Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Ihmisen teot by Han Kang

70 reviews

eline1701's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I think this one will stay with me for a long, long time. It was an incredibly heavy read. To say it was beautiful is not quite right either, it's gruesome and nauseating and upsetting. The writing, though, is beautiful. While I haven't read the Korean original, it felt like the translation was done with a whole lot of care, and I really appreciated the informative translator's note at the start, which explained the political situation in South Korea in the years leading up to the Gwangju Uprising (and I was very endeared by the way they admitted to drawing inspiration from the Yorkshire accent in "translating" the Gwangju dialect). The writing is merciless when it comes to the descriptions of violence in particular, yet also beautiful and contemplative at times, without feeling flowery or pretentious. I also loved the way in which all three single person points of view (I, you, she/he/they) were alternated throughout the novel, which made it all feel even more immersive and intense. 

As for the novel's content, despite the horrors that were described, the graphic descriptions always felt justified - never sensationalised, never allowing anyone to romanticise any of it. And at the same time, there was  a certain tenderness to it, especially for the different main characters, who are all so deeply human. 

Speaking of the characters, I thought the connections between them all were so masterfully done. For Seon-ju, it took me embarrassingly long to realise it was her, but when I did it hit me right in the chest. And Dong-ho as the red thread tying them all together when initially his focus is only on his friend... yeah. 

All of that said, I don't know if I'd recommend this book to anyone. It really is just very heavy and very graphic (see below, yes, all of those are described in detail again and again), to the point where I had some restless dreams from it. It's also a bleak book, as it doesn't only cover the events of the Uprising, but also its longlasting, ongoing aftereffects, without much of a message of hope. Still, I'm grateful to have read it though and to know a bit more about Gwangju, South Korea, and the Gwangju Uprising. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Alcohol

ka_cam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

A beautiful and emotionally challenging read, and informative if you like me don’t start with much knowledge about the Gwangju Uprising. The method of exploring voices of different people connected to the uprising and a death of a child, including a spirit voice and the child as well as those more loosely connected, ended up feeling very tender rather than the loose-ends feeling that Can come from that style. Very moving and upsetting content. Highly recommend checking content warnings, highly recommended read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism

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.

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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

somelibrarychick's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

feranmi's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Suicide, and Torture

Minor: Classism

ts_anne13's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and War

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

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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

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

savvylit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

"After you died I couldn't hold a funeral, so these eyes that once beheld you became a shrine. These ears that once heard your voice became a shrine. These lungs that once held your breath became a shrine."

In Human Acts, Han Kang paints a haunting portrait of the emotional aftermath of a massacre. Weaved throughout the book are meditations on grief, courage, cruelty, trauma, humanity, and survivor's guilt. Dong-ho, the story's focal point, represents the cruelest casualties of war: just a brave young person motivated by a sense of duty and compassion.

Throughout Human Acts, Han Kang uses repetition to a devastating effect. Characters who were physically tortured all experience the same disassociation from their physical bodies, the same survivor's guilt, the same suicidal ideation. Additionally, by addressing trauma from multiple points of view, Kang masterfully demonstrates the collective nature of grief and the lasting impact of brutality on a single community. 

This book broke my heart. Human Acts is an unforgettable fictionalized account of events that were all too real to so many South Koreans. Much of the content featured in this book is both shocking and horrific - but clearly that is the point. This book isn't another glamorized war story. No, it's the exact opposite: a realistic portrayal of suffering with no happy ending. Sometimes humankind is capable of horrible acts, end of story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

lacifaeria's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence