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...
Great message!
ReplyDeleteMay we all get new light!
Happy Diwali!
Thanks, Anita, and wish you and all your dearest ones the joys and blessings of Diwali.
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ReplyDeleteIt came from some frustration, in fact, Mani. Wish you too a very enlightening Diwali.
DeleteI wish I find the new light before I die. Happy Diwali. :)
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DeleteWish you Happy Deepavali.
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Thank you and may you have a very enlightening Diwali too.
DeleteWishing a very happy Diwali to you and your family :) :)
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DeleteDear Sir
ReplyDeleteHappy Diwali wishes to you. Sir just now first time i saw your blog and due to this reason today i gave this comment for your Diwali post.
Sir please look into my Lamps of India message which i shared in my Heritage of India blog and give your comments.
http://indian-heritage-and-culture.blogspot.in/2013/09/lamps-of-india.html