ChickLit Pad

I was defended this book to some fellow bookstagrammers who described it as strange and weird as a book that rightly depicts mental disorder and for that reason needed to be strange and weird. This book spoke to me in so many ways, topics such as mental disorder are close to my heart. For this reason I am thrilled it won the Manbooker International Prize!

PURCHASE/GOODREADS

MY REVIEW

"I can't live like this. My head hearts." This book is heart-breaking. Well-written. I've found myself in so many emotional states as I read it. Anger. Sadness. Fury. Dejectedness. 😔 Imagine This: You go from vegetarian to not having sex with your husband, to being divorced, to being shoved food down your throat, to thinking you're a tree, to going insane. This book shows howb abuse from our childhood sticks with us and manifests itself in ways that could make us mental. Go read this book! #bookstagram #foodstagram #TheVegetarian

A photo posted by Kobby Ben Ben (@bookworm_man) on Dec 18, 2016 at 5:22am PST

"Even though I've stopped wearing a bra, I can feel this lump all the time. No matter how deeply I inhale, it doesn't go away. | Yells and howls, threaded together layer upon layer, are enmeshed to form that lump. Because of meat. I ate too much meat. The lives of the animals I ate have all lodged there. Blood and flesh, all those butchered bodies are scattered in every nook and cranny, and though the physical remnants were excreted, their lives still stick stubbornly to my insides..." 😣 Disgusted. That's how I feel as I read this book. The husband's plight of dealing with a wife who won't eat meat. The wife's sordid dreams that make me want to vomit. Too much blood. Too much sick. Nothing to help it. 😷 Read pg50 and I wonder if my buddy-readers (@tackfiction and @sandwavesandbooks) occasionally felt the sick rising up their gullets. 😫 Cat, are you Almost done? I saw meat and turned it down. Beef, to be more specific which our lead character hates. The mum stared at me weirdly, then, "well more servings for the rest of us." She's not going to force it down my throat like it's happening with our lead and her father. Sadly, I must rather admit, sadly. Want some meat pushed down my mouth, my face slapped so I could spread apart my teeth (—which I assure you wouldn't be clenched!) But right now, I'm disgusted with meat. Must finish soon! 😔 #bookstagram #bibliophile #foodporn #bookporn #rice #african #TheVegetarian #vegan #diet #GHANA #accra #foodie

A photo posted by Kobby Ben Ben (@bookworm_man) on Dec 7, 2016 at 7:23am PST

Might never lead a healthy life! But don't crucify me, this is what I feel like making my #foodporn tonight! 😜 Anyway @sandwavesandbooks and @tackfiction and I are reading #TheVegetarian together and sharing our thoughts on it. The two are way ahead because I'm supposed to be the worst buddy-reader balancing schooling (#PurpleHibiscus) with fun! 😞 So 25pgs and I believe I should have read this earlier! Loving the writing! I had thought it would be written from the wife's POV, as she's who the blurb is about. OMG moment right from the start. Not far into the story, but feel the scandal a mile ahead. There's a reason it beat LaDivine(—another good read!) to the Manbooker. Would continue tomorrow! 😁 #bookstagram #manbooker2016 #currentread #supper #malereader #menwhoread

A photo posted by Kobby Ben Ben (@bookworm_man) on Dec 6, 2016 at 1:57pm PST