The Vegetarian by Han Kang

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me a while to write a review of this Man Booker winner. It is my first time reading a book written by a Korean author, translated. i have mostly read Haruki Murakami before, so it was a nice change to read from another asian author. but i cant help thinking how very haruki-ish the Vegetarian is. not that i’m complaining.

The protagonist was in a way, not a protagonist. her only ‘voice’ was of her retelling of her dreams. her ‘physical’ story is told by three different characters throughout, span into three chapters at different periods of her time. One was her story through her husband’s eyes and experience, which i quite heart wrenching. as a husband who had, till then, had a good marriage life with his wife, suddenly find him not quite knowing who the woman he had loved and married. this is when the protagonist started to have dreams which then changed her into a vegetarian, in a society that loves their beef and kimchis. i could really feel this husband’s frustration and confusion on what caused his wife to change, and not knowing how to deal with the situation, or how to help his wife. like a dead end, a desperation. and through out this ordeal, i have the impression that his wife is nonchalant about her change, that it seems perfectly normal to her to be a vegetarian and do not see the need to explain to her husband, or her family members of what made her change her dietary, much to the anger of her father. this highlights the night they had a family dinner and the her father, out of anger and frustration, tried to forced her to eat meat. at first, i do think, it is ridiculous how she changed because of a dream, and then i felt that is totally cruel to abuse and force her to eat what she deemed repulsive and abhor.

and then we moved on to a next face of her life, which now she is divorced and living alone, going through medication, taken care of by her elder sister. but this time, through the ‘eyes’ of her brother in law. which was at times, i find the experience abominable. but still, again, yeong hye, the vegetarian, goes through this phase devoid of feelings and values. except her fascination to the plants and flowers painted on her body by the brother in law. but here, i do not sympathise with either yeong hye or her brother in law. i find both of them ridiculous. there is pseudo passion, avoidable intimacy if only the brother in law was in the right state of mind.

the next chapter would be my fave as it is told by her elder sister, In hye. this i could relate as a big sister, trying to bring the family together, to taking responsibility over her little sister’s predicament and her own marriage marred by both her sister and husband. despite all, still forgiving to her sister’s innocuous act. still trying to love her and understand her needs, trying to do what is best for her little sister, but unable to comprehend what she is actually going through. and here, i feel like i am behind her sister, somewhat trying to whisper her to move on and be strong, calm and patient.

Reading The Vegetarian, gives me questions of mainly exactly what Yeong hye is going through, what is she thinking actually, was she even aware of what is happening around her. it felt like she is just going a trance, unable to bring herself out of the blanket and lead her life ‘normal’. Was she sad or happy? perhaps in the book, it gives the impression that she is totally embracing her thoughts and lifestyle, fully satisfied with her life and what she is to become. but really, if she is having some different inner thoughts, what does she see through her own eyes?

and as haruki style, you don’t quite know what actually happened at the end. leaves you hanging to decide what you wish to. the story grips me, wishing to find more and more what is going to happen to her all the way to end. and it is not always that i manage to read a Man Booker book fresh after it is announced as the winner and i a quite lucky to have been able to borrow the book from the local library, knowing it has a long list of reservations. i can safely say i might have found another author i could look forward to reading her next book.

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