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A review by lalaland_of_books
Greek Lessons by Han Kang
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reading this book was like watching an art film.
Can you imagine life without language? There are emotions and feelings but you can't express it, not to others, not even to your own self. And slowly, in lack of expression, those feelings and emotions die. Won't life be like snow and earth then? That is how life has become for our female protagonist - Snow in the throat, earth in the eyes.
The male protagonist too is dealing with loss; loss of a long-lost love and loss of eyesight. He is the Greek language instructor and our female protagonist is his student, both nearly of the same age, both dealing with disability and both 'lonely'. Slowly they gravitate towards each other both physically and emotionally.
Here, we get to read about wordless love between a mute woman and a blind man. We read about love that doesn't need to be communicated via the language of words and sight; because here 'love' is the only language. This book makes us content and hopeful by the final pages.
This would have been a 5 ⭐ read if I had read it in place of listening it....but I just started listening it without checking on storygraph if it is a character driven book. And it is a character driven book which means that I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read it, but none the less I have added this book in my re-read tbr.