The
Vegetarian by Han Kang
Han
Kang is a South Korean writer. She was born in a family of writers
and novelists, her brother and brother being also writers. Her novels
The Vegetarian and Human Acts are her first translated
works in English by Deborah Smith. In 2016 her novel The
Vegetarian won Man Booker International Prize and she is the
first Korean author to be nominated for the award.
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This
book is so strange and weird at the same time. It's th first time I
am reading any Korean literature in translation, so I cannot judge it
too much. In short, it's
the story of a woman named Yeong-hye who decides to become a
vegetarian and how her family reacts to this decision. The novel is
divided into three parts, each told from the point of view of a
person who is impacted by her decision.
The
first part is narrated by her husband who describes her as plain
looking and who chose her because she was unremarkable in every
possible way. Then she suddenly had a dream. A rather bloody dream
that turn her away from meat and all animal products. In the second
part we see her through the eyes of her brother-in-law, an
unsuccessful video artist who struggles to create some vague
pornographic visions. He sees her in a total different way, an enigma
with a strong sense of self-posession and sexually attractive.
Finally, in the third part
we see her complete transformation, her struggle with mental illness
and how this affected her sister. In her sister's view she is
altogether a victim and a manipulator, a psychiatric patient who is
so capable of controlling
those around her.
It
is not a novel about becoming vegetarian. It is more about
obsessions, acting on obsessions and family relations. Despite being
a novel about Yeong-hye we never hearher perspective. It is also a
novel that makes you react against abuse, either physical or
psychological, family relations and societal norms. The writing is so
impactful and heartbreaking. So,
I'd say take 24 hours, read the novel and then make up your mind, is
it reasonable, provocative or it leaves you helpless?
