translation Month Book Recommendations!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"August 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! You have seen a few book reviews this month for the books I read for Women in Translation month. I won\u2019t be able to read all the books that I have on my TBR for this. So, I thought of sharing my TBR with all of you. When\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "books"","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3789,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3789","url_meta":{"origin":3374,"position":2},"title":"Award Winning Books of 2024!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! Like every year, I am back with a helpful guide of the award winning books of the year. Though ChatGPT will be able to share this with you in seconds, I did put in some work, so maybe favour me? 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I recently read Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sean Lin Halbert. I had read the author\u2019s debut novel Almond last year and really liked it. 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