Han Kang's Human Acts (2014) | Book Review and Analysis

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024 was awarded to Han Kang. This is a reflection on Human Acts (소년이 온다, Sonyeoni onda), a novel that revolves around the Gwangju Uprising. English translation by Deborah Smith published by Hogarth in 2016.

Contents:
00:00 – Intro
01:06 – Nobel Prize citation and notable works by Han Kang
03:16 – About Human Acts: title, genre, main theme, historical background, and why I chose it
05:31 – Structure and style
06:45 – Contents: chapter-by-chapter commentary
14:26 – My reaction: an unfortunately universal novel
16:07 – Connections with other Nobel laureates
17:06 – Bottom line and further reading