The Vegetarian by Han Kang, was a very gripping, emotionally charged novella about the vicissitudes of life. From a seemingly innocuous starting point, a housewife who decides one day to become vegetarian, the story spirals in many unforeseen directions. Kang skillfully shifts the narrative forward through the eyes of the three main protagonists, Yeong-hye, her sister’s husband (who is unnamed), and finally her sister, In-hye. Exploring grave topics such as infidelity, suicide, domestic abuse and insanity, The Vegetarian is by no means a light Sunday afternoon read. I found the narrative at times gut-wrenching and ultimately poignantly agonizing. The intense emotional tenor of the story takes it toll on readers and should not be underestimated.
What I enjoyed most about The Vegetarian was how Kang delicately crafted the twists in the plot, while at the same time seemingly telling a deceptively simple, “mundane” story about modern life in Korea. Her scene setting and character development are equally impeccable and compelling. You might ask, not unreasonably, why have I only rated this modern masterpiece 4 stars. It’s hard to place a finger on it exactly. At times I found the narrative jarring, in particular when the perspective shifted from Yeong-hye to her sister’s husband. For a while I felt a bit lost. At first I thought that the novel was in fact an anthology of different short stories that were not necessarily intertwined. Although, I soon regained the thread of the narrative, the feeling of disorientation somehow stuck with me till the end.
Overall, The Vegetarian is a novel I would highly recommend to anyone interested in broadening their literary horizons and/or diet. Without a doubt Han Kang is a brilliant author. The Vegetarian is certainly a book that will linger with me for some time.
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