2.01k reviews for:

不做告别

Han Kang

4.09 AVERAGE

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Han Kang really is master of beautiful prose and surrealistic historical fiction. This one particularly hurts me; how Inseon carefully learns about her family’s past and the deep, permanent wound that is inflicted to them all. I use this phrase a lot but it really is an elongated heartbreak.
challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

***1/2

Hard to know how to rate this. Part of me feels I just didn't "get it". It's haunting, surreal, dark, detached. (There is also a lot of snow which is weird to read when it's 90 degrees outside). It was always a little hard to see where the book was going, and I found the first half more compelling than the second. This novel tackles Korean history and cultural issues that I am probably not familiar enough with as an American reader to truly appreciate, but I did learn about a little of the history and turmoil in that country.

This is my first Han Kang. Who knows if it was the best place to start.

{owned, Kindle}
emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
challenging dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
dark reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
dark emotional reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

My first book by Han Kang was The Vegetarian. This was vastly different but excellent.  It will require some reflection on my part, and probably a second reading.  I knew nothing of the US involvement in the period of Korean history. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju_uprising
medium-paced

Started: 07/16/25
Finished: 07/17/25
Format: 📱
Source: Libby (BPL)
Genre: Fiction 
Rating: ⭐️⭐️

N/A
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No