The Vegetarian by Han Kang

When I first read that Han Kang had become the first South Korean writer and the first female Asian writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature I decided to look into her work. As of this writing, four of her books have been translated into English - the book receiving the most "buzz" is her 2007 novel, The Vegetarian. Wikipedia describes the book as being "set in modern-day Seoul and tells the story of Yeong-hye, a part-time graphic artist and home-maker, whose decision to stop eating meat after a bloody nightmare about human cruelty leads to devastating consequences in her personal and familial life". That description wasn't enough to encourage me to read the book, but in spite of that ho-hum description Han's winning the Noble Prize led me to download the ebook and place it in the queue.

I'm glad I did. The book is much more than the wikipedia description would have one believe. There are elements dealing with abuse, sexual infidelity and mental illness. Han takes the story to places I did not expect it to go. The Vegetarian has received much deserved international critical acclaim and a number of prestigious awards. After reading this novel, I'll certainly add more of Han's work into the queue.

However, not everyone in Korea is pleased with Han and The Vegetarian. The Confederation of National Parents' Associations in Korea has called for the removal of The Vegetarian from school libraries, arguing that it is harmful to minors. The group says that the extreme and violent content - as well as the sexual content - makes the novel inappropriate for elementary, middle or high school students. I would add that the portions of the novel dealing with mental illness make the book a difficult read for children in that age group.

As much as I believe that this book is well deserving of praise, I don't believe it is a book for younger audiences. I don't feel comfortable with book bans, in general, but there are some books which elementary, middle or high school students shouldn't be encouraged to read.The Vegetarian is one such book.