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Human Acts

4.1(81)
Hardcover€24.77Paperback€13.00
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About the book

A riveting, poetic and powerful work from the author of the International Booker Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian. 'Exquisite, painful and deeply courageous' Philippe Sands, Best Books of the Year, Guardian 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 brutalised people in search of a voice. A modern classic, Human Acts has been both a controversial bestseller and an award-winning book in Korea, and it confirmed Han Kang as a writer of international importance. '[Han Kang's] way of telling about the events of a 10-day insurgency in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and its psychological, spiritual and political aftermath opened my eyes' Susie Orbach, Best Books of the Year, Guardian

Editions (3)

ISBN9781846275975
PublisherGranta Publications
Publication Date11/03/16
Pages224

Reviews & Ratings

81 ratings

15 reviews

4.1

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  • doradea
    doradea

    38 Followers

    5.0

    Das Buch war schwer zu lesen, weil ich kaum ertragen kann, was Menschen anderen Menschen antun. Dennoch war ich gefesselt vom Buch und finde es wichtig, diesen Teil der Geschichte Südkoreas kennengelernt zu haben.

    May 20, 2025

  • alexjanice
    alexjanice

    28 Followers

    5.0

    Wow wow wow

    Das war mein erstes Buch von der Autorin und ich bin einfach nur fassungslos und sprachlos. Ich liebe ihren Schreibstil und wie sie die Dinge so nah und ergreifend beschreiben kann. Anfangs kam ich ein wenig schwierig rein, weil das erste Kapitel in der Du-Form geschrieben ist - aber die Sichten wechseln immer wieder, da es um verschiedene Personen geht, daher habe ich mich dann irgendwie dran gewöhnt bzw vlt es auch irgendwann einfach überlesen. Human Acts lässt einen alles fühlen - Trauer, Wut, Liebe… Wunderschön, wie die Teile am Ende zusammengefügt wurden. Ich könnte vermutlich ein weiteres Buch nur mit Quotes aus Human Acts füllen - ganz ganz viel Liebe an dieses Buch.

    Jun 23, 2024

  • holly_glueck
    holly_glueck

    24 Followers

    3.5

    This was hard to read. Not because of the way it was written, although I had some issues in the beginning, but because of how traumatic these events are. I have to say, I had a problem remembering every side-characters name, and when they got important again, I couldn't bring myself to really care that deeply. But the story of the main boy was so emotional I will probably never forget about that

    Aug 19, 2025

3 of 15 reviews

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