Korea

  • The darkness closed in

    Excerpt from Human Acts by Han Kang This is an excerpt from the book Human Acts by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith. After they left, the darkness closed in around us. The faint afterglow that had lingered in the western sky dissolved slowly into the surrounding blackness. I moved quickly up to the top…

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  • A person’s soul

    This is a quote from the book Human Acts by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith. Have you read this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment below! If you’re interested, you can read an excerpt from the book here. Human Acts – Summary Here is the book summary:…

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  • Like a bird escaping

    Excerpt from Human Acts by Han Kang This is an excerpt from the book Human Acts by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith. ‘Hasn’t enough blood been shed? How can all that blood be simply covered up? The souls of the departed are watching us. Their eyes are wide open.’ The voice of the man…

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  • Women in Translation: 5 books to read from North/East Asia

    This month, August, is a chance to celebrate women in translation, specifically women authors who’s works have been translated. There’s so much good translated literature out there. For this month, I’ll be sharing some inspiration for women authors from around the world who have had their work translated into English. I know a lot of…

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  • She watches the rain

    This is a quote from the book The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith. Have you read this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment below! If you’re interested, you can read an excerpt from the book here. The Vegetarian – Summary Here is the book summary from Goodreads: Yeong-hye…

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  • Visiting her sister

    Excerpt from The Vegetarian by Han Kang This is an excerpt from the book The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith. The receptionist greets her, recognizing her from previous visits. She closes her dripping umbrella and secures the tie around it, then sits down on a long wooden bench. While she waits for…

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