The Vegetarian

by Han Kang

Publisher’s Summary:

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 “plant-like” 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—impossibly, ecstatically, tragically—far from her once-known self altogether.

Audio Book Review:

A lot of Content Warnings on this: Body shaming, Confinement, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

The bond between sisters through abuse and betrayal is pretty much the only saving grace in this story. I think the title is completely misleading. This is not a tale about a woman, Yeong-Hye, deciding to become Vegan. She is tormented by severe mental illness. She fragile in mind and body. Men, of course, do not care and take what they want.

I didn’t love the male narrator who did 99.5% of the audio. There are only a few choice bits where Janet Song portrays Yeong-Hye and she does so beautifully with a delicate, ghostly voice.

Rating: 3 stars

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.