Human Acts
2 awards & honors · incl. Malaparte Prize 2017
Historical FictionLiterary FictionNonfictionHistory
Buy on AmazonAbout “Human Acts”
In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is killed. The story of this tragic event is told through interconnected chapters that follow the experiences of those affected. Dong-ho's best friend also dies, an editor fights against censorship, a prisoner and a factory worker carry traumatic memories, and Dong-ho's mother endures deep grief. Their collective suffering and moments of hope reflect the struggle of a people under oppression. Human Acts by Han Kang is an award-winning and controversial novel that portrays a historic event with lasting impact. It captures both the harsh reality of repression and the enduring strength of human resilience.
Awards & honors
- Winner — Malaparte Prize (2017)
- Longlisted — Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction (2018)
Praise for “Human Acts”
“Stunning . . . Han Kang has an ambition as large as Milton’s struggle with God: She wants to reconcile the ways of humanity to itself.”
“Human Acts is unique in the intensity and scale of this brutality. . . . The novel details a bloody history that was deliberately forgotten and is only now being recovered.”
“Exquisitely crafted.”
Book details
- Published
- 2017
- Latest edition
- 2017 · ISBN 9781101906743
- ISBN
- 9781101906743
View more editions (4)
| Cover | Edition | Year | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Human Acts | 2017 | 9781101906743 | Buy on Amazon |
 | Human Acts | 2017 | 9781101906729 | Buy on Amazon |
| Human Acts | 2017 | 9781846275975 | Buy on Amazon | |
 | Human Acts | 2016 | 9781846275968 | Buy on Amazon |
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is Human Acts?
Human Acts by Han Kang has 240 pages.
More by Han Kang
Book descriptions, author biographies, award records and review quotes on this page are courtesy of Penguin Random House.