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Human Acts: A Novel

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Arrives Wednesday, Jun 25
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Description

FROM HAN KANG, WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE “[Han Kang’s] intense poetic prose . . . confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”—The Nobel Committee for Literature, in the citation for the Nobel Prize The internationally bestselling author of The Vegetarian presents a “rare and astonishing” (The Observer) portrait of political unrest and the universal struggle for justice. “Compulsively readable, universally relevant, and deeply resonant . . . in equal parts beautiful and urgent.”—The New York Times Book Review Shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award • One of the Best Books of the Year: The Atlantic, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, HuffPost, Medium, Library Journal Amid a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed. The story of this tragic episode unfolds in a sequence of interconnected chapters as the victims and the bereaved encounter suppression, denial, and the echoing agony of the massacre. From Dong-ho’s best friend who meets his own fateful end; to an editor struggling against censorship; to a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories; and to Dong-ho's own grief- stricken mother; and through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope is the tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice. An award-winning, controversial bestseller, Human Acts is a timeless, pointillist portrait of an historic event with reverberations still being felt today, by turns tracing the harsh reality of oppression and the resounding, extraordinary poetry of humanity. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Publishing Group; Reprint edition (October 17, 2017)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 110190674X


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 43


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.16 x 0.65 x 7.96 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #7 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #45 in Psychological Fiction (Books) #122 in Literary Fiction (Books)


#7 in Cultural Heritage Fiction:


#45 in Psychological Fiction (Books):


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Wednesday, Jun 25

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Very good read
I lived the book very quick and easy read
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024 by Jenette Wetzel

  • A most reading to understand Korea's modern history
I was moved as I read all and every page of the book. I had to stop reading every few pages because my heart could'nt bear the pain of knowing what a human being is capeable of. This had been the best book i've read in years.
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2024 by Cliente de Kindle

  • Heart breaking
This book gave me so much information I never knew about.. the stories/povs were so raw and real, yet devastating. People fighting for better human conditions / life style(s) but were faced with death. Prayers. Go out to everyone. Keep fighting
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2024 by Raynna Jackson

  • Poignant and powerful novel of the lasting effects of an actual brutal massacre on different characters.
Not for the faint of heart, this is not what I expected. Yet I don't know what I expected. A gentle story of humane people, I suppose, based on the title. I'm glad the coworker who highly recommended the book to me didn't tell me what it was about. I don't feel like telling you, either. The author skillfully exposes events through various perspectives. The lyrical prose never felt didactic to me; yet it never avoided the brutal truth. The translator skillfully conveyed the indirect way the the author presented this dark chapter of recent Korean history. Wow. I knew the outlines of the tragedy, but not with the depth that this book shook into me. Great writing and storytelling. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2021 by Steve Robins

  • Heartbreaking but Enthralling
I had to read this book little by little because each chapter just found a new way to leave me a sobbing mess. The details captured of not only the events of that but of how each character is involved and the consequences that they lived with afterwards makes for an intriguing read. Just don't forget the box of tissues. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2022 by Kindle Customer

  • Intriguing storyline, average narration
It's Ok insofar as it narrates historical events of the Gwangju Uprising. Still, the “…intense poetic prose that . . . exposes the fragility of human life” seems a bit of an exaggeration.
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024 by Gayane Grigoryan

  • missing words
Here I am trying to incapsulate why this book should be read by everyone: because it teaches or reminds of what we are capable of? Because it hits like a fist while gentle like a leaf? Because it's poetry? Han Kang can write such a fundamental text, and I cannot find 20 words that are good enough to make justice of it. There you have it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2023 by M. Caroll

  • Wonderful read
Very very sad, but taught me a bit of the civil war that I had no idea occurred in south Korea. Very well written.
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2023 by lady pudding bread

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