I really wanted to like this, but I was just very disappointed. 

Han Kang is, undeniably, an incredible author. The switch in perspective and the different writing styles was an impressive way to establish each characters personality.

I especially loved the detail of In-Hye using names for characters in comparison to the husband and brother in law simply using ‘wife’ or ‘sister’. I thought it was a subtle but effective way to show objectification of women.

With that being said, I was expecting a lot more from this. I disliked almost every character besides In-Hye which made it quite unenjoyable to read. We don’t really get to know Yeong-Hye until the last chapter, which I understand is intentional, but it made me feel disconnected from the story because Yeong-Hye is our protagonist. The ending is also anti climactic, and the whole ‘turning into a tree’ aspect felt gimmicky. 

I do think this is a great book if you’re looking for feminist theory and discussion rather than an entertaining read. I understand the appeal, but going into this blind definitely left me feeling unfulfilled.