Human Acts

A Novel

By: Han Kang, Deborah Smith - translator

Narrated by: Sandra Oh, Deborah Smith, Greta Jung, Jae Jung, Jennifer Kim, Raymond J. Lee, Keong Sim

FROM HAN KANG, WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

“[Han Kang writes in] intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”—from the Nobel Prize citation

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 by Sandra Oh, Greta Jung, Jae Jung, Jennifer Kim, Raymond J. Lee, and Keong Sim, with an introduction read by Deborah Smith

Moving

A heart breaking story of the korean people and a generation of youth that would never see what they could be.

Well written darkness

This work though masterfully written was almost too dark for my tastes. Depression is not a place I like to visit but this work leaves me there on the cusp. Social and political upheaval are best visited from far,far away.

Unforgettable and devastatingly beautiful

While reading the final chapter from the mother’s point of view, I felt as though I couldn’t breathe. The pain of losing a son, the vivid memories of joy when he was born, and the unbearable sorrow of witnessing his death overwhelmed me. This book is a reminder that Korea’s democracy was not given freely—it was built on the blood of the brave. I wonder what today’s youth think of such sacrifice. Ironically, the language used in this book is hauntingly beautiful, filled with poetic depth even in describing pain. A masterpiece in every sense.

Rebellion Sweet

Unless you understand, you will not know. Unless you're Korean, you might not understand. Unless you're human, you will not understand what it is to be in Korea.

3.75 Great premise and glimpse at unknown historical tragedy, Needed more context, Writing and Narrator Performances were mixed.

3.75

+ Great premise, especially with so much of public being uninformed about so much global history and plight that's censored and not accurately represented in education and media. Unfortunately still so relevant with ongoing abuse of power with exploitation and inequity for vulnerable populations.

- Needed historical context to heighten global appreciation

~ For better or worse, narrators greatly influenced emotional investment too, with early and last chapters resonating more at least via audiobook with the narrators' tonality and emotive infections. Some great performances!

~ i found my level of engagement mixed, not because of any harrowing details, but with the early and last chapters seeming better written and/or translated...whereas middle ones lost me between lack of context, through line, and some writing that felt more declarative/preachy and possibly forced for more volume...?