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Comments (20)

What did you think about this title?
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May 16, 2023ekhdong rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Really depressing...and realistic portrayal of horror, confusion, intentionality, and patriots fighting for Korean democracy in Gwangju.
Apr 01, 2023solojones1138 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is not only one of the best novels I've ever read, but a super important preservation and presentation of the Democratic uprising in Korea in the 1980s.
Jan 10, 2023pacl_teens rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
"Humans Act by Song Kang is a story that follows the aftermath of a violent student uprising against dictatorship in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980. The story switches through multiple perspectives: a middle school student, a ghost, an…
Nov 18, 2022jaglowgla82 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Part of the RM's reading list (RM from BTS), I was curious about this book. Deals with a heavy topic of different points of views of what role do you play after a tragedy. The book is a good read. The topics are very heavy at times to get…
Aug 24, 2022dsyz rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
very heavy topics but i found it hard to connect with the characters because of how often the perspectives were shifting. i found some characters perspectives more interesting than others.
Nov 03, 2021ABou1391 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is one of the best pieces of fiction I have read in a long time. I liked it a lot better than the Vegetarian which was also very good. This book is about many things and others will certainly take away other things, but what struck me…
Aug 31, 2021booklover1234_0 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
“Is it true that human beings are fundamentally cruel? Is the experience of cruelty the only thing we share as a species? Is the dignity that we cling to nothing but self-delusion, masking from ourselves the single truth: that each one of…
Feb 05, 2021heatherbrenner rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I don't know how I want to rate this novel. I feel like I'm not qualified to rate it because I feel like I didn't fully comprehend it. Now I'm not stupid, I knew what was happening chapter-to-chapter, but they were all somehow supposed to…
Jun 07, 2020bhcoff01 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Humanity’s brutality is on full display in Han Kang’s beautifully written novel. Kang focuses on a seminal event in South Korean history, the May 18 uprising and the death of a young boy and how that death has impacted the survivors.…
Jun 30, 2019uncommonreader rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The story of the Gwangju student uprisings in 1980 in South Korea, which led to many deaths and years of torture for many young people, is told through the experiences of a few people. In the epilogue, Kang, who was born in Gwangju,…
May 13, 2018mclarjh rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Confusing characters and timeline. Not nearly as successful as "Vegetarians."
May 04, 2018LPL_PolliK rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A stunning book, one you will read while holding your breath. Set in Korea during the Gwangju student uprising in 1980, this book captures an event and a political reality I knew nothing about, but now will never forget. Kang writes…
Feb 17, 2018StarGladiator rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
// The souls of the departed are watching us. Their eyes are wide open. \\ Well chosen words to convey the unfolding scenes of grief and horror during the Gwangju Uprising, a precursor to democracy in South Korea. Although a…
Jan 11, 2018vm510 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I don't mind the heavy subjects in Han Kang's books and I also learned a lot reading this book. I kept thinking throughout how easily the state - and the humans who carry out the state's violence - can torture, maim, and kill citizens. I…
Cynthia_N
Jan 04, 2018Cynthia_N rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I can't say that I enjoyed reading this one but it was very powerful and moving.
Nov 05, 2017ManGar rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
“...it was only when we were shattered that we proved we had souls.” -Han Kang, Human Acts “Why are we walking in the dark, let’s go over there, where the flowers are blooming. “ -Han Kang, Human Acts “Please’ write your book so…
Apr 21, 2017Marlowe rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Han offers the reader a glimpse into the horrific acts of violence surrounding the 1980 Gwangju uprising in South Korea, and their aftermath. Through multiple perspectives, the reader learns of the totalitarian violence, the omnipresence…
Apr 08, 2017
I reserved and then waited for weeks for this book. However vs The vegetarian which I read only in 2-3 readings, I cannot finish this book and return this after 1 week. The background and the characters in this novel make it difficult to…
Mar 01, 2017elizali rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book does well in conversation with The Vegetarian. Heartbreakingly sad and graphic, but to a point it is difficult to put down instead of too much to keep reading. Han Kang strikes the balance between displaying atrocity without…
Feb 13, 2017laphampeak rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The historic 1980 student uprising in Gwangju, South Korea sets the place for Kang's story. The reader is taken deep into the tragedy and torture experienced by various individuals - The Boy, The Editor, The Boy's Friend, The…