Human Acts - Novels

The novel 'Human Acts,' which won the 2014 Manhae Literary Prize and the 2017 Italian Malaparte Prize, and has been translated into over 20 languages, continues to captivate readers worldwide. This work brought Han Kang, who later won the International Booker Prize for 'The Vegetarian,' widespread acclaim, with praise such as 'a universal and deeply moving novel that’s impossible to look away from' ('The New York Times'), 'a shocking and provocative novel about history and human nature' ('The Guardian'), and 'a novel that surpasses even Han Kang herself' (literary critic Shin Hyeong-cheol). It has been highly regarded as a literary tribute that awakens readers to the wounds of Gwangju and invites them to share in the pain.

'Human Acts' re-examines May 1980 in a way only Han Kang can, offering a 'narrative that probes the structure of trauma' and delivers sincere, heartfelt sentences that seem to speak on behalf of innocent souls. The novel poses profound questions to those of us living in the aftermath of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising.

This work demonstrates the direction of Han Kang’s literature, which captivates the world with its deeply Korean narrative. Testifying to both human cruelty and greatness, this rich narrative transcends time and space, showing the universality of human history and urgently restoring the humanity that should never be lost.

• TITLE : Human Acts
• AUTHOR : HAN KANG
• PUBLISHER : 창비
• LANGUAGE : Korean
• COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : South Korea
• PUBLICATION DATE : 2014-05-19
• ISBN13 : 9788936434120
• ISBN10 : 8936434128
• PAGE : 216p