reviewing 3 feminist horror books written by Korean women
exploring translated fiction by Han Kang and Bora Chung.
The Books!
The Vegetarian (2007) by Han Kang
Cursed Bunny (2017) by Bora Chung
Your Utopia (2021) by Bora Chung
The Vegetarian (2007) by Han Kang
Translated from Korean by Deborah Smith
(psychological horror / contemporary literary fiction)
Sheeesh. This was so much sadder than I expected. Lots of warnings needed for this book. This was super powerful though, with clear intentions about society's many different reactions to female agency. This is about a young Korean woman whose choice to stop eating meat spirals into madness and violence inflicted upon her. Her family tries to reassert control over her decisions and only provoke her to resist in every way possible.
Yeong-hye is the main character, but the only peek into her view we get are her recalling her dreams, which she credits for making her do what she does. Instead, we see through the eyes of her husband (ick), her brother-in-law (ick), and her sister. Her husband is disgusted by her, her in-law fetishizes her, and her sister is frustrated with her. They all impose their will on her one way or another, and it never results in what they want.
For me, I was pulled back and forth on the question of Yeong-hye's sanity. I wanted to believe that she was okay, or would at least be okay soon. She sounded reasonable. She was troubled, but choosing her own path. As time went on, she not only rejected social norms, but her own body.
The dehumanization and objectification by the men in the story were vivid. Kang really immerses you into their perspective, tells you the reasoning they give themselves as to why it's okay to take advantage of her. Her humanity had to become clearer as the story went on, but even her sister has reasons she gives herself for denying Yeong-hye's will.
I really loved the contrast between the two sisters, how they each responded differently to the same societal pressures and trauma. The sister's perspective was so important. "I have dreams too, you know." What happened in this story was brutal, but it carried with it an air of intrigue, and an air of being able to trigger madness itself. A visceral and beautiful experience if you want something dark, disturbing, and feminist.
Cursed Bunny (2017) by Bora Chung
Translated from Korean by Anton Hur
(horror / sci-fi / fantasy / short story collection)
I usually find short story collections to be full of hits and misses, but each story here was a hit for me. They were all different and strangely gripping, creative scenarios with a few themes in common, like body autonomy, patriarchy, memory, connection and greed.
Here a woman is tormented by something growing in her toilet, a lamp curses whoever touches it, and a man keeps captive a fox that bleeds gold. One woman gets pregnant FROM birth control pills, a boy with superpowers is forced to fight in a ring, and a princess crosses a desert to break a curse.
These are all short premises, but they make way for really interesting stories and social commentary. Chung has an attention for detail but doesn't let that distract her from delivering a story with power.
Another idea that kept recurring was duty to family and tradition. These seem to be very strong cultural values in Korea. In some stories Chung challenges values, showing the lengths people will go to for duty, or against duty, and how it can break them. She demonstrates instances where resisting the pressure of duty can be beneficial to someone, or harmful because society is punishing when you resist social norms.
Chung is thoroughly exploring these themes in an entertaining and thought-provoking way. My favorite was surprisingly "Ruler of the Winds and Sands", which was pure fantasy. I think "The Embodiment" would make a great short film. This was really cool. I want to read more from her.
Your Utopia (2021) by Bora Chung
Translated from Korean by Anton Hur
(sci-fi / horror / speculative fiction / short story collection)
Another awesome collection from Bora Chung. This one was more action-packed and mysterious, and more philosophical, I think. There was a lot of suspense-building while slowly unveiling information. This is certainly a post-pandemic novel that deals with the feelings involved with isolation, protest, and capitalism. The environments here feel more cursed and monotonous than in Cursed Bunny, so the stories are less memorable, but it was still a good time.
Here we have secret alien wives, an infectious disease that turns people into cannibals, an AI elevator who loves an elderly woman, genetically modified humans, and a lone solar car surviving on a planet after the humans left with their power sources.
My least favorite was the very first one, "The Center for Immortality Research". The writing was super repetitive, which was the point, because it's about a worker doing shitty tasks for her bosses. But it bored me. The rest of the stories made up for it.
Hands were a common motif in the book - robot arms, amputated limbs, the ability or inability for physical touch. Touch as intimacy and intimacy without touch. There were themes of distrust and hidden motives, and a lot of ponderings about the value of hope and purpose in life. Memory is also big in this book too, specifically the fragility or strength of it.
Every story seems tied to some utopian goal, or ideal that people are striving for. Total equality, extending life, total control of nature for profit, the ability to find objective truth, the ability to live in peace.
One of my favorites, "The End of the Voyage" follows the quick, violent destruction of the planet and the people on board the spaceship that escaped it. Riveting, gorey, lots of plot twists, and it was funny. The last one, "To Meet Her" made me cry. It was so heartfelt and the narrator, an old lady determined to see a speaker in spite of a terrorist attack, was a hoot.
There were a lot of different environments here, ranging across space and time. I think the author's note at the end really ties it all together, and I appreciate her work as a way of critiquing oppressions and dealing with the emotions involved with them. Beautiful work!
I didn’t go into this intending to read more Korean fiction; it just happened that way. I found The Vegetarian at the library, and I was struck by how impactful the writing was. As for Bora Chung, I’ve seen her in my recommended for a long time, and I’m glad I finally read some of her work.
I now find myself drawn to learning about the 4B movement - AKA the 4 No’s.
No dating men.
No sex with men.
No marriage with men.
No birthing children.
The purpose of the 4 No’s is to resist Korea’s patriarchal social structure and the pro-natalist policies of its government. The birthrate in South Korea is the lowest it’s ever been, and the state’s attempts at reversing course have been short-term and ineffective. Like in Japan, a lot of the birth rate has to do with the economy and work culture. It’s hard for people to keep a life outside of work when they are always expected to do overtime, and childcare and housing are expensive.
South Korean women find it even harder to foster financial independence and control. Work expects their utter dedication, but women are less likely to get promotions and raises, and can be passed up for employment based on their likeliness to get pregnant. Yet, they’re still told to have more children for the sake of the nation. Not to mention, when domestic violence is considered shameful to speak up about, how do they expect women to feel safe in a domestic role?
Ah, to be a female human on Earth. When it comes to gender inequality, most of it seems to be a series of contradictions. I can’t blame the women who refuse to participate anymore. Unmanaged patriarchy and capitalism have social consequences. Who would have thought?
I’m so glad I got around to making a review post again, maybe they’ll get more regular, or they’ll stay spotty. I don’t know, but I’m enjoying my books. If you’ve read anything by Han Kang or Bora Chung, let me know in the comments what you thought about it. And if you have any suggestions for other books, send me a message.
I hope y’all are enjoying the summer. Stay cool, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and avoid heat stroke. See you soon!