The Vegetarian is a visceral, provocative, and deeply disturbing novel with striking imagery and thematic complexity that lingers in the mind long after reading.

At first, Yeonghye, the main character even if we don't get her perspective in the book, appears to be reclaiming her agency and going against societal conventions and expected behaviors. But the story goes deeper than that. For most of the book, she is trying to free herself even though she seems unsure of what exactly she wants to be free of. By the end, she renounces not only meat but so many other things in her life, until she ends up renouncing humanity itself. She finds liberation in the idea of not being an animal anymore and instead aspiring to be a plant, as she declares at one point in the novel. The meaning behind this renunciation is hard to grasp but it's fascinating to contemplate.

Yeonghye story unfolds through the perspective of those around her. The first section narrated by her husband seems to reflect on the fragility of the lives we build, especially when they are built on pretenses and conformity. The second section, told from her brother-in-law's perspective, explores the dangers and the violence of desire and obsession. The final section is narrated by her sister who reflects on conformity and how easy it can be to go insane when you can no longer stand your life as it is. Each point of view brings a different way of perceiving Yeonghye, with exasperation, desire, pity, or a weird sense of envy.

Overall, The Vegetarian is a very compelling, thought-provoking, and well-written story.