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Human Acts

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About this listen

Gwangju, South Korea, 1980. Amid a violent student uprising, a young boy named Dong-ho is killed. As his friend searches for Dong-ho's corpse, we also meet an editor struggling against censorship, a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories, and Dong-ho's grief-stricken mother. Through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope comes a tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice.

©2014 Han Kang (P)2017 Penguin Random House LLC Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Political War & Military World Literature Heartfelt

Critic reviews

'Exquisite, painful and deeply courageous.' (Philippe Sands, Best Books of the Year, Guardian)
'Human Acts is a stunning piece of work. The language is poetic, immediate, and brutal. Han Kang has again proved herself to be a deft artist of storytelling and imagery.' (Jess Richards, author of Snake Ropes)
'Powerful and disturbing ... lyrical and chilling.' (Mail on Sunday)
'[A] remarkable novel ... A technical and emotional triumph.' (Daily Telegraph)
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Most relevant
I found the subject of the book to be fascinating, and plan to look into it more, and I really like how the story is framed and split between several characters offering their own perspective on the tragic events of the first chapter. But I do think maybe something has been lost in translation here, as it can end up being a bit of a chore at certain points, which is a real shame because there is a lot to like here.

Over all though, I would recommend it.

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