Description: The Stark Coexistence of Violence and Beauty — The Enduring Power of Han Kang's Fiction, Still Read Anew Published by Changbi in 2007, The Vegetarian has been steadily translated and published in numerous countries since 2010, including Japan, China, and France. After the prestigious literary publisher Portobello released the English edition in 2015, the novel became a sensation, reaching No. 1 on the fiction bestseller list at the UK's Foyles bookstore. Following the 2016 US publication by Hogarth, the literary imprint of Penguin Random House—one of America's largest publishing groups—the novel received glowing reviews from major outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and Library Journal. Publishers Weekly named The Vegetarian the top pick among its 'Most Anticipated Novels of Spring 2016,' quickly placing it at the center of literary attention. That same year, it went on to win the 2016 International Booker Prize, cementing its status as a truly global work of literature. Part One, 'The Vegetarian,' is narrated from the perspective of Yeong-hye's husband, 'I.' Haunted by a childhood memory of killing a dog that had bitten her leg, Yeong-hye is one day gripped by a horrifying vision in a dream and begins to reject eating meat. Unable to understand her behavior, 'I' enlists her family's help to try to stop her. At a housewarming party at her sister In-hye's home, Yeong-hye again refuses to eat meat, and when her displeased father tries to force meat into her mouth, Yeong-hye slashes her wrist on the spot. Part Two, 'Mongolian Mark,' unfolds from the perspective of In-hye's husband—Yeong-hye's brother-in-law—a video artist referred to as 'I.' After hearing from his wife In-hye that Yeong-hye still has a Mongolian mark on her hip, 'I' becomes consumed with desire for her body. He approaches Yeong-hye and asks her to model for a video art piece. Eventually, 'I' paints flowers on his own body, becomes physically intimate with Yeong-hye while filming the video piece, and the next day his wife discovers the two of them naked. Part Three, 'Flaming Trees,' is told from the perspective of In-hye, who is left to care for Yeong-hye after the rest of the family has turned away from her. In-hye visits Yeong-hye, who has stopped eating and even refuses IV fluids, withering away like a tree branch. Yeong-hye tells her that she will soon become a tree. Bound by the memory of violence imprinted in her childhood, Yeong-hye—who wholly rejects eating meat and dreams of becoming a tree—seems to be seeking to break the cycle of violence and become a harmless being that causes no injury to any other living thing. The author, who has continually questioned the essence of humanity and delved deeply into the theme of 'pain,' shared the following in the author's note for this new edition: 'I confess I have held complicated feelings about this book. (...) But now, with gray hairs at my temples and a clearer mind than ever, I have the strength to embrace this novel—a book still filled with vivid pain and questions.' (from the newly written author's note) Meanwhile, The Vegetarian has had its publishing rights sold to more than 40 countries to date. This past September, it was adapted into a stage play and performed at the National Theater Company of Korea, and it is set to meet international audiences in December at the Théâtre de Liège in Belgium.