It is about a woman named Yeong-hye who after having a dream suddenly decides that she needs to become a vegan. She stops eating all animal products and stops wearing leather. This causes much distress in her family. The book really has nothing to do with being a vegetarian but is rather a book about mental health, abuse, and the consequences of decisions. Many of the reviews I read talk about it being a rather short book like that’s a bad thing, but I tend to like books on the short side. I found this to be the perfect length. The author writes in a way that gives the story a dream-like quality. She shows the main character’s descent into insanity in a way that’s eerily beautiful.
There are no conventional chapters in this book. Instead, it’s told in three sections each section that take place at during various stages of the main characters mental decline. Each section is told from a different character’s point of view. The first section is written in first person and it is told from the point of view of Yeong-hye’s husband. This section covers her early stages of becoming a vegetarian and how her decision is an inconvenience and embarrassment to him. In this section, there are also brief glimpses into Yeong-hye’s mind and what she’s thinking and how she’s feeling, but they are very brief passages that are written in stream of consciousness. That’s very unlike the stark directness of her husband’s words.
The other two sections are both written in third person. The second section is told from the point of view of Yeong-hye’s brother-in-law who is a video artist. He develops an odd obsession with his sister-in-law. I won’t tell you any details about that section because I don’t want to give anything away. The final section is told from the point of view of her sister. And again I won’t tell you the contents of the section because it gives away too much of the story. When I read the story I didn’t really know much about it besides that it’s about a woman who decides to become a vegetarian. I think not knowing the story in advance really added to my enjoyment of it. I would like you to have the same enjoyment.
This book is not magical realism but has a kind of magical quality. The writing is simple but lyrical. The descriptions of Yeong-hye and her actions are almost otherworldly at points.
The book deals with some difficult subjects like abuse and violence. There are some scenes that might be difficult for certain readers. The story is layered, complex and compelling. I usually take a while to finish a book, but I read this book and three days.
The last section of the book that was my favorite section. It had some of the most beautiful writing and explores the relationship between the sisters in a way that was fascinating, but I’m not sure about how I feel about the ending. Still, I wholeheartedly recommend this book and think that you should give it a try. You can get it here. (Affiliate link)