Monthly Book Club: The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Welcome to the Monthly Book Club the discussion edition of the Budapest Silent Book Club.

Our next book is The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

Yeong-hye has always lived an ordinary, quiet life. Then, after a disturbing dream, she decides to stop eating meat. What begins as a seemingly simple personal choice gradually becomes something much larger, affecting her marriage, her family, and the way the people around her see and try to control her.

The Vegetarian is a short but intense novel about autonomy, conformity, desire, violence, family expectations, and what can happen when someone refuses to live according to the rules others have set for them.

Rather than trying to “solve” the book, we’ll use the meetup to talk about what stayed with us: the characters, the different perspectives in the novel, the moments that disturbed or confused us, and the questions the story raises.

📅 Saturday, 24 October 2026
🕒 15:00–17:00
📍 Altair (included photo of the entrance)

Schedule
15:00–15:15 — Arrival and introductions
15:15–16:45 — Book discussion
16:45–17:00 — Final thoughts and next book

I’ll bring a few discussion questions to get us started, but the conversation will be informal and open, there are no right interpretations and no preparation is needed beyond reading the book.

Please note that the discussion will contain full spoilers, so finishing the book beforehand is recommended.

Whether you loved it, hated it, found it beautiful, uncomfortable, confusing, or didn’t quite know what to make of it, you’re very welcome to join.

Newcomers are absolutely welcome, and the discussion will be in English.