Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Human Acts by Han Kang

189 reviews

thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Child death, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

georgw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

It's a well-written novel but it's not my genre. I also think it's a bit weird to mix historical tales of horror and torture with ghost stories and spiritualism. I want to learn more about this event but with the mix of fact and fiction I'd do better just reading Wikipedia.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Torture, Gun violence, Grief, Child death, War, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide and Rape

sara277's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

To me this book is the definition of “raw”. It’s honest and brutal with descriptions of violence and rotten corpses. It’s also beautiful at times, and very very sad. 
Human Acts is a window to a very dark chapter of Korean history, and learning about it through these characters and the author’s own connections to the massacre is horrible but so important.
I loved that all the stories were connected, not just through the event but through the characters knowing each other. I need to read it again to appreciate those connections better.
Also, wonderful writing, can’t wait to read the Vegetarian.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

ana_reads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

this book was both beautiful and deeply upsetting. Han Kang is an incredible writer and Deborah Smith's translation is fantastic. The story structure was really cool. While it was a little strange to get used to at first, the second-person perspective turned out to be one of my favourite things about this story. The way the pov shifts between each chapter from 2nd person to 1st to 3rd was really clever. The flow of time was also really well done, going between past and present somewhat interchangeably. Some of them survive the initial event, but through the flow of their current experience interweaved with their past experience, it highlighted how much they didn't really get to move on in a way that feels very realistic to how trauma and ptsd can affect people. 

This is a really powerful story, with a well written framework and writing style and interesting characters. A truly incredible read! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Torture, and Police brutality

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide

krystalgaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.5

So heavy.. reminded me of the martial law period in my own country. This book is a very good exploration of the effects of dictatorship in a state, as well as the multiple perspectives of those who lost their loved ones in the fight for justice.

Sufficiently gory, did not overdo the depiction of trauma.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Sexual assault, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Physical abuse, and Torture

Minor: Suicide

alicekorchard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Genocide, Police brutality, Blood, Violence, Murder, Death, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide

arieslofi's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Death, Violence, and Torture

syllareads's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide

anh_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Anhand verschiedener Charaktere und Perspektiven beschreibt dieser Roman eindrucksvoll die Geschehnisse um Gwangju-Massaker in 1980 und ihre Auswirkungen auf Überlebende und die Angehörigen der Opfer. Da ich zuvor noch nie davon gehört habe, war ich schockiert, mit welcher Brutalität man versucht hat, Demonstrationen zu unterdrücken. 

Es ist definitiv kein einfaches Buch. Man sollte sich definitiv die Triggerwarnungen unbedingt vorher durchlesen. Ansonsten lässt sich das Buch gut und schnell lesen. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, War, Police brutality, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Infertility

Minor: Suicide

kenyoncannotread's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

One of the hardest reads for me, emotionally, ever. Check the content warnings first, but this will be one of the best books you’ll ever read if you pick it up.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Alcohol, Gun violence, Death, Rape, Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Sexual assault, Confinement, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Gore