6 reactions
The Vegetarian - Han Kanh
This is what I read in this short novel.
There is a 'common dream' called culture/prevalent societal values and and there are people who lose enthusiasm in this dream sooner or later.
They are sometimes woken up from it as from a nightmare by the physical violence of child abuse(Yeong - Ho),
The emotional violence of a breakup(brother in law) and the psychological violence of being unloved /cheated on by your husband despite your best efforts at conforming to the 'common dream'.
The first is the story of Yeong Hye who was dealt blows as a child and learns to take solace in forest and nature. Home was no home for her .
With child abuse as one of her first experiences of life, appearing to be an ordinary member is in itself a commendable achievement . And the chapter opens with emphasis on her ordinaryness, which was extraordinary considering all that she had been through. Also with such early nightmares in her life she's the first to wake up/go mad.
The second story is about her brother in law.
His nightmare comes a little later in life , probably as he is dumped from a 4 year old relationship , in favour of a man with better financial prospects.
This makes him an obsessive compulsive artists with personal dreams elevated above the 'common dreams'.
Yeong - ho doesn't seem as crazy to him as to other people and his obsession with his sister in law is just one of his sereis of obsessions as an artist. But he invites his sister in law to take part in his craziness.
In-Hye thinks the brother in law abused Yeong-hye,
Yeong-hye is too out to think one way or the other about it, while the brother in law thinks he's going mad.
The third story is about In - Hye who has adhered to the 'common dream' the longest. But despite the adherece she's ended up with a husband who doesn't love her, used her to fulfil his sexual fantasy with another women and finally cheated on her.
As her slip out of the 'common dream' begins she is able to empathise with both her sister and ex husband. But the thread of responsibility in the form of her son will keep her going for some more time before she too drops out.
The tile if the book 'The Vegetarian ' might suggest the story is about Yeong Hye.
But the title is a stand in for 'Non Conformist' and we are all a part of the story to varying degrees.
#entertainment
This is what I read in this short novel.
There is a 'common dream' called culture/prevalent societal values and and there are people who lose enthusiasm in this dream sooner or later.
They are sometimes woken up from it as from a nightmare by the physical violence of child abuse(Yeong - Ho),
The emotional violence of a breakup(brother in law) and the psychological violence of being unloved /cheated on by your husband despite your best efforts at conforming to the 'common dream'.
The first is the story of Yeong Hye who was dealt blows as a child and learns to take solace in forest and nature. Home was no home for her .
With child abuse as one of her first experiences of life, appearing to be an ordinary member is in itself a commendable achievement . And the chapter opens with emphasis on her ordinaryness, which was extraordinary considering all that she had been through. Also with such early nightmares in her life she's the first to wake up/go mad.
The second story is about her brother in law.
His nightmare comes a little later in life , probably as he is dumped from a 4 year old relationship , in favour of a man with better financial prospects.
This makes him an obsessive compulsive artists with personal dreams elevated above the 'common dreams'.
Yeong - ho doesn't seem as crazy to him as to other people and his obsession with his sister in law is just one of his sereis of obsessions as an artist. But he invites his sister in law to take part in his craziness.
In-Hye thinks the brother in law abused Yeong-hye,
Yeong-hye is too out to think one way or the other about it, while the brother in law thinks he's going mad.
The third story is about In - Hye who has adhered to the 'common dream' the longest. But despite the adherece she's ended up with a husband who doesn't love her, used her to fulfil his sexual fantasy with another women and finally cheated on her.
As her slip out of the 'common dream' begins she is able to empathise with both her sister and ex husband. But the thread of responsibility in the form of her son will keep her going for some more time before she too drops out.
The tile if the book 'The Vegetarian ' might suggest the story is about Yeong Hye.
But the title is a stand in for 'Non Conformist' and we are all a part of the story to varying degrees.
#entertainment
6
| 12,000 mlx | |
| 15 | |
| 6 |