The Vegetarian - Han Kang

Women in South-Korea live on a mental territory the size of a stamp that they dare not lick it. That's my rude conclusion after reading both The Vegetarian by Nobel prize winner Han Kang and Kim Jiyoung born 1982. Why oh why, does things have to get nasty, even grotesque for us to be able to talk about women and their natural born rights as (hu)man. There's really nothing much more to say about that book, I question modern day literature, it's not that great, yet, I myself write. 

That is what I've been doing for the past month, write, write, write... and now I translate, translate, translate into English, a language I still find more my own. 

In any case... I think I might not make the 53 books in 2024 mark, but I have been pondering about my personal finalists. It's very possible that the prize goes to the Caribbeans but I'm also considering At Night All Blood is Black, by Diop. I found it at the flea market in an English translation for one euro. The Swedish translation was not that great but now, it's among the finalists. I read a chapter of Diops book and the first chapter of L'Étranger to my oldest kid, who is almost no longer a child but a grown up now (naturally, I wouldn't read either to a young child). Diops book had a more beautiful language, we both agreed. For sure...Christie will not get the rewards, the Carribean tie is between Karolina Ramqvist and Jean Rhys now. 

South Korean feminism is not for me, I'm like an elephant in a porcelain store, it's just not going to work. I could do well to try Japan and read the Makioka Sisters, apparently its like Jane Austen, only later and like...in Japan. We'll see. A full month of my year has been intensive writing and more... I've longed for Bocaccio and Auster as well as We by Zamyatin, I've also listened to the saga of Kristin Lavransdotter but I'll be the first one to admit that I'm desperately behind with reading. I'm not surprised, I tend to do this, to set the bar too high. 

Anyway, imaginary reader, happy reading and keep it up, there's still time. 




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