The Vegetarian by Han KangMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Judul: The Vegetarian
Penulis: Han Kang
Penerbit: Portobello Books
Halaman: 188 halaman
Terbitan: Januari 2015
Before the nightmare, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary life. But when splintering, blood-soaked images start haunting her thoughts, Yeong-hye decides to purge her mind and renounce eating meat. In a country where societal mores are strictly obeyed, Yeong-hye's decision to embrace a more “plant-like” existence is a shocking act of subversion. And as her passive rebellion manifests in ever more extreme and frightening forms, scandal, abuse, and estrangement begin to send Yeong-hye spiraling deep into the spaces of her fantasy. In a complete metamorphosis of both mind and body, her now dangerous endeavor will take Yeong-hye—impossibly, ecstatically, tragically—far from her once-known self altogether.
A disturbing, yet beautifully composed narrative told in three parts, The Vegetarian is an allegorical novel about modern day South Korea, but also a story of obsession, choice, and our faltering attempts to understand others, from one imprisoned body to another.
Review
'The Vegetarian' bercerita tentang Yeong-hye, seorang wanita dan istri yang biasa-biasa saja. Bahkan suaminya mendeskripsikan Yeong-hye sebagai seseorang yang "unremarkable in every way.". Saat mimpi-mimpi buruk mulai menghantuinya, Yeong-hye memutuskan untuk menjadi seorang vegetarian. Sebuah keputusan yang sulit untuk dimengerti oleh sang suami, keluarga, hingga lingkungan di sekitarnya.
[...]. Try to push past but the meat, there's no end to the meat, and no exit. Blood in my mouth, blood-soaked clothes sucked onto my skin.
