danidamico's review against another edition
3.5
"Ever since the uprising began I'd felt something coursing through me, as overwhelming as any army. Conscience. The most terrifying thing in the world".
Dicho todo esto, debo decir que tuve un problema con este libro: la traducción. La propia Deborah Smith menciona la dificultad de traducir este texto y me imagino que debe ser una labor complejísima, pero la realidad es que no me gustó e impidió que pudiera adentrarme del todo en los relatos. Por momentos, pareciera que la traducción estuvo a cargo de un robot, con un uso de inglés forzado, duro, oraciones que tienen una sintaxis rara y palabras o expresiones que nunca escuché a alguien decir en mi vida. Sólo por poner un ejemplo de muchos, ¿por qué la traductora en un momento puso "get out a cigarette" en vez de "take out a cigarette" o "take a cigarette out of the bag". Se trata de cosas así que constantemente me sacaban de la historia, me distraían y me irritaban. Al ser una traducción la verdad que no puedo opinar sobre la escritura de la autora, pero dudo que sea tan forzada y dura como se lee en inglés.
Otro aspecto que bajó un poco la calidad de mi experiencia de lectura es que en algunas escenas se vuelven confusas las líneas temporales. La verdad es que hubo fragmentos que tuve que leer dos veces porque sinceramente me desorientaba quién estaba hablando y en qué momento temporal estábamos. Esto no sé si también es debido a la traducción o si es es algo que está presente en la escritura de Han Kang. Pero me hubiera gustado que las cosas fueran más claras.
"There was something infinitely noble about how his body still bore the traces of Hands that had touched ir, a tangible record of having been cared for, been valued, that made me envious and sad".
Más allá de las cosas que me molestaron o que no me convencieron, quiero subrayar la importancia enorme de este libro y realmente admiro lo que hizo Han Kang con este libro, cómo aborda hechos históricos tan terrible. Cómo encuentra palabras para narrar el terror desde cierta distancia que nunca abandona la empatía. Me pareció una buena decisión la estructura de seis relatos interconectados cómo modo de narrar la historia; los relatos se van conectando a través de un encadenamiento, con un personaje de un cuento anterior que aparece en uno siguiente, como si fuera algo que podría seguir tejiéndose eternamente.
Pienso que en los textos que documentan el terrorismo de Estado y los crímenes de lesa humanidad aparece siempre lo mismo: los familiares que buscan a sus seres queridos, que los extrañan, que piden justicia por ellos. Las conexiones humanas. Todo el horror termina siendo atravesado por el amor, por la lucha de madres, hermanos, amigos. Esa es la única luz que logra colarse por los intersticios.
"I don't have a map for whatever world lies beyond death. I don't know whether there too there are meetings and partings, whether we still have faces and voices, hearts with the capacity for joy as well as sorrow".
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Suicide, Child death, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Sexual violence, Torture, and Sexual assault
alicia_emerich's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Genocide, Death, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
seulgireads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child death, Confinement, Death, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Rape, Sexism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Infertility, Cursing, Suicide, and Misogyny
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Vomit, Self harm, Cancer, and Excrement
miaaa_lenaaa's review
- 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
Graphic: Gore, Confinement, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Cancer, Police brutality, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, and Body horror
lenaschrn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Police brutality, Death, Gore, Child death, Injury/injury detail, and Violence
madamenovelist's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Grief, Vomit, Torture, Child abuse, Genocide, Sexism, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Gore, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Injury/injury detail, Cursing, Medical content, and Mass/school shootings
bargainandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Death, Infertility, Injury/injury detail, Gore, Violence, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief
reallife_kazbrekker's review against another edition
4.5
Can't wait to read more from this author and/or read similar books like this!
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Child death, Death, and War
tomoonarmy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
“have their souls also escaped their bodies, flying away like birds?”
“There will be no forgiveness.”
“our soldiers are shooting. They’re shooting at us.”
I think that this book is an important piece of literature that many people should read (check the trigger warnings before tho!!), therefore I gave it a rating bc in today’s society I think people are more likely to read books with good ratings. So pls keep in mind that this rating isn’t about the story contained inside, more so for the writing and the importance of the story itself.
If you can, please read this book.
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Infertility, Death of parent, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Blood, Child death, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Injury/injury detail, and Kidnapping
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Body horror, Child death, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Vomit, Blood, Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Gore, Infertility, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, and Gun violence
ladywren890's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Confinement, Police brutality, Violence, and Blood