The Vegetarian

Though Korea may not be the Hermit Kingdom it once was (even our local ICA store carries kimchi these days), I was still happy to discover a Korean bestseller in translation, especially one dealing with themes that troubled me deeply when I lived there. Just reading the first pages threw me back into a world of estranged marriages, unyielding gender roles, and communal meals. Somehow, there is an unmistakable shadow of Kierkegaard between the lines: what it does to our souls when we objectify others.

Like in most novels, there is a corresponding lack of communication – “if only the characters would talk to each other”. Yet, unlike my younger self, I am less certain these days about what words can actually say. Boundaries wearing thin.

In four days, we will fly to Billund and Legoland, where we will celebrate Eddie’s fifth birthday. Afterwards, we plan to take the ferry back to Sweden and Gothenburg, where I will turn 39 and, hopefully, get to sleep in a bit behind the red velvet curtains of Hotel Post.