Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Ihmisen teot by Han Kang

47 reviews

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

---

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

ladywren890's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

kia_y_k's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

uhm_kai's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

so good, but so so sad

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and War

viviireads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

swapnasrita's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• 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? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation

peppers_books's review against another edition

4.5

very beautiful writing. incredibly heartbreaking and real and raw. there was an ache in my chest the whole time, especially in his friends' and moms' chapters. it was like my heart was being squeezed and it never let up. it's a tough read, but i'm glad i read it and i'll definitely read it again in the future.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

alexismoodie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, and Murder

literaryjunarin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

 “Bearing that in mind, the question which remains to us is this: what is humanity? What do we have to do to keep humanity as one thing and not another?” 

Deeply upsetting, and painfully brutal, Han Kang laid out different stories from victims of the Gwangju Uprising in South Korea, in 1980.

I loved the second-person narrative instantly. It made my reading experience much more immersive. At one point, I actually felt the sweat trickling down my back as was described in the book. That sounds weird, but anyway. As much as I loved the narration style, it also made the torture and oppression feel more painful.

My favorite story would be The Boy's Friend. I was so invested in reading the point of view of a soul, and not a living character. It was so dark and unsettling. However, The Boy's Mother chapter is so heart-wrenching. All the mother's reminiscings of his dead son made me cry so much I could hardly read thru my tears.

Han Kang has this special way of writing about bodies, deaths, and souls. I enjoyed The Vegetarian but this book is on a whole another level.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, and Grief

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.

---

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