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yeva_mermaidia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sundaynash's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.75
kendragaylelee's review against another edition
3.0
I dove into The Vegetarian with zero idea where I was headed.
And, honestly, I'm not sure exactly where I ended up. The text baffled me at points. Nothing turned out the way I wanted. And I felt a low ache of despair as I read it. But I can't pinpoint exactly what it was about. Because it seemed to be about everything and nothing.
Here's what I do know:
* The Vegetarian explored female autonomy (or lack thereof).
* Choice vs obligation figured in as a primary theme.
* The main character in the story (the one the entire narrative swirls around) never gets to tell her own story.
* Deeply unsettling questions about consent and vulnerability arise.
* It is difficult to love any of the characters, easy to hate many of them, and very little that I found to affirm humanity in this novel.
* It is dark. And probably too realistic.
Would I recommend it? If you like esoteric novels with no easy answers--and sometimes no answers at all--yes. If you are considering reading it to discuss it with a group of curious folks that like to bandy about ideas--yes. But just as an off the shelf read for most folks? No.
I'm grateful to the Bookish Feminist Book Club for helping me muddle through my thoughts on this one. Because I swear, I went in there completely baffled about what I'd just read and left our meeting feeling intellectually curious about the themes in the book. That was a win on this one. Trust me.
And, honestly, I'm not sure exactly where I ended up. The text baffled me at points. Nothing turned out the way I wanted. And I felt a low ache of despair as I read it. But I can't pinpoint exactly what it was about. Because it seemed to be about everything and nothing.
Here's what I do know:
* The Vegetarian explored female autonomy (or lack thereof).
* Choice vs obligation figured in as a primary theme.
* The main character in the story (the one the entire narrative swirls around) never gets to tell her own story.
* Deeply unsettling questions about consent and vulnerability arise.
* It is difficult to love any of the characters, easy to hate many of them, and very little that I found to affirm humanity in this novel.
* It is dark. And probably too realistic.
Would I recommend it? If you like esoteric novels with no easy answers--and sometimes no answers at all--yes. If you are considering reading it to discuss it with a group of curious folks that like to bandy about ideas--yes. But just as an off the shelf read for most folks? No.
I'm grateful to the Bookish Feminist Book Club for helping me muddle through my thoughts on this one. Because I swear, I went in there completely baffled about what I'd just read and left our meeting feeling intellectually curious about the themes in the book. That was a win on this one. Trust me.
robyn1998's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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 read this in 2019 and decided to come back to it as it left such a strong impression on me at the time. It's such a strange, horrifying, idiosyncratic book. The switches in perspective and inclusion of Yeong-hye's dreams really round it out. Of all the books that people cite as future classics, I would say this is the one I feel most enthusiastic about
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Rape, and Domestic abuse
evieg97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
nike_1212's review against another edition
Couldn’t continue at this point. Too disturbing.
jamievincent's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
An interesting quick read, but ultimately not one I can see sticking with me the same way it has for others. I think much of this was in the mechanical nature of the translation I read, as well as it being obviously a british-english translation and taking great pains to include words like ‘knickers’. Some quite repetitive prose which I can attribute to kang.
telmahdus's review against another edition
4.0
Tosi outo kirja, enkä aluks lämmennyt lainkaan. Kuitenkin lopussa IH:n hahmo veti tän kirjan abstraktion suosta ja ymmärsin paremmin. Ja hyvät ihmiset, varokaaa vaaraa, tää on aika väkivaltainen.
motaesolo's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
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
4.0