THE VEGETARIAN: A NOVEL

THE VEGETARIAN: A NOVEL by HAN KANG

The Vegetarian is a monumental novel that received international praise and numerous prestigious awards. This is a beautiful, riveting story of rebellion, violence, brutality, taboo, faith and the twisty nature of a human being's soul. Yeong-hye and her man used to have a regular, quite life. But, when the nightmares started, everything began to change.

A series of horrifying dreams filled with blood, killing, and cruelty keeps torturing her. She can't take it anymore, and all she can do is stop eating meat. You might think that it's just a tiny act of rebellion, but it affects her marriage and sets a strange chain of events in motion. Not only her husband, but also her sister and brother-in-law make it their duty to convince her that she needs to get back to "normal", but the lady doesn't want to be controlled anymore, so, she fiercely defends her choice and keeps ignoring meat.

Her family doesn't let her be, and they come back at her with double strength, turning from concerned relatives to desperate folks. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Well, not quite: The Vegetarian is a truly unique book, an allegorical, even a bit satirical novel about power, control, obsession, the role of a woman in the modern-day society and a regular lady's attempt to get rid of the violence in the outside world and within her.

Han Kang's masterpiece is not an easy read, nor is it particularly exciting, so, if you're looking for an entertaining read to enjoy after a hard day's work, The Vegetarian is not really your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you appreciate a Kafka-esque, thought-provoking tale that invites you into a metaphorical world, then it might just become your new favorite book.