Han
Kang, born in South Korea, winner of The Yi Sang, Young Artist and
Manhae Literary Awards, as well as a professor in the Department of
Creative Writing at Seoul, published her novel The Vegetarian in 2015 with Hogarth Press.
This
novel received literary acclaim such as being similar to the writing of
Franz Kafka to which I wholeheartedly disagree. While Han is an
astounding writer and keeps the reader on edge, the ending falls
horribly flat and leaves the reader not with choices or even thought,
but any various ending one can imagine in their mind. This is not why I
read books. If I must imagine an ending that the author is unable or
unwilling to write, I might as well write my own book.
Kang
is excellent at presenting a seamless story through the eyes of three
people and leaves the reader compelled as to what will happen next only
to leave the reader angry wishing they did not waste three hours of
their life reading this book. If there were a sequel, the abrupt ending
that goes nowhere is understandable, however, there is no sequel.