Book Review Title: The Vegetarian Author: Han Kang Translator: Deborah Smith [from Korean] Publisher: Granta, London, 2018 Pages: 183 Insanity can provide infinite opportunities to a novelist. The protagonist of Nobel laureate Han Kang’s Booker-winner novel, The Vegetarian , thinks of herself as a tree. One can argue with ample logic and conviction that trees are far better than humans. “Trees are like brothers and sisters,” Yeong-hye, the protagonist, says. She identifies herself with the trees and turns vegetarian one day. Worse, she gives up all food eventually. Of course, she ends up in a mental hospital. The Vegetarian tells Yeong-hye’s tragic story on the surface. Below that surface, it raises too many questions that leave us pondering deeply. What does it mean to be human? Must humanity always entail violence? Is madness a form of truth, a more profound truth than sanity’s wisdom? In the disturbing world of this novel, trees represent peace, stillness, and nonviol...
That is so true. Profound.
ReplyDeletehmmmm so true
ReplyDeletebeautiful... :)
ReplyDeleteright :).........
ReplyDeletewow .. !
ReplyDeletegreat and 100% right
ReplyDeletePoignant... :-(
ReplyDeleteAmazing what you can put across in just three lines!
ReplyDeleteSir..you spoke heart out in just few words :) Jai Ho ! :)
ReplyDeleteTo be laconic in a way that is profound is the essence of writing and here we have a sample of it with poetical perfection. That is simply superb.
ReplyDeleteYes, broken dreams make a good basis for poem but then our life is usually full of broken dreams. Does this mean our life too is a poem?
ReplyDeleteHi! It's been a while. I never read a poem by you before. It was tasty.
ReplyDeleteHi Shovon, it was splendid to see you in today's Hindu Literary Supplement. All the best for yur novel. I'll read it.
DeleteBeautiful and deep!!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Haiku-like crispness! hhm broken dreams!
ReplyDeleteI told my husband another poem:
Cinema is a poem of life for two hours.
Oh, no, wings. Not every movie. Yu should have watched what was screened yesterday: the sound was utter flop.
DeleteBeautiful,touching and true....Thanks!
ReplyDelete