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One of my favourite books is Han Kang‘s novel Human Acts about the Gwangju Uprising and the violence and torture that occurred. In her new novel the protagonist is a writer, Kyungha, who is tormented and depressed by the research she did into a massacre. I wondered how much this reflected Han Kang herself. Kyungha makes a journey to her friend‘s hometown of Jeju, a place with a history of a massacre.
The writing here is incredibly beautiful, ⬇️

I didn‘t know about the Jeju massacre until listening to this novel. Beautiful, haunting writing that I think would have been even better in print. That way I could have reread passages and spent more time thinking about them. I will have to get a copy for my shelves.

P.S. I think I was “meh” on The Vegetarian. 😏

This is the second book I‘ve read by the author. This one was just as dark as the other. Filled with magical realism and ghosts, the story slowly unfolds, just like the slow but steady snowfall. Snow isn‘t just snow in this story. It‘s frigid and beautiful weather, yes—but the author also seems to use it as a blanket, hiding a dark and painful past, which is revealed a little at a time. I didn‘t know about the Jeju Island massacre⬇️

I don‘t know if this is what happens right before you die. Everything I have ever experienced is made crystalline. Nothing hurts anymore. Hundreds upon thousands of moments glitter in unison, like snowflakes whose elaborate shapes are in full view. How this is possible, I can‘t say. My every pain and joy, all my deep-rooted sorrows and loves, shine, not as an amalgam but as a whole comprised of distinct singularities, glowing together as ⬇️

Creative and artsy way of chronicling stories of survivors of the Jeju Island Massacre.

#CoverStories Day 22: I have sort-of #Pastel colored and women-authored books for my birthday month. They all look delicious!

Set in Korea. I listened to this story of two friends Kyungha and Inseon. Kyungha travels to Jeju Island. The writing is beautiful and brutal.Han Kang explores the depth of friendship and family ties , and personal connection to the past. This is a remembering of the Jeju massacre. There is a landscape of snow , and of dreaming , and metaphor. I must get the book to read and keep. I loved it.

Woke up to a snow day in Northern Alabama☃️❄️ That means coffee and reading!

Loving this!💙

My birthday treat arrived today 🥰 I need to finish up my current read and will start it next, I‘m really looking forward to this!

Visited my favorite indie bookstore today and could not walk out without this.

I'm really torn on this one. The writing was beautiful and created such a haunting atmosphere as the novel progressed, but the pace was so slow for such a short read. I found myself wanting to read it but dreading it at the same time.

I am still giving it a pick because Han Kang has such a way with words.

This will likely be a love it/hate it book for readers…Kang‘s writing is exquisite—painful, heartbreaking, beautiful, & unrelenting as she tells the story of a friendship (in the present) & the massacre of residents of Jeju Island (an effort to root out communists) in the not too distant past. It‘s a powerful examination of the past & the horrors people will inflict on each other (youngest & oldest included). A particularly timely read right now.

Kang‘s most recently translated work explores survival and death amidst hardship and violence, whether man made or natural. Overall I quite liked this, including the multiple potential interpretations of events in the second half. I was bothered by the description of a medical procedure that would never actually be used and would in fact be counterproductive, as things like that always take me out of a story.

New Han Kang so of course I have to read it next!

Another book that is so good, that it's hard to write a review about. I had a lot of thoughts and emotions while reading this, but it's a whole other thing to put these into words. It's a beautifully written story and kudos to Ki-Hyang Lee, who translated the book to German. The author works with symbolism and magical realism to create strong images and scenes. Some of them we might won't forget again.

#49bdaygiveaway
Happy Birthday @wanderinglynn 🥳🎂🎉🎊

This author is amazing. I loved this. I am so glad she won the Nobel prize this year.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

US pub date is 1/21/25
#ARC #Netgalley

I was apparently having a big mood when I stuck the title on this 😂

#BookSpin #DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Oh my. I really hate to say it because I adore Han Kang, but this didn't work for me. It is the longest short novel I have ever read. It just dragged. Which I guess works a bit for the plot, in the first half our narrator is going to check on a pet bird of a friend in the hospital. The snow is high and she is dragging herself and us through while also going back and forth in time telling us about herself & her friend. Things get weird and 👇

I can‘t believe I got approved for this…It will be my first Kang! 😊

If you have not read Noble prize winner Han Kang you have many options to start with! I love The Vegetarian one for those who love magical realism and feminism. The White Book is perfect for those who love poetry. Human Acts is for those who love historical fiction. I am excited for her newest!