The Vegetarian

A Novel

By: Han Kang

Narrated by: Janet Song, Stephen Park

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE • “[Han] Kang viscerally explores the limits of what a human brain and body can endure, and the strange beauty that can be found in even the most extreme forms of renunciation.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Ferocious.”—The New York Times Book Review (Ten Best Books of the Year)
“Both terrifying and terrific.”—Lauren Groff
“Provocative [and] shocking.”—The Washington Post

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, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into 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 choice 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 spiraling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her, but also from herself.

Celebrated by critics around the world, The Vegetarian is a darkly allegorical, Kafka-esque tale of power, obsession, and one woman’s struggle to break free from the violence both without and within her.

One of the Best Books of the Year—BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, Wall Street Journal, Time, Elle, The Economist, HuffPost, Slate, Bustle, The St. Louis Dispatch, Electric Literature, Publishers Weekly

©2016 Han Kang (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Surreal . . . [A] mesmerizing mix of sex and violence .”—Alexandra Alter, The New York Times

“[Han Kang] has been rightfully celebrated as a visionary in South Korea . . . Han’s glorious treatments of agency, personal choice, submission and subversion find form in the parable. . . . Ultimately, though, how could we not go back to Kafka? More than The Metamorphosis, Kafka’s journals and ‘A Hunger Artist’ haunt this text.”—Porochista Khakpour, New York Times Book Review

“Indebted to Kafka, this story of a South Korean woman’s radical transformation, which begins after she forsakes meat, will have you reading with your hand over your mouth in shock.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

Great Storytelling

Where does The Vegetarian rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Vegetarian is a beautifully written book. The performances of Janet Song and Stephen Park bring you into the middle of the troubled life of Korean woman and her family. They make you feel as though you are listening to a great movie. The book is among the best that I've listened to so far.

What did you like best about this story?

The author draws you into the story of a woman unravelling in a restricted relationship and society, For an American listener, it provided a glimpse of Korean life.

What does Janet Song and Stephen Park bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Janet Song and Stephen Park made the characters come alive. The actors created a world that complemented and enriched the story.

If you could rename The Vegetarian, what would you call it?

Alone

Hunger's Artist

"She had never lived. Even as a child, as far back as she could remember, she had done nothing but endure."
-- Han Kang, The Vegetarian

A short novel made up of three inter-related stories of three related family members (a sister/vegetarian, her sister/responsible one, her sister's husband/artist). The stories revolve around dreams, food, existence, art and nature. The book did give hints of an erotic Kafka's A Hunger Artist. No, not erotic, not really, just modern and sensual and transformative. I liked it, but just didn't love it. I thought there were elements of beauty certainly and a strange hallucinogenic quality to it that reminded me a bit of Murakami. The tension around food, art, family, and sex were developed well, but still there just seemed something missing.

Very Dark

I'm not sure what I was expecting but found this very dark and depressing. I'm not altogether sure I understand the point the author was trying to make

dark, haunting, obsessive, freeing

Any additional comments?

This book is... disturbing. This book is.... allegorical. This book is... modern art in prose form. This book is.... worth it. Agency, Submission, Personal Choice and Subversion are closely examined through three narratives about one woman's descent into vegetarianism, an allegorical struggle against violence, repression, loneliness and depression. The protagonist's husband, brother-in-law and sister describe her choice to become a vegetarian in a meat-centric, meal-centric culture. What follows is dark, horrifying and graphic but ultimately peaceful and uplifting. Striving to become a tree, one is left wondering, "Is what she is doing so bad? Is dying truly worse than engaging with her life?" This is a short book, readable in an afternoon. make sure to enlist a good friend or two to join in your journey; the discussions will be glorious.

Listened to for book club..

The Narrations were good..

The book is follows a ow path into insanity and shows the fear of Korean culture of losing control and not truly understanding how to deal with mental illnesses...shows an accepted behavior of family abuse and a culture of repressionism.

It is not my kind of book I would recommend to anyone. I generally am disinterested in Horror genres and do not enjoy it.

If one is a person who enjoys twisted realities mixed with a culture of abuse and denail and mistreatment of mental illness..
then this is a book for that person.

The voice performers ruin it

I had really great expectations for this book- especially after reading all the great press it received. My only comment other than that is in regards to the voice actor... #1 he has a lisp. It is so distracting. #2 he actually pronounces "know" as kuh-no #3 the female is so bad that I fast forward through her parts. I think I have bad feelings towards the book because the narrators ruined it for me. I'm going to go back and read the book on my own and see if I actually enjoy it.

Worth the read

This was an interesting book, that included violent, graphic and sexual references, but without being off putting. It just may not be for the faint of heart. Some characters drop off, and others develop and surprise profoundly.

Beautiful and terrifying

The best telling of the inner life I have experienced so far. Narration was distinct and subtle.

Narration is sublime

Not an easy work to listen to, but I’m so glad I did. The first time I listened to I was baffled. The second time I listened I understood everything.

Story is amazing but performance is ok

This is an amazing book about the freedom of the female figure.
Performance was OK, i have seen other way better.