Han Kang is so good, I was so happy for her when she won the Nobel.
I started reading her back when The Vegetarian got translated and she started to get all the international attention; and even though that's what got me into her work, its probably my least favorite book by her (altho it's still really good). Like you said Human Acts is so devastating, and Greek Lessons and The White Book are really great too and so beautifully written (and sad too, but a different sort of sad).
I think her upcoming translated book "We Do Not Part" combines the best virtues of all these and I hiiiiighly recommend that when it comes out (also devastatingly sad tho).
It’s a little confusing to me that The Vegetarian was the breakthrough/crossover hit. Just an accident of timing and media attention, I guess? I’m looking forward to reading more of her! Did you read her books in Korean?
Unfortunately I haven't, I'm still not confident enough in my Korean to do it. Like I have functional Korean but whenever I step outside my comfort zone I'm humbled so quick lol. I've never really even tried to read anything more than a paragraph in Korean . . . but maybe reading books would be the best way to learn all those non-workplace/restaurant/convenience store words haha.
The reason I've read We Do Not Part early is I used this website "NetGalley" to get an uncorrected proof of it. On this website you can request an advance copy and if the publisher approves they will send you the ebook file (but you have to use it in their app and the ebook expires after 60 days). If you're interested I bet you could pretty easily get approved too if you didn't feel like waiting 2.5 months. All I did was say I was a reviewer and link my goodreads profile and I've gotten a few advance copies of books sent my way this year.
Thanks for the tip about NetGalley! I’ve got a stack of books to read a mile long but I’m always eager to be distracted by something shiny and new. I’ll look into it.
Han Kang is so good, I was so happy for her when she won the Nobel.
I started reading her back when The Vegetarian got translated and she started to get all the international attention; and even though that's what got me into her work, its probably my least favorite book by her (altho it's still really good). Like you said Human Acts is so devastating, and Greek Lessons and The White Book are really great too and so beautifully written (and sad too, but a different sort of sad).
I think her upcoming translated book "We Do Not Part" combines the best virtues of all these and I hiiiiighly recommend that when it comes out (also devastatingly sad tho).
It’s a little confusing to me that The Vegetarian was the breakthrough/crossover hit. Just an accident of timing and media attention, I guess? I’m looking forward to reading more of her! Did you read her books in Korean?
Unfortunately I haven't, I'm still not confident enough in my Korean to do it. Like I have functional Korean but whenever I step outside my comfort zone I'm humbled so quick lol. I've never really even tried to read anything more than a paragraph in Korean . . . but maybe reading books would be the best way to learn all those non-workplace/restaurant/convenience store words haha.
The reason I've read We Do Not Part early is I used this website "NetGalley" to get an uncorrected proof of it. On this website you can request an advance copy and if the publisher approves they will send you the ebook file (but you have to use it in their app and the ebook expires after 60 days). If you're interested I bet you could pretty easily get approved too if you didn't feel like waiting 2.5 months. All I did was say I was a reviewer and link my goodreads profile and I've gotten a few advance copies of books sent my way this year.
I aspire to one day have functional Korean 🥲
Thanks for the tip about NetGalley! I’ve got a stack of books to read a mile long but I’m always eager to be distracted by something shiny and new. I’ll look into it.