The Vegetarian is a novel by Han Kang. I’ve heard a lot about this book recently even though it was published in 2015. It was the winner of the International Man Booker Prize, and I’ve noticed a lot of reviews of it on Book Tube. The author is South Korean. I lived in South Korea for nearly 7 years so the book piqued my interest.
It is about a woman named Yeong-hye who after having a dream suddenly decides that she needs to become a vegan. She stops eating all animal products and stops wearing leather. This causes much distress in her family. The book really has nothing to do with being a vegetarian but is rather a book about mental health, abuse, and the consequences of decisions. Many of the reviews I read talk about it being a rather short book like that’s a bad thing, but I tend to like books on the short side. I found this to be the perfect length. The author writes in a way that gives the story a dream-like quality. She shows the main character’s descent into insanity in a way that’s eerily beautiful. [Read more…] about Book Review: The Vegetarian by Han Kang