awilderm23's review against another edition
4.0
‘Now and then the passage of time seems acutely apparent. Physical pain always sharpens the awareness... Even the smallest task is left suspended as I concentrate on simply enduring the pain, sensing time’s discrete drops as razor-sharp gemstones, grazing my fingertips. One deep breath drawn in and this moment of life takes shape as distinctly as a bead of blood.’
‘And she frequently forgot that her body (all our bodies) is a house of sand. That it had shattered and is shattering still. Slipping stubbornly though fingers.’
The story black writing through black paper page 119
‘Looking at herself in the mirror she never forgot that death was hovering behind that face. Faint yet tenacious, like black writing bleeding through thin paper.’
to the stillness page 123
‘Drink it like medicine or tea, our silence, dissolving into smoke in place of words.’
‘And she frequently forgot that her body (all our bodies) is a house of sand. That it had shattered and is shattering still. Slipping stubbornly though fingers.’
The story black writing through black paper page 119
‘Looking at herself in the mirror she never forgot that death was hovering behind that face. Faint yet tenacious, like black writing bleeding through thin paper.’
to the stillness page 123
‘Drink it like medicine or tea, our silence, dissolving into smoke in place of words.’
zizosreads's review against another edition
4.0
I really wanted to take my time with this book, despite it being really short. Han Kang’s writing is absolutely insane! This is undoubtedly one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read, I was swept away with every excerpt, I should’ve read this book before my creative writing class :( but nevertheless this book felt like a dream and was eerily beautiful.
kim_kiori's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ex_odette's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
j_boundy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cheyenneisreading's review against another edition
5.0
“Now I will give you white things,
What is white, though may yet be sullied;
Only white things will I give.
No longer will I question
Whether I should give this life to you.”
Beautiful, emotional, haunting, an ever present ache, grief and loss, a loss of one we did not know but the loss is as real as loss ever can be
A personal set of short moments, like poetry, dripping its beauty across the page. I am speechless.
“the fact that our lives are no more than brief instants is felt with unequivocal clarity”
“Your sleep is clean, and the fact of your living is nothing to be ashamed of”
There are so many beautiful words within this book!
What is white, though may yet be sullied;
Only white things will I give.
No longer will I question
Whether I should give this life to you.”
Beautiful, emotional, haunting, an ever present ache, grief and loss, a loss of one we did not know but the loss is as real as loss ever can be
A personal set of short moments, like poetry, dripping its beauty across the page. I am speechless.
“the fact that our lives are no more than brief instants is felt with unequivocal clarity”
“Your sleep is clean, and the fact of your living is nothing to be ashamed of”
There are so many beautiful words within this book!
aliencatl0rd's review against another edition
1.0
Eh.
I guess I'm heartless because none of this content was moving in the slightest. I don't know what the point was.
I guess I'm heartless because none of this content was moving in the slightest. I don't know what the point was.