Description
A Korean woman and a Greek man meet through language lessons that begin as a practical exchange and gradually turn into an intimate, unsettling inquiry into what it means to be understood. As their conversations deepen, cultural distance and the limits of translation give way to a more philosophical reckoning with loneliness, longing, and the fragile ways desire can reshape identity. Han Kang’s lyrical, psychologically precise style transforms a seemingly simple student-teacher dynamic into a meditation on connection—how language can both bridge hearts and expose the gaps we cannot cross. In this slim, haunting novel, two lives collide in the space between words, asking whether true understanding is possible, and what it costs when it is.
Available Editions
paperback
Crown/Archetype
Published Jan 1, 2023
193 pages
ISBN: 9780593595275
paperback
Penguin Books, Limited
Published Jan 1, 2023
141 pages
ISBN: 9780241997079
Reviews
1 rating
Community Reviews(1)
3.75 stars. Good but didn’t connect with me as much as the Vegetarian. Second half of the book picks up in pace massively. Be prepared to not understand multiple chapters from the female protagonist’s perspective. Many beautiful and incredibly written passages, worth pushing through to feel somewhat bettered for reading it.
Details
First Published
2023
Language
kor
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Greek Lessons by Han Kang.