Reading Han Kang's books! (Nobel Prize in Literature 2024)

[@floppybooksssss]

I believe that, for some books, you need to be a woman or have experienced the reality of someone who identifies as one to fully appreciate them. Han Kang is truly exceptional. Her books are raw and real, yet still full of beauty. It's also known that her English translations are not the best. I first read The Vegetarian in English, but I didn’t connect with the story. Then I switched to the German translation, and it was like reading two different books.

[@nathansnook]

how timely! i've got Human Acts for the weekend and loved your thoughts on it. The Vegetarian sounds bonkers 😵‍💫

[@yenasung]

Omg you need to read the vegetarian!!

[@onshnrisk]

You are wrong if you assume that the Booker prize influences the Swedish Academy. Traditionally, the Booker prize is compared in Sweden to the Swedish August Prize which is for "simpler", more commercial and broad literature. The Nobel Prize is supposed to award authors who are on a higher level than that. Interestingly, the award to Han Kang has come under withering criticism by Swedish literary critics (including former members of the Nobel committee) which would suggest that the Swedish Academy is probably deeply split. In her defense, the academy highlighted two books (the one you liked, and the one not yet translated into English).

[@bronteeZ]

As a person that gets bored very easily, thank you for saving my time

[@ianp9086]

I agree with you that Human Acts is a powerful little book and well worth anyone’s time.

[@absurdistoxymoron]

Another excellent video. It seemed to pretty much confirm my suspicions (that Human Acts is the one work of hers that sounds like it will appeal to me and that she was a disappointing choice since it seems like she is only just starting to enter into a unique style). Also, I'm always impressed by the speed with which you read

[@martincabrera5466]

You are right!

[@AnSe902]

Thanks for saving me time and money. 😃

[@thunderbirb7700]

for some strange reason her other books which are more like human acts have not been translated. for instance We Do not part only comes out next feb. The books that are "poetic" are the ones that we have appeared in english. And The vegetarian's translation is questionable...there is another book called Greek Lessons that is available for in english if you're interested. Again its one of the more "poetic works" but its more grounded. Also books like We do not part are available in other languages. Last year it won the Prix Médicis étranger because it has a French translation.

[@TheLeniverse]

Yes, the Nobel Committee is Swedish, and I don't think we should assume that they always read the English translations of books.

[@blipsontheradar]

in the post announcement interview, someone asked a committee member which book they would recommend most, and they recommended Human Acts, so maybe this decision mostly came down to that book

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

⚛️❤

[@KatyaOrlova-jp1gy]

Are you fast or am I lazy?

[@TheDiscoKingOfficial]

I'm both

[@bookofdust]

If you really want to see him really fast, put him on 1.75 or even 2!

[@KatyaOrlova-jp1gy]

@@bookofdust Wait, people watch KZbin on normal speed!?

[@bookofdust]

@@KatyaOrlova-jp1gy Just music videos!

[@yenasung]

Omg you’re so fast! I think it’s most likely a political decision giving her the nobel as she’s black listed by her own govt for being a liberal feminist and airing dirty laundry ie human acts, and her winning is essentially the western world siding with her and allowing more of her books to get translated for the rest of the world to read. So a big yay for feminists and queers!

[@leopercara3477]

There is a book critic who said her books are just premises, stretched out to novel form. I would guess that's why they feel so aimless and empty, but I'll try Human Acts someday. But we have always had mediocre authors winning everything and becoming household names (Hemingway, Faulkner, Knausgard, etc).