Human Acts by Han Kang

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Human acts by Han Kang



                This is the story of Dong-ho and the student uprising in South Korea. It's a story of death and longing. It's a story of a heartbreaking reality and the scars that lived forever. It's a story of spirits that can't move on and the living that cling to their presence. It's a story of memories and how they have the power to cripple and burden. It's a story of time and how some wounds never heal, psychological or physical. These stories don’t have a single narrative. Their narratives change with the passage of time within a community. This story of Dong-ho, is the story of the many who were affected the day the shots rang out and the uprising ended.
          I'm not sure if it was the changes in narrative, the use of the second person throughout, the vivid imagery, the despairing tone, the prose or the characters but I couldn't put this novel down. I wasn't expecting to be so captivated by this political fiction account of the 1980 student uprising in South Korea but without a doubt I was. The changes in the narrative and the characters used to deliver that narrative gave such an all encompassing view of the history of that uprising and the affect it had on the lives of everyone involved. Dong-ho was present in all these narratives and he was a somber but necessary presence. Some of it had to do with youth but most of it had to do with his conviction and untimely death. But every one of the narratives had such a unique vantage point especially with how Han Kang utilized the passage of time. This story just flowed through the years beautifully and showed how the events continued to affect people for decades. The images she created of South Korea before, during and after the events was so engrossing and well done. The details provided and the lingering somber tone made reading this book a visceral experience.
                I really enjoyed this novel. There were so many moments throughout this book that took my breath away. Han Kang's prose and delivery was perfectly timed to draw as much emotion as possible out of every moment. Stories like these about tragic events keep them alive. They need to be told and Han Kang was the person meant to tell this story. I give this 4.5 our of 5 stars.

 Thank you Blogging for Books for this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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