A review by redredreadred
Human Acts by Han Kang

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I committed to reading more starting next year. 

I joined a book club and the first book is this one, I rushed to buy a copy and finish it before the event. I was excited to read again and especially this book was written by the 2024 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature.

I knew that the novel will center around the 1980s Gwangju Uprising in Korea. I knew I will be reading a translation and it will potentially have some lost cultural nuances. I was not prepared to bawl at this 220ish-page book. Han Kang's (and Deborah Smith's) prose is harrowing, brutally honest and gut-punching.