92 - Han Kang's The Vegetarian
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- Опубликовано: 12 окт 2024
- David, Eric, and Nick dive into The Vegetarian, a 2007 novel by Han Kang that, after its English translation, won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize. This compact work will appeal to anyone interested in tightly architected narrative structures, complex questions of individual agency, and visceral scenes situated right next to moments of quiet contemplation.
One’s ability to choose, well, anything at all is not quite so black and white, is it?
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Han Kang was born in Gwangju, South Korea in 1970. She made her literary debut as a poet in 1993 and as a novelist the next year.
Her publications in English are The Vegetarian, Human Acts, and the White Book.
Great foresight by reviewers in predicting the October 10, 2024 literary event. These guys have great radars.
Interesting discussion. I wanted to discuss my thoughts on why this novel was structured in 3 parts and why the different perspectives were selected. To me, it seemed very natural for Yeong-Hye to not have an actual voice in her own story. I felt it most acutely when In-Hye comments later that even in regards to our own bodies we don't truly exercise the autonomy we imagine we should. Thus, it only feels "right" that we only ever hear Yeong-hye's thoughts via observations or select quotes from those in her familial circle. I personally did get a true sense of who Yeong-hye was and why she rebelled in her own quiet but powerful way in contrast to those who actively speak for her.
I also find it interesting that you felt so much compassion for In-hye and for Mr. Cheong to a certain extent, but none for In-hye's husband. While I would argue that he did in fact use Yeong-hye, I felt he was the closest in spirit to her as well since he too was being slowly suffocated and just as doomed as Yeong-hye.
Han gang!!❤
Great review and analysis. This was one of my most memorable reads of last year. I enjoyed the minimalistic writing and the 3 part structure of the story. However, I can see someone looking for more traditional story telling with relatable characters would be frustrated. This is more of an allegorical tale that prioritizes the posing of questions over providing answers.
Keep up the good work.
Glad you enjoyed it! It most certainly is a work that poses questions that only a reader can answer.
Good discussion of this wonderful book.
Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it.