Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Human Acts by Han Kang

12 reviews

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. 

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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

claireh6's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Police brutality, Self harm, Physical abuse, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Death, Sexual violence, Grief, Alcoholism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse

seulgireads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child death, Confinement, Death, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Rape, Sexism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Infertility, Cursing, Suicide, and Misogyny

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Vomit, Self harm, Cancer, and Excrement

somelibrarychick's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Child death, and Sexual assault

literaryjunarin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

 “Bearing that in mind, the question which remains to us is this: what is humanity? What do we have to do to keep humanity as one thing and not another?” 

Deeply upsetting, and painfully brutal, Han Kang laid out different stories from victims of the Gwangju Uprising in South Korea, in 1980.

I loved the second-person narrative instantly. It made my reading experience much more immersive. At one point, I actually felt the sweat trickling down my back as was described in the book. That sounds weird, but anyway. As much as I loved the narration style, it also made the torture and oppression feel more painful.

My favorite story would be The Boy's Friend. I was so invested in reading the point of view of a soul, and not a living character. It was so dark and unsettling. However, The Boy's Mother chapter is so heart-wrenching. All the mother's reminiscings of his dead son made me cry so much I could hardly read thru my tears.

Han Kang has this special way of writing about bodies, deaths, and souls. I enjoyed The Vegetarian but this book is on a whole another level.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Death, Confinement, Torture, Child death, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Gun violence, Violence, and Grief

lowercase_em's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Murder, Sexual violence, Death, Death of parent, Gore, War, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence

ksenie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Excrement, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders

rieviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I can only say that this book wrecked me, it was a superb and heartbreaking punch to the stomach. 

I really loved the writing style, I think it struck a very good balance between direct/matter-of-fact and poetic. A lot of scenes deeply moved me and I can still picture them so vividly in my mind because the author crafted them with such powerful and evocative words. 

One of the things that I appreciated the most was the choice to include different point of views. It was so very interesting to follow the story through different eyes and I think that the author did a really good job at inhabiting the characters. 
Each chapter includes and expands on a character that we have already briefly met before in the story; I think it is a very artful narrative choice and it will certainly make for a meaningful re-read, once one is already aware of all the interconnections. I also really loved the final chapter from the author's POV. 

As you can see from the long list of trigger warnings, the author does not shy away from the more graphic details of those horrific events. Not once while reading, I thought that it is was overdone just for the sake of it, it is simply an honest depiction of brutal happenings, but please keep that in mind and look after yourself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Vomit, Suicide, and Sexism

Minor: Infertility and Terminal illness

seasidess's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

cowboyvelma's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Excrement, Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and War