Greek Lessons
Author: Han Kang
Translated by: Deborah Smith & Emily Yae Won
Published by: Hamish Hamilton
Pages: 150
Format: Hardback
My Rating: ★★★★★
Translated by: Deborah Smith & Emily Yae Won
Published by: Hamish Hamilton
Pages: 150
Format: Hardback
My Rating: ★★★★★
In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.
Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. While for him, it’s the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages.
Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish – the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to one another. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity – their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to expression.
My thoughts:
Reading a Han Kang book is a singular pleasure like no other. Quiet, reflective, melancholy and poetic, this is an extraordinary piece of literary writing that allows the reader to travel into the author’s incredible imagination. Han Kang is a writer like no other, portraying both complex scenarios, settings, and characters in the most eloquent and thought-provoking way. It is a book about loss and the search for identity, for self.
The novel is a slow-moving exploration of the inner lives of a teacher of Ancient Greek who is losing his vision and a woman who is presently mute. It is not so much about the plot, but of each characters’ observations, experiences and how they connect.
Here it all is so intricately displayed in the lives of two people— a woman who had previously been verbal but had become mute due to trauma; and a man teaching Greek language lessons who is slowly going blind. Their lives intersect the moment the woman steps into the man’s teaching sessions to learn Greek and how to navigate its complexities, perhaps to rediscover her own voice.
Having had the ability to speak before, the woman struggles in many ways to find her words, studying languages so that perhaps there will be a spark of recognition from within her that may enable her to talk again.
We witness the woman trying to rediscover her own voice, through the effort of learning languages. This puts the man in a curious position, having eventually noticed that a female student of his has never uttered a single word during the whole semester of his class. It is only later when he comes to know that she is mute, and then he subtly begins to try and get closer to her.
Han Kang explores the power of language: how we gain and lose it over the centuries through the rise and fall of civilisations; how it is fundamental in human relationships; and how it is necessary at the very core of our being. This story contains a detailed look at linguistics as well as relationships with communication barriers.
Kang really shows her literary skill in this novel and crafts a carefully constructed and emotional book. It is a wonderful read, and just the right length. I have a soft spot for short novels – their intensity, their skill in delivering something sharp and true in such few words. Greek Lessons is told from multiple perspectives and points of view and Kang has executed this perfectly.
A beautifully written journey of making use of time left, I found this unputdownable. Greek Lessons was my introduction to the writing of Han Kang, I was struck by this intimate and contemplative story and will absolutely be seeking out more of her writing.
Overall reaction:
Reading a Han Kang book is a singular pleasure like no other. Quiet, reflective, melancholy and poetic, this is an extraordinary piece of literary writing that allows the reader to travel into the author’s incredible imagination. Han Kang is a writer like no other, portraying both complex scenarios, settings, and characters in the most eloquent and thought-provoking way. It is a book about loss and the search for identity, for self.
The novel is a slow-moving exploration of the inner lives of a teacher of Ancient Greek who is losing his vision and a woman who is presently mute. It is not so much about the plot, but of each characters’ observations, experiences and how they connect.
Here it all is so intricately displayed in the lives of two people— a woman who had previously been verbal but had become mute due to trauma; and a man teaching Greek language lessons who is slowly going blind. Their lives intersect the moment the woman steps into the man’s teaching sessions to learn Greek and how to navigate its complexities, perhaps to rediscover her own voice.
Having had the ability to speak before, the woman struggles in many ways to find her words, studying languages so that perhaps there will be a spark of recognition from within her that may enable her to talk again.
We witness the woman trying to rediscover her own voice, through the effort of learning languages. This puts the man in a curious position, having eventually noticed that a female student of his has never uttered a single word during the whole semester of his class. It is only later when he comes to know that she is mute, and then he subtly begins to try and get closer to her.
Han Kang explores the power of language: how we gain and lose it over the centuries through the rise and fall of civilisations; how it is fundamental in human relationships; and how it is necessary at the very core of our being. This story contains a detailed look at linguistics as well as relationships with communication barriers.
Kang really shows her literary skill in this novel and crafts a carefully constructed and emotional book. It is a wonderful read, and just the right length. I have a soft spot for short novels – their intensity, their skill in delivering something sharp and true in such few words. Greek Lessons is told from multiple perspectives and points of view and Kang has executed this perfectly.
A beautifully written journey of making use of time left, I found this unputdownable. Greek Lessons was my introduction to the writing of Han Kang, I was struck by this intimate and contemplative story and will absolutely be seeking out more of her writing.
Overall reaction: