Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Human Acts by Han Kang

47 reviews

kenyoncannotread's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

One of the hardest reads for me, emotionally, ever. Check the content warnings first, but this will be one of the best books you’ll ever read if you pick it up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

wong_jyi's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

It is stunning in its ability to weave the darkest and cruellest aspects of human nature with truth and brutal honesty, but also, with hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Classism

lisvxdro's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I was given this book by a coworker and a companion during my time in South Korea. On the surface level, I was a bit conflicted as I didn’t have enough information on the Gwangju Uprisings. But that’s the beauty of this book. Han Kang uses real-life stories and create a sort of nonfiction-esque novel where we learn about the issues of that time through the eyes of multiple characters. Each character, having some connection to the boy Dong-ho, adds to this sense of shared experience unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The closest thing to this is like Babel. 

Han’s writing style for this book does well to give you impactful introspection in a way that’s not familiar in the west. By spending the entire 1/3-1/2 of the chosen chapter setting up that chapter’s character worldview, the rest is the truth revealed in the most honest way possible. This book stings, it’s raw and often picturesque to the point that it might make you queasy. But the book is worth the read.

Favorite chapters: 
-The Boy’s Friend read like a very dark and doomed Miyazaki story. I felt hopeless after.
-The Prisoner was definitely a hard one to get through, especially the reveal at the end with the young boys. Such innocence lost.
-The Boy’s Mother: I felt empty and deeply emotional. This chapter reminded me of my own fears.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, War, and Injury/Injury detail

gokurakuji's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

another book i wanted to enjoy more

i went into the book with a preconceived notion of what the structure would be like based on the summary but my prediction(?) was OFF. so i think that threw off my enjoyment.

but the horrifying knowledge that this book is based off history that i had 0 prior knowledge of (minus the name “gwangju uprising”) was frightening.

but the last chapter? it really made me come to appreciate the book as a whole.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sugarloaded's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was my third Han Kang book (I had read The Vegetarian last year and Greek Lessons a couple of months ago). Han Kang writes magnificently. This is definitely a book that will stay with me. Really heavy on a lot of triggering topics. Please tread carefully. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

mcfay's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, and Suicide attempt

samarakroeger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

an incredibly powerful book, even if I didn't love some of the writing decisions made.  the tone felt a little off to me, veering into a melodrama I could live without.

it's haunting and terrifying, mostly because it's real.  a book you won't be likely to forget anytime soon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

signeskov's review against another edition

dark emotional informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, and Suicide

emmalouisereads's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is quite a tough read. It portrays the atrocities of the event very vividly.

The book uses different writing styles, such as some chapters being in second person (although not the same consistent ‘you’ throughout), and one chapter told from the perspective of one of the dead. Although these were interesting, I personally found it quite hard to follow the plot because of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism

seulgireads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Self harm, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Vomit