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A review by sabbygee
Human Acts by Han Kang
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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? N/A
3.0
Told from several perspectives of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and the years that follow, Han Kang doesn’t shy away from grisly descriptions of violence and despair to walk readers through a pivotal period in South Korea’s history.
It’s certainly not a book you’d devour in one sitting. It took a lot of time and effort for me to fully immerse. Even when I did, I didn’t feel totally committed. Every chapter is told from a different character’s perspective so the writing changes a bit each time. It made the narrative seem fragmented for me though so it’s probably why I felt detached from the whole story. In the end, it left me feeling more sadness than pain but no lasting impression.
(P.S. still, thank you Kim Namjoon for indirectly recommending this book.)
It’s certainly not a book you’d devour in one sitting. It took a lot of time and effort for me to fully immerse. Even when I did, I didn’t feel totally committed. Every chapter is told from a different character’s perspective so the writing changes a bit each time. It made the narrative seem fragmented for me though so it’s probably why I felt detached from the whole story. In the end, it left me feeling more sadness than pain but no lasting impression.
(P.S. still, thank you Kim Namjoon for indirectly recommending this book.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and War