Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Human Acts by Han Kang

18 reviews

rosenbrook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Emotional, gripping, and informative.
Human Acts is about the inhuman acts that we can perpetrate. This book describes graphic events, but never feels sadistic. What occurs is shocking, but not for shock value. The moments of darkness are nicely balanced with moments of humanity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

anh_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Anhand verschiedener Charaktere und Perspektiven beschreibt dieser Roman eindrucksvoll die Geschehnisse um Gwangju-Massaker in 1980 und ihre Auswirkungen auf Überlebende und die Angehörigen der Opfer. Da ich zuvor noch nie davon gehört habe, war ich schockiert, mit welcher Brutalität man versucht hat, Demonstrationen zu unterdrücken. 

Es ist definitiv kein einfaches Buch. Man sollte sich definitiv die Triggerwarnungen unbedingt vorher durchlesen. Ansonsten lässt sich das Buch gut und schnell lesen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infertility

Minor: Suicide

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

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

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

✨ Thrifted ✨

Wow. What a challenging set of stories 🥲 It is incredibly gory and harsh and so  I found it quite challenging to get through. 
I didn’t have a clue about the historical events so it was eye-opening to read fictionalised accounts on it.

When I first read Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, I wasn’t sure how to process it as it was so heavy. This one was definitely the same but I managed it in the end. Trigger warnings are included below 🥺

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Police brutality

romcomapologist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

if i could give this book 6 stars, i would. if i had read this with nothing on my plate i would’ve been reduced to a puddle on the floor, never to be materialised again. can’t give a full review here bc it’s a lot to process, but i’ll end on saying this is one of those books i would recommend everyone learn about and read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, and War

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

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Reflections on death and attempts at burying memories so as not to have to relive them conflicting with those who see no other option but to relive them

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

theroyaltyreader's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

4.75

it doesn't really have a solid plot nor character's growth. it is more on compilation of Gwanju Uprising memories. 

This book is so heavy and dark. The description of people got killed during the protest so raw, realistic and gruesome. It is not twisted but the description of torture and death do really leave me in shook. How can SK rises from the dead? They can build a new life on top of dark memories. To the old generation, these memories still intact but to the new generation, it is unspeakable among them, i think. This book taught me on people are really cruel. They knew life worth of something so other people took it away. Disabled and buried away those civilian's life. What a tense and sad time it was.

It remains as a scar and the bloodiest protest ever in SK. I myself got spook in case the soldier starting to torture civillians. The emotions of this author felt so genuine and manage to reach the reader. I can't imagine if those who read can't feel the pain. I wanted to give 5 stars but I ended up 4.75 stars because I was a bit of confuse with the usage of second POV. I kinda lost at first despite of understand but still unable to focus properly. It does give a big impact to me then. At the early reading, the author emphasizes a strong POV which was the second one where YOU need to imagine if YOU were there. 

Another part is that I want to know further about the politics that lead to Gwangju Uprising. I know the author provided basic knowledge but as a history lover, I want more. I want to weep and cry and let the tears went away for these victims but it got stuck. Must be suprising how tragedy it was this protest. Rather than sad, it left me speechless. Too many violences were executed. Brutal at its finest. 

To Han Kang, I feel this tragedy deeply into my heart. You managed to educate me how dark it was that days. The emotions that you capture and put in here is really touching. To Gwanju residents, I hope that they knew that their stories during the uprising has travelled far across of what they realy expected. We knew, heard and feel and the justice for the victims will always be upheld by the reader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail