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A review by bookshelfbybub
The White Book by Han Kang
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I think this book is categorized improperly as a literary fiction novel. It is truly a book of narrative poetry and should be read and evaluated as such.
I enjoyed many of the themes explored in the book. The color white was used as a creative through-line, and, although it appeared in each poem, it was not overly repetitive or overdone.
Some of the poems in the middle of the book were unremarkable/ forgettable. The strongest moments were when the author was directly meditating on the death of the sister character or death as a whole. I also really liked the idea of seeing the world through someone else’s non-living eyes. There were a lot of creative interpretations of death. (My favorite poem was “Yulan.”) Despite this, the book’s tone was meditative, not sorrowful.
I enjoyed many of the themes explored in the book. The color white was used as a creative through-line, and, although it appeared in each poem, it was not overly repetitive or overdone.
Some of the poems in the middle of the book were unremarkable/ forgettable. The strongest moments were when the author was directly meditating on the death of the sister character or death as a whole. I also really liked the idea of seeing the world through someone else’s non-living eyes. There were a lot of creative interpretations of death. (My favorite poem was “Yulan.”) Despite this, the book’s tone was meditative, not sorrowful.