The Vegetarian – Han Kang (2007) Book Review

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“Time was a wave, almost cruel in its relentlessness.”

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First published in South Korea back in 2007 and later introduced to a wider international audience through Deborah Smith’s acclaimed English translation, The Vegetarian by Han Kang has become one of the most acclaimed and infamous novels of the twenty-first century. A 2016 Booker Prize winner, the novel has garnered huge praise for its lyrical prose, unsettling imagery, and uncompromising exploration of power, identity, and resistance. 

At its core, Yeong-hye, an ordinary woman whose decision to stop eating meat after a series of violent and disturbing dreams gradually descends into something far more sinister. What starts out as a seemingly personal decision soon becomes a catalyst for conflict within her family and marriage, exposing the rigid social expectations and patriarchal structures that govern her life. Told across three interconnected sections from the perspective of those around her, The Vegetarian explores the way in which autonomy can be denied, misunderstood, and ultimately weaponised by those who claim to care. 

Part psychological drama, part body horror, and part surreal meditation on transformation, Han Kang’s global bestseller is a haunting and deeply unsettling work that continues to provoke discussions. Join us at What We Reading for our The Vegetarian book review to find out what we made of Yeong-hye’s journey! 

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Date Published: 2007

Author: Han Kang

Genre: Horror, Literary

Pages: 158

Goodreads Rating: 3.65/5

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The Vegetarian Summary

Before the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams – invasive images of blood and brutality – torture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. It’s a small act of independence, yet it soon interrupts her marriage and sets in motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. 

As her husband, her brother-in-law, and sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the decision that’s become sacred to her. Soon their attempts turn desperate, subjecting first her mind, and then her body, to ever more intrusive and perverse violations, sending Yeong-hye spiralling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her, but also from herself. 

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What Worked

The Vegetarian more than earns its reputation as one of modern literature’s most unsettling and memorable novels. Han Kang juggles lyrical, dreamlike prose with deeply disturbing imagery to evoke a work that lingers long after the final page. 

The novel’s three-act structure is especially effective, presenting Yeong-hye’s transformation through the perspective of those around her rather than through her own voice. Each section functions almost as a self-contained story while contributing to a larger examination of bodily autonomy, patriarchal control, and the quiet violence embedded within family and social expectations. 

Han Kang’s imagery is among the novel’s biggest pluses. Visions of blood, plants, flesh, and transformation blur the boundaries between reality and dream, establishing a hypnotic atmosphere that reflects Yeong-hye’s psychological unravelling. The prose is beautiful even at its most disturbing, granting the novel a haunting quality that makes its themes feel visceral rather than purely intellectual. 

What Didn’t

There really isn’t much about The Vegetarian that I didn’t like, although there are elements that others may find challenging. Two-thirds of the novel’s three sections are narrated by men whose viewpoints are selfish, manipulative, misogynistic, and at times deeply repulsive. For me, this did feel like a deliberate and effective decision by Han Kang. By filtering Yeong-hye’s story through the eyes of those who objectify, misunderstand, and attempt to control her, Kang plants the reader uncomfortably close to the forces contributing to her descent. 

However, spending so much time in these perspectives may prove frustrating or unpleasant for readers looking for a more direct connection to Yeong-hye herself. 

Similarly, the novel’s depiction of family and social expectations can be tough to sit through. The persistent refusal of Yeong-hye’s relatives to acknowledge her autonomy or engage with her on her own terms creates an atmosphere of suffocating inevitability. While this is central to the novel’s critique of patriarchal conformity and social control, it also leaves the audience feeling complicit in the violence unfolding all around her. The experience is deliberately uncomfortable, but that discomfort may not be for everyone. 

Verdict

Ultimately, The Vegetarian is a novel that is well worth its acclaim and reputation for unsettling readers. Han Kang pens a work that is at once beautiful, disturbing, and profoundly tragic, employing Yeong-hye’s increasingly radical rejection of the world around her to explore questions of bodily autonomy, identity, conformity, and violence. 

What makes The Vegetarian so potent is that it refuses to present these themes in a straightforward or comfortable manner. Rather, it dumps us readers alongside the very people who can’t or refuse to understand Yeong-hye, forcing us to bear witness to the consequences of indifference, control, and objectification from an uncomfortably close perspective. 

The book’s distinct three-act structure, hypnotic prose, and unforgettable imagery blend together to create an atmosphere that stays with you long after the final page. Blood, flesh, plants, dreams, and transformation all blur together into a surreal and haunting whole, reinforcing the vibe that Yeong-hye’s struggle transcends any single interpretation. 

While some readers might find the narrative distance from Yeong-hye frustrating, or the behaviour of those around her tough to endure, I found these decisions pretty vital to the novel’s overall impact. 

The Vegetarian isn’t an easy read, nor is it meant to be. Yet it is exactly that discomfort that makes the novel such a compelling and enduring work. Haunting, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, it is a book that stays with you long after you’ve finished devouring it. 

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Our Rating: 4/5

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