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mathearype's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
5.0
I finished this really quickly in one sitting. The reason I gave this 5 stars is because it simply made me cry. In my opinion, everything that makes you cry is a 5star. If it awokes feelings, it has done its job.
I live in Northern Europe and I could really relate to the long winter nights she spoke about. The despair and loneliness I feel was very much reflected through this book.
My favourite part had to be «언니», since it made me cry.
The novel evidently defies genre and due to its unusual structure, it challenges you to think and make sense of what she really is telling you. To me, it felt like walking through an art gallery. Going through it piece by piece and part by part, not missing any corners. In the sense of feeling trapped in a room and being forced to face new and difficult perspectives and emotions.
Side note: I really love how Han Kang reflects on what it means to be human beings and what connects us to the world as individuals. What do we bring that is different and new? And what is really the point in living? She is definitely one of my favorite writers at this point.
"Black. writing. through. white. paper" (essentially the entire book)
I live in Northern Europe and I could really relate to the long winter nights she spoke about. The despair and loneliness I feel was very much reflected through this book.
My favourite part had to be «언니», since it made me cry.
The novel evidently defies genre and due to its unusual structure, it challenges you to think and make sense of what she really is telling you. To me, it felt like walking through an art gallery. Going through it piece by piece and part by part, not missing any corners. In the sense of feeling trapped in a room and being forced to face new and difficult perspectives and emotions.
Side note: I really love how Han Kang reflects on what it means to be human beings and what connects us to the world as individuals. What do we bring that is different and new? And what is really the point in living? She is definitely one of my favorite writers at this point.
"Black. writing. through. white. paper" (essentially the entire book)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Miscarriage, Death, Grief, Child death, and War
m4rtt4's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Beautiful.
For me, white has always been one of my least favourite colours, one I've considered dull, empty, sterile and soulless. This book not only made me see white, but also hear and taste it — it was so vivid, as it deserves to be. Because after all, if you add up all the colours — the visible wavelengths of light — you get white.
This book made me feel so many things, it submerged me in melancholy and made me yearn for things I already have (been taking for granted) and as I look outside to the soft fall of February snow, I can't quite see it the same as I used to.
For someone who's lived her entire life in Northern Europe, the endlessly dark winters and heaps of snow are so mundane that Kang's protagonist being in awe of them really took me aback. The winters can be (and will be) depressing, yet they also are a home — something to be appreciated, to be missed — and miss them I would, were I ever to set my foot on a foreign soil.
For me, white has always been one of my least favourite colours, one I've considered dull, empty, sterile and soulless. This book not only made me see white, but also hear and taste it — it was so vivid, as it deserves to be. Because after all, if you add up all the colours — the visible wavelengths of light — you get white.
This book made me feel so many things, it submerged me in melancholy and made me yearn for things I already have (been taking for granted) and as I look outside to the soft fall of February snow, I can't quite see it the same as I used to.
For someone who's lived her entire life in Northern Europe, the endlessly dark winters and heaps of snow are so mundane that Kang's protagonist being in awe of them really took me aback. The winters can be (and will be) depressing, yet they also are a home — something to be appreciated, to be missed — and miss them I would, were I ever to set my foot on a foreign soil.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Death of parent
maya_irl's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Grief
kia_y_k's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: War, Genocide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Death
belladonnashrike's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
this was so beautiful and so incredibly sad. definitely something I will revisit in the future, i’m going to be thinking about some of these essays & poems for awhile.
favorites (in no particular order)
- breast milk
- she
- wave
- moon
- breath cloud
- small white pills
- white pebble
- sand
- black writing through white paper
- parting
sand.
favorites (in no particular order)
- breast milk
- she
- wave
- moon
- breath cloud
- small white pills
- white pebble
- sand
- black writing through white paper
- parting
sand.
and she frequently forgot,
that her body (all our bodies) is a house of sand.
that it had shattered and is shattering still.
slipping stubbornly through her fingers.
also hey bestie if you’re reading this thank you for the book xx I loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
catandherbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death
leahb88's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This book of narrative poetry is so beautifully written and translated. It explored so many different aspects -the colour white as pure, white as life, white as pain, white as a contrast to dark, white as silence… gorgeous. All as a conduit for the narrator working through grief and loss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Child death
itskarla's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Child death, and Grief
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Earlier this year I read Human Acts by the same author and was completely stunnend by it, so I was a bit scared to try
any of her other works, especially because they seemed quite different in style and I feared I would not love them as much. Well, I fretted for nothing really, I was absolutely mesmerized by The White Book.
I found the writing style so poetic and evocative. I loved the poetry sections, even as someone who reads very little poetry.
I was completely absorbed in this sober but at the same time deep and powerful exploration of grief. The final chapter really moved me and I got a bit teary-eyed.
It is a book that I'm surely going to return to.
any of her other works, especially because they seemed quite different in style and I feared I would not love them as much. Well, I fretted for nothing really, I was absolutely mesmerized by The White Book.
I found the writing style so poetic and evocative. I loved the poetry sections, even as someone who reads very little poetry.
I was completely absorbed in this sober but at the same time deep and powerful exploration of grief. The final chapter really moved me and I got a bit teary-eyed.
It is a book that I'm surely going to return to.
There are certain memories that remain inviolate to the ravages of time. And to those of suffering. It is not true that everything is colored by time and suffering. It is not true that they bring everything to ruin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: War, Pregnancy, and Death
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Animal death, and Antisemitism
samarakroeger's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
what Bluets wanted to be but Han Kang did it better
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Miscarriage