Winner of the Man Booker International Prize 2016. This is a really strange book but somehow compelling. It all starts when Mr Cheong's wife has a terrifying recurring dream and decides to become vegetarian, but as we get deeper into the book it becomes obvious that Yeong-hye's passive rebellion stems from something much deeper, from the violence she's been subjected to and a society that condones the oppression of women. This window into modern Korean culture shows it to be depressingly backwards, with wives expected to be submissive and mental health issues carrying a huge stigma.

Sent to msjoanna from Alphabet VBB round 18. Enjoy!

Received! Thanks very much.

This strange book is divided into three parts. I don't think all the parts appeal to all readers, but interestingly there's no consensus among readers about which part the reader enjoyed most. This is a difficult book to review because it's so strange. It starts with Yeong-hye deciding not to eat meat any more after having a disturbing dream. But it's so metaphorical that the vegetarianism quickly takes a back seat to the reality that this is a book about control: control over one's body, control over one's life, control over the environment.

What's clear throughout these strange meditations is that the characters are suffering when they feel that their lives are forced into obedience to expectation rather than being lived in an authentic way that they choose.

I'm glad I read this. But I can't describe it adequately. I wish I had read it with a thoughtful bookclub so I'd have people to discuss it with. (But not my actual bookclub, who would hate this book.)