Han Kang's novel "The Vegetarian" has been named one of the 100 greatest English-language novels by the British daily newspaper The Guardian.
According to Yonhap News Agency on May 19, The Guardian released its "100 Greatest Novels" list on May 16 (local time), based on votes from 172 writers, critics, and scholars from around the world. Each participant selected their top ten English-language novels of all time in order of preference, and The Guardian compiled the final list by combining the number of votes and the weighted ranking of each selection.
Han Kang's "The Vegetarian" Ranked 85th by The Guardian
"The Vegetarian" ranked 85th, receiving votes from four contributors: Japanese novelist Murata Sayaka, British novelist Sophie Mackintosh, Tahmima Anam, and British journalist Emma Loffhagen. It was the only novel by an author of Asian nationality included in this year’s list. Among novels by authors of Asian descent, Kazuo Ishiguro, the Japanese-British novelist and 2017 Nobel Laureate in Literature, was also represented with "The Remains of the Day" (24th) and "Never Let Me Go" (59th).
The English version of Han Kang's novel The Vegetarian, placed at the Korean Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium. Instagram capture
원본보기 아이콘The Guardian described Han Kang as follows: "Deborah Smith’s translation introduced this Korean author to Western readers, earning the International Booker Prize in 2016, and in 2024 she was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature." Regarding "The Vegetarian," the paper explained, "This three-part story centers on a woman who, after a series of brutal dreams, rejects meat and is eventually committed to a psychiatric hospital."
'2016 Man Booker Prize - 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature Winner'
Taking the top spot among the 100 novels was "Middlemarch" (1871) by Victorian-era British novelist George Eliot, which received 56 votes. The Guardian praised the novel as "an intricately woven epic that explores work and marriage, ambition and creativity, selfishness and community spirit, all set against the backdrop of political, social, and technological upheaval." Other works in the top ranks included Toni Morrison's "Beloved" (2nd), James Joyce's "Ulysses" (3rd), Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse" (4th), and Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" (5th).
This year's list was notable for the strong presence of female authors. In contrast, major figures in late 20th-century American literature, such as Norman Mailer, John Updike, and Philip Roth, were absent, a result attributed to discomfort with their portrayals of women. Key figures in the British literary scene, such as Martin Amis and Ian McEwan, were also left out. However, despite its controversial themes, Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" was included.
Meanwhile, genre literature and children's novels, such as J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and the Harry Potter series, were excluded. The British current affairs magazine The Spectator criticized this, suggesting that the selection was based more on the authors' ethnic backgrounds than on literary merit.
