2016 Man Booker Longlist: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Country: South Korea

Translated by Deborah Smith

How strange are our beliefs? How subversive can normalcy be?

Set in South Korea, Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian, translated by Deborah Smith, initially opens with two simple, domestic characters. Yeong-hye and her husband have an insipid, regular life until Yeong-hye suddenly decides that she’ll become a vegetarian!

A vegetarian in South Korea is rarely rare! This leads to weird consequence as Yeong-hye slowly wants to reduce herself to the existence of a plant, so much so, that she wishes to ultimately become a tree. While her husband muddled by her sudden change engages in sadistic sexual acts; Yeong-hye on her part is driven to her sister’s husband becoming the core of his erotic exploits in art.

It is not an easy tale to read, so, pick up the copy!

Book Details:-        

• About the Author

About Rit Chattapadhyay

A student of literature, I was born in Kolkata, now, reside at Howrah. I completed my high school from St.Thomas' Church School Howrah,and then went on to study English Honours at Asutosh College. Presently, I am pursuing my Masters in English Literature from Calcutta University. Not an avid reader from childhood. My experience with literature intensified in high school and Asutosh College. I love reading works of literature and I am an amateur poet myself. My poems mainly highlight the agonies of modern existence and the complications of love. Being a very opinionated person, I bear distinct opinions about what I read.